“Rules for the
Classified Civil Service of the City of
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose
and effect of the Rules
RULES FOR THE
CLASSIFIED CIVIL SERVICE
Rule I Definitions
II Organization and Powers of the Commission
III Exempt Class
VIII Applications
XII Certification
XIII Promotions
XV Seasonal and Emergency Defense Appointments
XVI Effect of Temporary or Provisional Appointment on Status of
Appointee
XVII Transfers
XVIII Reinstatement
XIX Leave of Absence
XX Resignation
XXI Reports of Appointing Officers
XXII Certification of Payrolls
XXIII Classification Plan
XXIV Prohibition Against Questions Eliciting
Information Concerning Political Affiliation
XXV Layoff of Competitive Class Employees
APPENDICES
Appendix A Exempt Positions A
Appendix B Non-Competitive Positions B
Appendix C Labor Class Positions C
Appendix D Unclassified Positions D
It is hereby declared to be the purpose of
these rules to provide an orderly and uniform system for the administration of
civil service in the City of
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DEFINITIONS
Unless otherwise expressly stated or unless the context or subject
matter requires a different meaning, the several terms hereinafter mentioned,
whenever used in these rules, shall be construed as follows:
1.
“Commission” means the Civil Service Commission of the City of
2.
“Employee” means the incumbent of the position holding the position in
accordance with these rules and the Civil Service Law.
3.
“Position” means an aggregation of duties to be performed and responsibilities
to be exercised by one person in a civil division.
4.
“Compensation” means the remuneration of a position and shall include food, lodging,
maintenance and commutation when same is provided.
5.
"Eligible List" means an official record
established and maintained by the Commission as a public record which contains
the names of those persons who have successfully completed an examination,
listed in order of their final ratings from the highest to the lowest rank.
6.
“Part-Time Employment” means any employment or
combination of one or more employments in a civil division in which an
individual works fifty percent or less of the time prescribed as the standard
work week by the governing body or other appropriate authority of the civil
division or where the employee earns not more than one-half (1/2) of the rate
assigned to the position if the position has been allocated to a graded salary
schedule.
7.
“Transfer” means the change, without further examination, of a
permanent employee from a position under the jurisdiction of one appointing
authority to a similar position under the jurisdiction of another appointing
authority, or to a position in a different title under the jurisdiction of the
same appointing authority.
8.
“Reassignment” means the change, without further
examination, of a permanent employee from one position to another similar
position in the same title under the jurisdiction of the same appointing
authority.
9.
"Civil Division" means each county, town, city,
village, school district, community college, public authority, or special
district.
ORGANIZATION OF THE
COMMISSION
The Commission
shall designate one of its members as Chairperson. Two Commissioners shall constitute a quorum
for the transaction of business. The
Commission may appoint a Secretary who shall not be a Commissioner, and such
other subordinates and employees within available appropriations as it may deem
necessary or proper to carry out the purposes of these rules and the law. It shall fix the duties of these
employees. The Commission shall keep
true and accurate minutes of all its meetings and proceedings, which shall be
open to public inspection.
EXEMPT
CLASS
1. Positions in
the exempt class are those for which competitive or non-competitive
examinations or other qualification requirements are not practicable.
2. Positions
approved by the State Civil Service Commission for placement in the exempt
class pursuant to Section 41 of the Civil Service Law shall be listed in
Appendix A of these rules.
1. Non-Competitive Positions;
Approval and Designation
Positions approved by the State Civil
Service Commission pursuant to Section 42 of the Civil Service Law for
placement in the non-competitive class shall be listed in Appendix B of these
rules. The municipal Commission shall
designate titles in Appendix B that involve confidentiality or require the
performance of functions influencing policy for the purposes of excluding such
positions from the statutory provisions on removal and disciplinary
proceedings.
2.
Nomination for Non-Competitive Appointment
A position in the non-competitive
class may be filled by the appointment of a person who meets the minimum
qualifications established for such position by the Commission. A nomination
for such an appointment shall state the qualifications of the nominee and shall
be filed, prior to any appointment, by the appointing authority with the
Commission. Such appointment shall become effective only after approval by the
Commission.
