SECTION 16.20  THE OUTPLACEMENT PROGRAM

Last Update:  6/09

1.     The purpose of the outplacement program is to assist State employees in finding other State employment prior to being laid off.

2.     When a layoff is anticipated, the department must provide the Personnel Officer assigned to the department with a list of the names of employees with permanent status in positions that may be affected by the layoff, their job class, and the anticipated date of the layoff.

3.     The Department of Administrative Services – Human Resources Enterprise (DAS-HRE) Employment Team will send outplacement enrollment materials to Personnel Assistants.  Outplacement materials should only be distributed to those employees on the layoff list provided to your Personnel Officer.

4.     The use of an Outplacement Eligible List issued for an Intraagency and Interagency vacancy is optional; the use of an Outplacement Eligible List for an All Applicant list is not optional.  Details of these procedures are listed below.

Steps to be followed in the hiring process:

1.     All transfer and recall provisions must be followed as outlined in the collective bargaining agreements and the DAS-HRE rules.

2.     Consideration of current state employees for promotion, demotion, reclassification, etc., prior to considering Outplacement candidates is permitted whether the applicant list is for Intraagency or Interagency candidates.  Intraagency vacancies may be posted in the department prior to using an Outplacement List.  Interagency vacancies are posted by DAS-HRE; however, the use of this list is also optional prior to using an Outplacement List.  Outplacement candidates may be considered at the same time as promotional candidates, except for job classes included in the AFSCME Collective Bargaining Agreement.  Vacancies covered by the AFSCME Collective Bargaining Agreement do not allow for the use of an Outplacement List until after you have cleared recall at the Pick 15 step in the AFSCME hiring process.

A.  The Outplacement List issued for an All Applicant vacancy must be considered after the Recall List and after all other mandatory steps in the hiring process have been cleared.  The hiring authority must justify why a hire will not be made from an Outplacement List, prior to any offer of employment to an individual not currently employed within state government.  DAS-HRE will not post an All Applicant vacancy until after written justification is received by your Personnel Officer.  The required justification must include a reasonable explanation of why an individual or individuals on the Outplacement List were able to perform the “essential functions” or meet required “selectives” for your specific vacancy.  DAS will then review your justification and contact you as necessary.

B.    After justification has been reviewed, the vacancy will be posted.

3.     Employees may apply to be on the Outplacement List for any job class or classes for which they qualify, except: 1). non-supervisory employees may not apply for supervisory job classes, 2). written examinations are required for the Correctional Officer job class, and 3). keyboard examinations are required if the employee has not previously held a position in a job class requiring this skill, at the appropriate skill level (wpm rates may vary).  Employees may add or delete job classes and counties and make changes to previous availability designations for full-time or part-time hours, shifts, weekend hours, and travel by contacting the DAS-HRE Employment Team.  These changes must be requested prior to the employee’s notification of an impending interview by the selecting authority.

4.     Employees are removed from the outplacement list when:

    1. laid off ( status changed to recall);
    2. removed from the position targeted for layoff by promotion, transfer, demotion, or separation;
    3. one offer of an outplacement interview or outplacement hire is refused;
    4. the layoff date passes and the employee was not laid off.

5.     A department selecting an employee from the Outplacement list must interview and offer the job to the employee prior to the layoff date.  If the hiring department cannot put the person on their payroll before the layoff date, the Personnel Assistant from the hiring department should contact the department laying off the employee to arrange for a period of leave without pay so the employee has no break in service.

6.     An employee who is hired into another state job through the outplacement process is not eligible for recall.

Extended Outplacement for Non-contract Employees

1.     Non-contract employees who are laid off are eligible to be on the Recall List only for the job class and employing unit from which they were laid off.

2.     Due to the limited recall provisions, the Extended Outplacement Program is designed for non-contract employees subject to layoff.  This program allows laid off non-contract employees the opportunity to request to remain on the Outplacement List for a period of two years from the date of layoff.  Non-contract, laid off employees may select up to 15 job classes for which they qualify and for which they will accept employment.

3.     Employees electing to bump in lieu of layoff, or who are accepting a permanent position with another state agency are not eligible for the Extended Outplacement Program.  Employees exercising a bumping option are eligible to remain on the recall list for one year for the job class and employing unit from which laid off.

4.     If, following layoff, an employee is reinstated to state government within two years of separation, either through the Extended Outplacement Program or using the current DAS-HRE reinstatement rule, the employee will have his or her original hire date, unused accrued sick leave bank and vacation accrual rate restored in accordance with DAS-HRE rules 11-63.3(10) and 11-63.2(2).