# Lateral transfers



## tripleplay (Aug 29, 2004)

Can anyone help with a question on laterals. how long do you need to work at a department before you can transfer to another department? i have heard 6 months and 1 year? I am lost! I read something on the hrd web site and that says 6 months and I have been told 1 year?


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## BartA1 (May 5, 2002)

I think it depends on the personnel rules of the municipality you work for and are transfering to. If I remember correctly you have to have completed you probationary period which is also determined by the appointing authority.


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## MVS (Jul 2, 2003)

BartA1 @ Sun Aug 29 said:


> I think it depends on the personnel rules of the municipality you work for and are transfering to. If I remember correctly you have to have completed you probationary period which is also determined by the appointing authority.


Also, look at the Dept you are trying to transfer to, they often want X amount of years of experience within a civil service dept. 6 months may not be long enough.


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## j809 (Jul 5, 2002)

I believe it's one year, at least that is what I am seeing on the jobfile for lateral transfers from one civil service dept to another.


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## robodope (Aug 31, 2003)

It's a form letter that you have worked at least 250 shifts your Chief needs to sign..Good Luck!!!!


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## JoninNH (Jan 29, 2004)

Where do you get the form letter?


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## robodope (Aug 31, 2003)

sorry for the delay..You have to ask the department you have worked the 250 shifts for to write it in a letter..As far as I know their is no specific form..Good Luck!!!


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## Wildbill (May 25, 2002)

Civil Service does have a required form:

http://www.mass.gov/hrd/employment/em_civil_service/em_civil_service_forms/em_cs_form9.doc


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## scungie (Jun 20, 2002)

Well, I know you guys are debating whether it be 6 months or 1 year, but there are ways around it, I have seen a layoff get permission to lateral in order to take a job somewhere else, sooo those rules can be manipulated.

Posted 19 Sep 2004 01:36:

Oh to add to my last post regarding the laterals, the lateral in which I speak of did not work one shift, he was layed off at the end of the police academy, and the department that took him was only taking laterals at the time, and he was too far down on the lay-off list so that was his option to work for that department, to work period


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## T4567 (Jan 26, 2003)

what scungie stated is true. the officer was not done with the academy and he laterad to another dept. i am not sure how they are able to get around it.


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## Burner1 (Jul 30, 2002)

As long as an individual is classified as Civil Service when hired, and as long as it is within 5 years of the academy (or service), a city or town can do a direct appointment and skip the list all together. Technically though, it is not a lateral...


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## scungie (Jun 20, 2002)

There is a fine line, the people I speak of, were not done with there academy yet, but knew they were being layed off, they attempted ti lateral before being layed off. 

One individual, got on another department after he was layed off, but applied as a lateral....but Civil Service said that he couldnt lateral because he was already layed off, but.....yes confusing like civil service always is....could not be a lay off because the department did not go through the lay off list to get to him, at this point he is on the job 2 months...so his official title with Civil service was a Reinstatement...and I am not sure what reinstatements are,,,but he still has the right to go back to the orignial department that layed him off, 10 year rule.

The other individual was a straight lateral, needed special attention though through civil service, and the departments since he was layed off and has not worked a shift yet, and everything worked out and he is happy with the departments that has him.

Any specifics shoot me a PM, but it all can be done, if you want to be somewhere else and they want you, there is a way around it all


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## MVS (Jul 2, 2003)

It's Civil Circus, Anything is possible. Their rules are like Kerry's campaign.. "flip-flop"...


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## Burner1 (Jul 30, 2002)

"Reinstatement" is the word I should have used in my earlier post...sorry about the confusion.


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## 7MPOC (Mar 16, 2004)

VI. IS THE PROBATIONARY PERIOD FOR PERMANENT INTERMITTENT OR RESERVE EMPLOYEES THE SAME AS FOR OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY APPOINTEES?

No. While the probationary period for reserve or intermittent employees begins on the first date of their appointment, as recorded by the Appointing Authority on the Authorization of Employment Form 14, the probationary period for such employees is calculated as follows.

If the reserve or intermittent employee actually works thirty days during the first six months of employment, that employee is tenured (post-probationary) at the end of the six month period. 

As long as you are tenured you can tranfer. NO 250 shift rule, check this out as well.

The law states that two hundred and fifty days equals one year of service on a full-time basis to prove that an applicant has the required experience on a promotional appointment "to the first title above the lowest title." The title of police officer, as opposed to lieutenant, sergeant, or captain, is an original appointment, not a promotional appointment. There is no provision of M.G.L. c. 31 that mandates 250 verifiable days of employment for a transfer to the lowest title in a police department. The purpose of c. 31, ß59 is to make permanent intermittent police officers eligible for promotion to a rank above police officer, if the officer completes 250 days of service as a substitute for one year's experience.
A transfer from the position of permanent intermittent in one department to police officer in another department is not considered a promotion under civil service law. The applicable section of the law with regard to transfers is M.G.L. c.31, ß35.


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