1. The labor
class shall include unskilled laborers.
2. A position in
the labor class may be filled by the appointment of any person selected by the
appointing officer of the agency where a vacancy exists, and the commission may
require applicants for employment in the labor class to qualify in such tests
of their fitness for employment as may be deemed practicable.
3. Positions
approved by the State Civil Service Commission pursuant to Section 43 of the
Civil Service Law for placement in the labor class shall be listed in Appendix
C of these rules.
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Positions approved
by the State Civil Service Commission pursuant to Section 35 of the Civil
Service Law for placement in the unclassified service shall be listed in
Appendix D of these rules.
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1.
Residence Requirements for
Municipal Positions.
An applicant must
be, at the time of examination, and for at least twelve months prior thereto, a
resident of the City of
2. Announcements
of Examinations.
The public announcement of an
open-competitive examination shall specify the application fee, if any, the
title, the salary or salary range if known, the duties of the position, the minimum
qualifications required, the issue date, the final date for filing
applications, the subjects or scope of the examination and the relative weights
thereof, post offer of employment medical requirements, special testing
requirements and religious observance arrangements and, if known, the date and
place of the examination. Public notice of open-competitive examinations shall
be made at least twenty-five days before the date of the examination and must
be conspicuously posted in a public place for fifteen days. The last day for filing applications shall be
at least ten days before the date of the examination.
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1.
Receipt and Disposition of Applications
a. Applications
of candidates for positions in the classified service must be submitted to the
Commission on the form and in the manner prescribed by the Commission.
b. The
burden of establishing qualifications to the satisfaction of the Commission
shall be upon the applicant.
c. The
Commission shall notify applicants of the disposition of their applications.
Applicants for competitive examination shall be given notice of their approval
or disapproval at least four days before the examination.
2.
Release of Application Information
A
candidate's application for appointment or examination may be exhibited, upon
request, to the appointing officer to whom his/her name is certified, or to the
appointing officer's representative, provided, however, that information
therein relating to the candidate's national origin or indicating whether
his/her citizenship is by birth or naturalization shall not be divulged. Before a candidate's application for
examination is exhibited to the appointing officer or an authorized
representative, all reference therein to the candidate's natural origin or to
the basis of his/her citizenship shall be concealed.
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1.
Good moral character and
habits and a satisfactory reputation shall be requirements for appointment to
any position subject to these rules. Any applicant who is found to lack such
requirements shall be disqualified for examination or, after examination, for
certification and appointment.
2. A record of
disrespect for the requirements and processes of law, including repeated
traffic offenses or disregard of summonses for traffic offenses, may be grounds
for disqualification for examination or, after examination, for certification
and appointment.
3. The burden of
establishing his qualifications to the satisfaction of the commission shall be
upon the applicant. Any applicant who refuses to permit the commission to
investigate matters necessary for the verification of his qualifications or who
otherwise hampers, impedes or fails to cooperate with the commission in such
investigation shall be disqualified for examination or, after examination, for
certification and appointment.
4. An applicant who is disqualified for an
examination or appointment shall be notified of the reasons for such
disqualification and afforded an opportunity to submit facts in opposition to
such disqualification in accordance with Section 50.4 of Civil Service Law.
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EXAMINATIONS
1. Examinations
Prepared and Rated by the
a. For
examinations prepared and rated by the State Civil Service Department, the
provisions of the rules and regulations of the State Civil Service Commission
and Department shall govern the rating of examinations, the review of
examination papers by candidates and the filing of appeals.
b. The
State Civil Service Commission shall have sole and exclusive authority to
correct any errors in rating upon appeal or otherwise.
2.
Examinations Prepared and/or Rated by the Municipal Civil Service
Commission
a. The
Commission shall adopt a system to conceal the identity of the candidates'
papers in a written examination until such written examination has been rated.
b. Rating
keys shall be prepared for each examination held. Such keys shall be a permanent part of the
record of each examination. The marking
of an examination shall be made on the scale of 100, with 70 the passing
score. The Commission may, after the
announcement of an examination is made, subdivide the written examination into
parts and require a passing mark of 70 in each of the parts in order that
candidates be considered further for eligibility.
