# Seniority Computations - Laterals, new hires, etc



## OldCop

How do Civil Service Police Departments compute seniority for purposes of shift assignment, leave (vacation, p-days) duty assignments, overtime, and details? More specifically, if your department hires someone on a lateral transfer from another PD, a new hire who has previously been employed in a civil service position (Cop, corrections, firefighter, etc) or someone who has left the career field and come back some years later.

The focus of the debate on my end is the provisions of MGLC 31 S 33 vs. contracts and policies which define seniority. 

I'm sure somebody out there has had to deal with this issue more than once, particularly with the re-hiring of some laid off cops by other than their original agency.

Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge and experience.


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## topcop14

When a police officer laterals from one civil circus department to another he or she loses all senority for three years. After three years they will get the civil service time back. This is only for layoffs. Time off, shift bids... are by union contract and or dept. policy.


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## fra444

As for my job you get vacation time for the time you have in the retirement system. As for vacation picks or other seniority issues, new hire = junior man.


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## SgtAndySipowicz

topcop14 said:


> When a police officer laterals from one civil circus department to another he or she loses all senority for three years. After three years they will get the civil service time back.


*Laterals are political hires (at least where I work). The fact that they get "civil service" seniority after 3 years over someone that was hired before them (but has less civil service time overall) is a JOKE. Someone tell me how this is fair please?*


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## Guest

For us in regards to department seniority, lateral hires go to the bottom of the group of new hires they were hired with (department policy). For layoff purposes, as mentioned they get their CS seniority after 3 years, so it's the date of their original CS hire for layoffs.


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## SgtAndySipowicz

fra444 said:


> As for vacation picks or other seniority issues, new hire = junior man.


*As it should be..........*


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## sdb29

In my case my seniority started the day I was hired the first time. About 15 years in I had another midlife crisis after the convertible and the blond girlfriend, so I quit. I was gone for a year before I came back,
The day I returned my seniority date was now that return date. I had to work twice as long as I was gone to get my seniority back- in my case I worked two years as the most junior guy on the job until my seniority was restored to yet a third date. My new seniority date is now one year less than the rest of my academy classmates (the three that are left) The time that I was gone I can never get back. This entire computation was determined by Civil Service.
But again, I left voluntarily.
During the two years I was gone the Department gave me the same amount of vacation time I had before I resigned but I picked after everybody else did.


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