TDD# 1-800-846-5277

 

STATE OF LOUISIANA

DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

 


October 8, 2009

 

General Circular No. 1787

 

To:                   Heads of State Agencies and Human Resource Directors

 

Subject:            Announcement of Public Hearing Regarding Changes to Ch. 6 Rules

 

Issue Date:       October 8, 2009

 

The State Civil Service Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 to consider proposed changes to the Civil Service Rules, Chapter 6: Pay Plan. 

 

The hearing will begin at 9:00 a.m. and will be held in the auditorium of the Claiborne Building, 1201 Third Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

 

The Commission will consider a proposal to repeal the current Chapter 6 in its entirety and replace it with a new Chapter 6.  The new Chapter 6 will be easier to read, communicate, and maneuver within as well as provide some additional flexibility and a new performance adjustment system.  The new Chapter 6, followed by the updated Ch. 1 Definitions, may be viewed online at: http://www.civilservice.la.gov/progasst/csrules/Chapter6/proposedCHAP6.asp.

A summary of changes follows:

 

Summary of All Proposed Changes to Chapter 6   

Current Rule

Proposed Rule

Significant Changes

Explanation

6.1 Philosophy

Repealed

 

 

6.2 Preparation of Pay Plan

6.1 Pay Plan

None

Combined into 1 Rule

6.3 Adoption of Pay Plan

6.3.1 Other Compensation

6.2 Employee Compensation in General; Base Pay

None

Perquisites will now be covered under 6.16 with a Commission approved policy

 

 

 

6.4 Rates of Pay in the Pay Plan Plus Base Supplement

Base supplement will be referred to as “band extension”

 

6.5 Hiring Rate

6.3 General Hiring Rates

Move SERs and Extraordinary Quals under a separate Rule

 

Under 6.5 the following Rule number designations have changed:

 

6.5 (a) Job Appointment

6.3 (a) 1

6.5 (c) Reentering Classified Service

6.3 (c)

6.5 (d) Restricted Appointments

6.3 (a) 5

6.5 (e) Return from Military Duty

6.3 (a) 3

6.5 (f)

6.4 (a) 2

6.5 (h) Permanent employee accepts a Probational appointment which would have been a promotion

6.3 (b)

6.5.1

6.3 (a) 4 Hired from DPRL

6.5 (b) SERs

6.4 (a) Special Hiring Rates for Classes

DSCS will establish a set  hiring for all agencies for jobs or job series

Eliminate agency competition and use market data to improve State hiring rates

6.5 (g)

6.5 Special Hiring Rates for Individuals

Above the 3rd Quartile with Director approval

Increase flexibility in hiring extraordinary candidates into State service

6.6 Market Grade Adjustment

Repealed

 

 

6.7 Rate of Pay Upon Promotion

 

6.8 Pay Upon Reallocation

 

6.11 Rate of Pay on Detail to Special Duty

6.7 Pay on Promotion, Detail, or Reallocation to a Higher Job

Must be at least 7% difference in maximums for promotion or demotion; otherwise considered a lateral

Close loop hole for promotions between pay schedules

Put all increases in one Rule

6.8.1 Pay Upon Job Correction

6.8 Pay on Job Correction, Pay Range Change, or Movement of Position to the Classified Service

Unclassified positions which become classified will maintain the same rate of pay

 

6.9 Pay Upon Transfer or Reassignment

6.9 (d) Pay on Reassignment or Reallocation to Equal or Lower Class

None

 

6.10 Rate of Pay Upon Demotion

6.9 Pay on Movement to a Job with a Lower Maximum

Appointing Authority may waive 7% reduction BUT the employee may not receive promotion/ reallocation pay for 2 years or until they promote to a job with a higher maximum than they demoted from

Eliminate agency or job hopping to increase base pay by accepting a voluntary demotion and then receiving pay increases for moving back to original job title

6.11 Rate of Pay on Detail

6.10 Pay on Detail to Equivalent or Lower Job and 6.11 Pay on Return from Detail

None

 

6.12 Compensation for Part-Time Service

6.12 Pay for Part-Time Services

None

 

6.13 Certification and Payment

6.2 Base Pay, 6.22 Corrective Actions

 

 

6.14 Merit Increases

6.13 Performance Adjustments

 