Notice of such arrangements shall be given in the instructions of the written
examination.
c. Applications
and examination records and papers of candidates shall be preserved in
accordance with the policies of the State Commissioner of Education and the
State Civil Service Commission. Whenever an oral examination shall be prescribed
as part of an examination, every effort shall be made to insure that a
stenographic or recording device record of all the questions and answers be
made a part of the examination records.
d. Every
candidate in an examination shall be notified in writing of his/her final
rating. Except for continuous recruitment examination, he/she shall also, if
successful, be notified of his/her relative position on any eligible list
established as a result of the examination.
e. Except
for candidates in continuous recruitment examinations, any candidate receiving
such notice of his/her final rating may inspect his/her examination papers in
the office of the Commission and in the presence of a designated representative
of the Commission, provided he/she makes his/her request for such inspection,
in writing, within ten (10) days of the date of the postmark of such notice.
The examination papers of a candidate shall be exhibited only to the candidate
except that a candidate may bring a consultant to review the record of an oral
examination. The consultant must be
approved by the Commission prior to the review and may not be an individual who
was in any way involved in the preparation, conduct, or administration of the
examination.
f. A
candidate who wishes to appeal to the Commission from his/her rating in one, or
more, or all of the subjects of an examination must submit such appeal in
writing within twenty days after the earliest date on which his/her examination
papers were made available for his/her inspection. Such appeal must show that a
manifest error was made in the original rating. Such appeal shall be considered
as opening all of the candidate's papers for review, whether resulting in a
higher or lower standing. No change in rating shall be made as a result of an
appeal unless it shall affect the candidate's relative position on the eligible
list.
g. There
shall be no reviews of examinations conducted on a continuous recruitment basis
other than for a computational check of the candidate's answers against the key
answers; nor shall there be reviews of practical or
performance examinations.
3.
Examinations Generally
a. The
Commission may at any time during the life of an eligible list, resulting from
an examination except as provided in 1.b. of this Rule, correct any clerical or
computational errors in the ratings of candidates who compete in the
examination.
b. Any
changes in an eligible list pursuant to this rule shall not affect the status
of any person previously appointed from such eligible list.
4. Examination
Material Security
In order to prevent the unauthorized
publication and dissemination of examination material, the following acts are
prohibited except as authorized by the Commission.
a. No
person shall copy, record or transcribe any examination question or answer; or
remove from the examination room or possess outside the examination room, any
question sheet, answer sheet or booklet, scrap papers, notes or any other
papers or materials relating to such examination.
b. A
candidate in an examination shall not at any time communicate with an examiner
concerning the conduct or content of such examination; and shall not directly
or indirectly communicate to any other person information concerning the
content of such examination until completion of the testing of all candidates.
No examiner,
proctor or other person charged with the supervision of a candidate or group of
candidates during an examination shall have authority to waive the provisions
of this subdivision. A person who is found by the Commission to have violated
the provisions of this subdivision or any similar provision of the rules of any
other civil service jurisdiction within the State of New York shall be
disqualified from appointment to the position for which the examination is
being held and may be disqualified from being a candidate for any civil service
examination for a period of five years.
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ELIGIBLE LISTS
1. Passing
Grade and Ranking
Every
candidate who attains a passing score in an examination as a whole and who
meets the standards prescribed, if any, for separate subjects or parts of
subjects of the examination shall be eligible for appointment to the position
for which he/she was examined and his/her name shall be entered on the eligible
list in the order of his/her final rating; but if two or more eligibles receive
the same final rating, they shall be ranked in accordance with such uniform,
impartial procedure as prescribed by the Commission.
2.
Eligible List Establishment
a. The
date of the establishment of the eligible list shall be the date fixed by
Commission resolution and shall be entered on the eligible list. The eligible list shall contain any additions
of veteran's credits and, in the case of promotion examinations, seniority
credits.
b. The
duration of all eligible lists shall be fixed by Commission resolution prior to
the establishment of such lists, but shall not be less than one nor more than
four years. The date of establishment of a list and its duration shall be given
to all successful candidates at the time when notice of standing on the
eligible list is given to such candidates.
