SECTION
16.20 THE OUTPLACEMENT PROGRAM
Last
Update: 4/04
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 the Personnel Assistant.
Outplacement materials should only be distributed to those employees on
the layoff list given to the 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 agency
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 Eligible 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 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 Eligible 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 an 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
and approved. The required
justification must include a reasonable explanation of why individuals on the
outplacement list were not hired. The
justification must be sent to your DAS-HRE Personnel Officer. The Personnel Officer will either approve or
deny the exception.
B. After
justification is approved, and the DAS-HRE Employment Specialist is notified,
the vacancy will be posted.
3.
Employees may apply to be on the outplacement list for any
class(es) for which they qualify, except that non-supervisory employees may not
apply for supervisory classes.
Examinations are not required except for Correctional Officer. Keyboard tests are required if the employee
has not previously held a position in a class requiring that qualification.
Employees may add or delete classes or counties applied for on their
Outplacement application form by contacting the DAS-HRE Employment Team.
4. Employees
are removed from the outplacement list when:
a.
laid off ( then eligible for recall);
b.
removed from the position targeted for layoff by promotion,
transfer, demotion, or separation;
c.
two offers of an outplacement interview or outplacement hire
are refused;
d.
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 rights.
1. Non-contract
employees who are laid off are eligible to be on the recall list only for the
class and employing unit from which they were laid off.
2. Due to the
limitations for recall, an “Extended”
Outplacement Program has been developed for non-contract employees subject
to layoff. This Program allows laid off
non-contract employees to request to remain on the Outplacement eligible list
for a period of two years from the date of layoff. Non-contract, laid off employees may select up to 30 job classes
for which they qualify and for which they will accept outplacement.
3. Employees
electing to bump in lieu of layoff, or accepting a permanent position with
another state agency are not eligible for the Extended Outplacement
Program. Employees exercising a bumping
option are eligible to only remain on the recall list for the class 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/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).