Employees will be eligible for a variable Performance Adjustment which is tied directly to their PPR Rating and at the discretion of the appointing authority

Movement to Pay for Performance system

6.15 Red Circle Rates

6.18 Red Circle Rates

None

 

6.16 Special Pay Provisions

6.14 Flexible Pay Options

Reorganized into separate pay categories

 

Under 6.16 the following Rule number designations have changed:

 

6.16 (a) Premium Pay

6.6 Premium Pay

6.16 (c) Individual Pay Adjustment

6.15 Individual Pay Adjustment

6.16 (d) Incentive Awards

6.14 (d) Incentive Pay

6.16 (e) Effective date of the Commission Meeting

Repealed

6.16 (f) Base Supplement

Covered under 6.2 (b) Base Pay (Band Extension)

6.16 (g) Pay for Employees at Range Maximum

6.13 (h) Performance Adjustments (Lump-sum after 2 yrs at max)

6.16 (h) Attainment of Advanced Degree

6.14 (b) Achievement Pay

6.16.1 Rewards and Recognition

6.14 (c) 2

6.16. 2 Optional Pay for Additional Duties

6.14 (c) 1 (cap of 7% at agencies discretion)

6.16.2 Optional Pay to match a verified job offer

6.14 (c) 3 (up to 15%)

6.16.2 Optional Pay for Compression

6.14 (e) Compression Pay

6.16.3 Exceptional Performance and Gainsharing

6.14 (c) 4 No % increase cap on employee salary

6.17 Pay on Entering Classified Service by acquisition

6.8 Pay on Job Correction, Pay Range Change, or Movement of Position to the Classified Service

 

 

6.28 On-Call/ Shift Diff

6.17 Compensation for On-Call Duty and Shift Work

None

 

6.29 Corrective Pay Actions

6.22 Corrective Pay Actions

 None

 

6.30 Admin Costs

6.21 Administrative Adjustments

Change to add within $.12/hour of range maximum

Employee pay should be calculated from the hourly rate for all pay actions

 

 

We propose to repeal Rule 17.6 in its entirety:

 

17.6     Merit Increases

 

When an appointing authority determines that it is necessary not to grant or to reduce merit increases in order to avoid or reduce layoffs, his request is subject to the following:

 

(a)        The request shall include the reasons for this action, the names and jobs of those employees to be excluded, if any, and reasons for their exclusion, the proposed effective dates and periods of time involved, the organizational unit, and the geographic area(s) affected. 

(b)        The duration of this measure shall not exceed one period of 12 consecutive months.

(c)        Employees whose merit increases are affected by this measure shall retain their eligibility for such increases for a three-year period.  Such eligibility shall be lost if during that period the employee receives an official rating of “poor” or “needs improvement.”

 

We will also propose to amend Rule 24.2 (g) as follows:

 

Rule 24.2(g) Current:

An employee who enters the State classified service in accordance with this Rule shall have his/her eligibility for merit increases under Rule 6.14 and leave earning determined based on the original date of appointment with his/her current or former employer and, upon appointment in the State classified service, shall not be treated as a new employee under the provisions of Rule 6.14. However, the Director may approve existing annual eligibility dates for all employees of an entity acquired under this rule, that already had a well established merit pay policy.

 

Rule 24.2(g) Proposed:

An employee who enters the State classified service in accordance with this Rule shall have his/her eligibility for performance adjustments and leave earning determined based on the original date of appointment with his/her current or former employer and/or upon appointment in the State classified service. However, the Director may approve existing annual eligibility dates for all employees of an entity acquired under this rule that already had a well established merit pay policy.

 

 

 

 

 

Please review this proposal and furnish us any comments that you consider pertinent by close of business October 30, 2009.  If you would like to appear before the Commission to present your comments orally, you are invited to do so and are requested to notify the Department of Civil Service (225-342-8083) of such intentions in advance of the meeting.  Please direct your comments to the Civil Service Commissioners at civilservicecommission@la.gov or you can mail your comments to:

 

Civil Service Commissioners

P.O. Box 94111, Capitol Station

Baton Rouge, La 70804

 

Please post this General Circular prominently so that all employees will receive notice of this hearing.

 

If any special accommodations are needed, please notify us prior to this meeting.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

s/Shannon S. Templet

Director