Where the duration of an eligible list is fixed at less than four years
the Commission may, by resolution, prior to the expiration date of such list,
extend the duration of the list up to the maximum limitation of four years,
provided that eligibles on such list are notified in writing of the extension
of the eligible list.
3.
Public Inspection of Eligible Lists
Eligible lists shall be open to public
inspection at the office of the Commission.
The names of persons who failed to receive a passing examination score
shall not be disclosed to the public.
4.
Eligible List Error Correction
The Commission shall have power in its
discretion to correct any error and amend any eligible list where it appears
that an error has been made.
5.
Eligible List Revocation
The Commission
shall have power to revoke any eligible list where the provisions of these
rules were not properly or sufficiently carried out; provided, however, that an
eligible list shall not be revoked except after notice and an opportunity to be
heard has been given to all persons whose names appear on the list. The reasons for such action shall be recorded
in the minutes of the Commission and reported to the State Civil Service
Commission within 30 days.
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CERTIFICATION
1. Appropriate Eligible List Determination/Certification
The
Commission shall determine the eligible list most nearly appropriate for the
position to be filled, and shall certify to the appointing authority a
sufficient number of eligibles from which selection for appointment may be
made. When the name of any eligible is
included in a certification for appointment, the names of all other eligibles
on the list having the same final rating as such eligible shall be included in
such certification.
2. Duration of Certification
A
certification issued by the Commission to an appointing officer shall be valid
for a period of thirty days from the date of its issuance. After the expiration of such thirty-day
period, no appointment shall be made except from a new certification. The Commission, for good cause shown, may
extend a certification up to a maximum of sixty days upon request of an
appointing authority.
3. Failure to Respond to a Canvass Inquiry
When
an eligible is canvassed for appointment or is offered appointment in writing
and fails to state his/her willingness to accept such appointment within four
business days after the mailing of such canvass or offer, he/she may be
considered ineligible when making selection for such particular
appointment. When an eligible fails to
respond to two successive canvass letters, his/her name may be restricted from
further certification from the eligible list.
Thereafter, the eligible may request that his/her name be restored to
active status on such list, provided the list is still in existence. The eligible's name may be restored to active
status on such list if the Commission in its discretion determines that the
reasons for the previous non-response are satisfactory.
4. Certification Declination
The name of the person declining appointment
shall be eliminated from further certification from the eligible list unless
declination is for one or more of the following reasons:
a. Insufficiency
of compensation offered when below minimum of grade of the position for which
the examination was held;
b. Geographical
location of employment;
c. Temporary
inability, physical or otherwise, which must be satisfactorily explained by the
eligible in writing;
d. Other
reason deemed acceptable by the Commission.
The Commission shall enter upon the
eligible list the reasons for its action in such cases.
5. Rule of Three
Except
as otherwise provided in these rules, appointment or promotion to a position in
the competitive class shall be made by the selection of a person on the most
nearly appropriate eligible list who is willing to accept such appointment and
whose final rating in the examination is equal to or higher than the final
rating of the third highest ranking eligible on the list indicating willingness
to accept such appointment. The term "ranking" as used in these rules
refers to the order in which the names of eligibles appear on the eligible
list.
6. Nomination to Fill Vacancy After Open-Competitive Examination
Whenever
a vacancy exists in a position in the competitive class and an open-competitive
examination duly advertised results in three or fewer approved applicants for
the examination, the appointing officer may nominate to the Commission one of
the applicants who may be certified for appointment to fill the vacancy without
further examination, provided that he/she has already qualified in an
examination of equivalent character within the last four years from the date of
nomination.
7. Declination for Salary
Whenever
one or more eligibles shall have declined any appointment offered because of
salary and an eligible whose relative standing is lower on the list and who was
reachable on the certification only because of the declination, shall have been
appointed to the position, the salary of such appointee shall not be increased,
except by a service or a class-wide increase, within a period of six months
after his/her appointment beyond that offered to the persons so declining.
