Policy Text
SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL ORDERS
GO 220.03
Page 1 of 2
220.03
GARNISHMENT OF WAGES
11-08-18
PURPOSE
The purpose of this order is to establish procedures for the processing of wage garnishments and
notices.
POLICY
It shall be the policy of the Sacramento Police Department to process all wage garnishments as
specified in this order.
PROCEDURE
A. DEFINITION
GARNISHMEN T – Any legal or equitable procedure, judicial or non -judicial, through which the
earnings of any individual are required to be withheld pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure
Section 723.010 et seq. or any applicable, valid federal law, rule or regulation. NOTE: The term
shall not include wage assignments or orders issued per Civil Code Section 4701 (ch ild support
wage attachments), any spousal support order, order in the nature of support, or any
assignment/garnishment based on any such orders issued by a court in a marital dissolution or
related proceeding.
B. GENERAL
1. The City shall, as required by law, a ccept and process wage garnishments.
2. Due to the additional administrative work involved in the handling of garnishments, Civil
Service Board Rules provide that any employee against whom three (3) garnishments are
served (for separate debts) shall be subjec t to disciplinary action up to and including
termination.
3. Under current City policy, a career employee receiving three (3) garnishments (not released)
within three (3) years shall receive a written reprimand, and on receipt of the fourth (4th)
garnishment (not released) within three (3) years, the employee shall be terminated.
C. FIRST GARNISHMENT
1. When City Finance receives a g arnishment notice affecting a Department employee, they
shall prepare a "First Garnishment of Wages" form and send it to the Internal A ffairs Division
(IAD).
2. IAD shall log the form and email/ notify the employee’s captain /divis ion manager of the wage
garnishment. The employee’s captain /division manager shall then assign a supervisor to
make immediate notification to the employee.
a. The supervisor and the employee, in a p rivate meeting, shall both sign and date the form.
If the employee refuses to sign the form, the supervisor shall write "Refused" in the space
designated for the employee's signature.
b. A copy is routed back to IAD , where it is filed.
3. If delivery of the garnishment notice is delayed beyond ten (10) days, the supervisor assigned
to deliver the notice shall attach a memo explaining the reason for delay. This memo shall be
filed in IAD.
D. SECOND GARNISHMENT
The same procedure outline for the first garnishment shall be followed except that a “Second
Garnishment of Wages” form shall be used.
E. THIRD GARNISHMENT
1. The same procedure outlined for the first and second garnishment shall be used with the
following exceptions:
SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL ORDERS
GO 220.03
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a. A “Third Garnishment of Wages” form shall be u sed.
2. After receiving a third notice of garnishment, employees shall be given an order by their
supervisor to make an appointment within 48 normal business hours w ith Labor Relations.
a. At this meeting, the employee shall have the opportunity to clear the third garnishment off
the books within fourteen (14) calendar days to avoid a written reprimand and to reduce
the number of garnishments to two.
b. If the employee so d esires, an employee organization representative may attend the
meeting.
3. Any employee who does not report to his/her scheduled appointment with Labor Relations
shall be charged with insubordination and shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.
4. If the third garnishment is not removed from the employee's record within fourteen (14)
calendar days (not released), the employee shall receive a written reprimand. IAD shall
contact Labor Relations after the fourteen (14) day period and start the necessary discipline.
F. FOURTH GARNISHMENT
1. On receipt of an employee's fourth garnishment that has NOT been released, the Finance
Department will prepare a memorandum to the Personnel Services Division (PSD) advising
them of the notification and that termination acti on should be taken.
2. PSD shall forward this memo to IAD.
3. IAD shall contact Labor Relations and initiate the necessary proceedings.
G. GARNISHMENT CONTINUATIONS
1. When the Finance Department receives wage garnishment continuations of a previously
received garnish ment (same complainant, same case number, etc.) the first, second or third
garnishment forms will not be used in this instance since they relate to the same debt.
2. The Finance Department will send a memorandum directly to the employee. Copies shall not
be sent to Labor Relations.
H. EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
The disciplinary action set forth under this procedure may be modified at the discretion of the
Director of Labor Relations.