8. Restriction on Certification for
Reclassified Position
An
open-competitive, promotion or preferred eligible list shall not be certified
for filling a permanent competitive class vacancy created by reclassification
of a permanently encumbered competitive class position if the appointment or
promotion from such list would require the layoff of a permanent employee; but,
this provision shall not apply if the incumbent whose position was reclassified
has, following such reclassification, either refused to take an examination for
such reclassified position or failed to qualify for appointment, examination or
promotion to such position.
9. Waiving of examination involving
Whenever a vacancy exists in a position in the competitive class and an
open-competitive examination duly advertised results in three or fewer approved
applicants, and the announced minimum qualifications for the position included
a requirement of possession of a license or certificate in a profession issued
by the State of New York, the Commission may waive the examination and certify
for appointment to the appointing authority the names of such qualified
applicants, provided, however, that such applicants have been licensed or
certified in the profession by the State of New York.
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PROMOTIONS
1. Eligibility for Promotion
In
order to be eligible to participate in a promotion examination or to be
promoted a candidate must have been employed in a competitive class or
non-competitive class position on a permanent basis in a lower grade, either in
direct line of promotion or in a related or collateral line of promotion as
determined by the Commission. The
Commission shall determine the minimum period of such service for eligibility
to enter a promotion examination, and may also prescribe a minimum period of
such service as a qualification for promotion from the resulting eligible list.
2. Successive Nominations for Non-Competitive
Promotion
Any
candidate who is nominated for non-competitive examination for promotion to a
position and who fails to appear for such examination or who fails to pass two
successive examinations for such promotion shall not thereafter be eligible for
employment in such position, except by appointment or promotion from an
eligible list following competitive examination.
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PROBATIONARY TERM
1.
Probationary term.
a.
Except as therein
otherwise provided, every permanent appointment form an open
competitive list and every original appointment to a position in the
non-competitive, exempt or labor class shall be for a probationary term of not
less than eight nor more than twenty-six weeks.
2a.
Transfers to Positions in the Same
Civil Division
Every
transfer from a position to another in the same civil division shall require a
probationary term of not less than a minimum of eight weeks nor more than
twenty-six weeks. If the conduct or
performance of the probationer is not satisfactory, employment in such position
may be terminated at any time after the completion of the minimum period of
probation, and on or before the completion of the maximum period of probation.
2b. Transfers to Positions Under
Different Appointing Authorities in Different Civil Divisions
Every
transfer from a position in one civil division to a position in another civil
division shall require a probationary term of not less than a minimum of eight
weeks up to a maximum of twenty-six weeks. If the conduct or performance of the
probationer is not satisfactory, employment in such position may be terminated
at any time after the completion of the minimum period of probation, and on or
before, completion of the maximum period of probation. The Commission shall
advise the prospective transferee in writing prior to approval of the transfer
that an eight to twenty-six week probationary term is required and must be
successfully completed to obtain permanent status in the position to which
transfer is sought. The prospective transferee shall be advised it is his/her
responsibility to request a leave of absence from the releasing agency. Unless
the prospective transferee obtains a leave of absence, the releasing agency is
not required to hold a position to return to should the probationary period not
be successfully completed.
2c. Waiver
The
appointing authority having jurisdiction over the position to which transfer is
sought, may elect to waive the probationary term in (2a) or (2b) by written
notification to the transferee and the Commission.
3. Restoration to Permanent Position
When
a permanent employee is promoted or transferred to a position in which he/she
is required to serve a probationary term, the position thus vacated by him/her
shall not be filled, except on a temporary or contingent permanent basis,
during such probationary term. At any time during such probationary term the
employee shall have the right to return to his/her previous position at his/her
own election. If the conduct or performance of the probationer is not satisfactory,
he/she shall be restored to his/her former permanent position at the end of
his/her probationary term.
4. Absence During
Probationary Term
Any
periods of authorized or unauthorized absence aggregating up to 10 work days
during the probationary term, may, in the discretion of the appointing
authority, be considered as time served in the probationary term. Any such
periods of absence not so considered by the appointing authority as time served
in the probationary term, and any periods of absence in excess of periods
considered by the appointing authority as time served in the probationary term
pursuant to this subdivision shall not be counted as time served in the
probationary term. The minimum and maximum periods of the probationary term of
any employee shall be extended by the number of work days of his/her absence
which, pursuant to this subdivision, are not counted as time served in the
probationary term.
5. Report on Probationer's Service
The
appointing authority and supervisor of a probationer will carefully evaluate
the probationer's work performance of the duties and responsibilities of the
position. A probationer whose services are to be terminated for unsatisfactory
service shall be given written notice prior to such termination and, upon
request, shall be granted an interview with the appointing authority or his/her
representatives.
6. Restoration to Eligible List
A
probationer whose employment is terminated or who resigns before the end of
his/her probationary term may request that his/her name be restored to the
eligible list from which he/she was appointed, provided such list is still in
existence. His/her name may be restored to such list if the Commission in its
discretion determines that the probationer should be given another opportunity for
appointment.
7. Temporary, Provisional or Contingent
Permanent Service in Higher Level Position
When
an employee who has not completed his/her probationary term is appointed on a
temporary, provisional or contingent permanent basis to a higher level position,
the period of temporary or provisional service rendered by such employee in the
higher level position may, in the discretion of the appointing authority, be
considered as satisfactory probationary service in his/her lower position and
may be counted as such in determining the satisfactory completion of the
probationary term. At any time after the expiration of the minimum period of
the probationary term, or the entire probationary term if it be one of fixed
duration, the appointing authority shall, on request of such probationer,
furnish his/her decision in writing as to whether or not service in such higher
level position shall be considered as satisfactory probationary service. In the
event of an adverse decision by the appointing authority, such probationer at
his/her request, shall be returned to his/her lower position for sufficient
time to permit him/her to complete his/her probationary term. The employment of
such a probationer in his/her lower position shall not be terminated at the end
of his/her probationary term on account of unsatisfactory service unless he/she
shall have actually served in such position, in the aggregate, at least the
minimum period specified for such probationary term, or the entire probationary
term if it be one of fixed duration.
8. Removal During
Probationary Term
Nothing
contained in this rule shall be construed to limit or otherwise affect the
authority of an appointing authority pursuant to Section 75 of the Civil
Service Law, or applicable negotiated disciplinary procedures, at any time
during the probationary term, to remove a probationer for incompetency or
misconduct.
9. Probationary Term Upon
Reinstatement
a. An employee who is reinstated to a
position after a separation of more than one year, either in his/her former
jurisdiction or in another jurisdiction shall serve a new probationary period
in the same manner and subject to the same requirements as apply upon the
original appointment to such position.
b. An employee who is reinstated to a position
after a separation of less than one year in an agency other than the one in
which he/she formerly served, shall serve a new probationary term in the same
manner and subject to the same requirements as applied upon an original
appointment to such position.
10. Leave of Absence for Police Supervisors
Notwithstanding
any other provision of these rules, if a Police Officer is promoted to a higher
rank for which he/she has met all requirements of eligibility for permanent
promotion except training requirements applicable under Section Two Hundred
Nine-Q of the General Municipal Law, he/she shall be deemed to be on leave of
absence from the lower rank position from which he/she was promoted pending
completion of such training. During such period, such lower rank position may
not be filled except on a temporary or contingent permanent basis. In the event
of his/her failure to successfully complete such training within the time
allowed therefore, he/she shall be restored to such lower rank position.
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SEASONAL AND
EMERGENCY DEFENSE APPOINTMENTS
1.
Appointment to seasonal
positions in competitive class.
A. Positions in the competitive
class where the nature of service is such that it is not continuous throughout the
year, but recurs in each successive year, except as herein otherwise provided,
shall be designated as seasonal positions and shall be subject to the
provisions of these rules applicable generally to positions in such class.
B. Upon the expiration of the employment season, the names of all persons employed in such seasonal positions shall be entered upon a seasonal re-employment list in the order of their first appointment to the title vacated by them at the expiration of such employment season. Such seasonal re-employment list shall be certified to the appointing authority at the commencement of or during the next employment season, and the persons whose names appear thereon as still qualified shall be entitled to re-employment in such positions in the order in which their names appear on the list. Any such person may be re-examined by the Commission with respect to his physical fitness for the performance of the duties of the position, and may be disqualified for re-employment in the same manner, and for any of the