Chapter 1: Definitions

The following words and phrases when used in these Rules shall have the following meaning —

1.1 'Abandonment of Position' means the desertion by a Classified employee of his position.

1.1.1 Repealed effective July 1, 2010.

1.1.2 'Action' means a personnel transaction effecting a change to a persons employment or to a position.

1.2 'Allocation' means the determination of the job title for a position.

1.2.1 'Alternative Worksite' A worksite other than the employee’s customary/primary in-office worksite, most commonly established through an approved telework agreement.

1.3 Repealed effective January 1, 1975.

1.3.1 'Annual Leave' is leave with pay granted an employee for the purpose of rehabilitation, restoration and maintenance of work efficiency, or transaction of personal affairs.

1.4 'Appointing Authority' means the agency, department, board, or commission, and the officers and employees thereof authorized by statute or by lawfully delegated authority to make appointments to positions in the State Service.

1.5 'Appointment' means an offer by an appointing authority to a qualified person of employment in a classified position and the acceptance of such offer.

1.5.01 'Article' or 'Civil Service Article' means Article X, Part I of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana of 1974, ratified by the electorate of Louisiana.

1.5.01.1 'Base Pay' means the employee's hourly rate and any supplemental pay authorized by the Article. Base pay shall not include any overtime, per diem, shift differential, payment in kind, premium pay, one-time lump sum payments, or any other allowance for expenses authorized and incurred as an incident to employment. For purposes of these rules, "pay" means base pay.

1.5.02 'Base Supplement' Repealed effective July 1, 2018.

1.5.1 'Bona Fide Student' means:

(a) 1. a person enrolled in an accredited high school, college or university in the State, or a person enrolled in a State-operated technical college, in a sufficient number of courses and classes to be classified as a full-time regular student under the institution’s criteria; or

2. a person enrolled in their last two semesters in an accredited high school, college or university in the State or in a State-operated technical college, in the courses and classes necessary and available to satisfy graduation requirements, even if not classified as a full-time student under the institution’s criteria; or
3. a person enrolled in an off-campus college work-study program in a proprietary institution of higher education as defined in Section 102(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended; or
4. a person employed by the college or university that they attend; or
5. a person performing work under the Federal Work Study Program.

(b) A bona fide student shall retain their status during breaks, which occur in the course of or between sessions, including summer breaks.

1.5.2 'Career field' Means any one of a job series or group of positions considered to have a close occupational relationship and categorized as such by the Department of State Civil Service. A career field shall include a job series, or series of jobs that were created to provide a natural progression. The career field(s) used by an agency in a layoff shall be the career field(s) in the official career field listing before the layoff plan is received by the Department of State Civil Service.

1.5.2.001 'Career Progression Group' means two or more job titles that have been banded into a defined group, typically within the same job family or series. Movement is based on a consideration of performance, competency, skill, duty assignments, and experience.

1.5.2.01 'Cause' means conduct which impairs the efficient or orderly operation of the public service.

1.5.2.1 Repealed effective February 16, 2009.

1.5.3 'Change in Position' for the purpose of the performance evaluation system, means either a voluntary demotion or the assignment of an employee to another position in the same or a different job with significantly different duties from those of the position he previously held, or the movement of an employee to another position in another agency.

1.5.11 'Business Reorganization' is the strategic effort of an appointing authority to structure or redesign the resources of an organizational unit to more efficiently and effectively achieve its mission. For purposes of these rules, business reorganization shall not result in a reduction of the total number of employees in the organizational unit upon implementation.

1.6 Repealed effective July 1, 2010.

1.6.1 Repealed effective July 1, 2010.

1.7 'Classified Position' means any office or position in the Classified Service.

1.8 'Classified Service' means all persons holding positions in state service except those exempted by or under Section 2 of the Article.

1.9 'Commission' means the State Civil Service Commission.

1.9.01 'Commuting Area' means that geographic area in which employees are subject to competition for a layoff. It shall encompass either: 1) the parish of the abolished position(s), or 2) an expanded area which will be defined by the agency and will consist of the parish of the abolished position(s) plus one or more parishes bordering the parish of the abolished position(s).

1.9.02 'Compensation' means any salary, wages, fees, special pay considerations, or any other cash payment directly to an employee as a result of service rendered in any position. It shall not include reimbursement for travel incurred in the performance of official duties nor the authorized assignments on utilization of automobiles, houses or other movable property of the state or other governmental entity.

1.9.1 'Continuing Position' means an office or position of employment in the Classified Service which reasonably can be expected to continue for more than twelve months.

1.10 'Continuous Classified Service' means continuous employment in a classified position. Such service includes any authorized leave of absence; a separation by layoff of not more than one year when reemployment is from a department preferred reemployment list; separation without a break in service of one or more working days; or separation for active military service in the armed forces of the United States where reemployment is in accordance with the provisions of Civil Service Rule 23.15.

1.11 'Demotion' means a change of an employee from a position in one job title to a different position allocated to a job with a lower maximum.

1.11.1 Repealed effective July 1, 2013.

1.12 'Department' means any legally constituted agency, board or commission whose employees are in the 'State Service' as defined by the Article.

1.13'Department Preferred Reemployment List' means a list of permanent employees who have been laid off or relocated downward in accordance with Chapter 17, or permanent employees who have been reallocated downward as a result of a business reorganization in accordance with Rule 5.6.1. Employees on such a list are given preferential hiring rights in the department or agency affected by a layoff.

1.13.01 'Designated Holiday' means a holiday or part of a holiday an employee observes, in lieu of a regular holiday observed by his agency, because the regular holiday or a portion thereof, fell on the employee's regular day off.

1.13.1 'Detail to Special Duty' means the temporary assignment of an employee to perform the duties and responsibilities of a position other than the one to which he is regularly assigned, without prejudice to his rights in and to his regular position.

1.14 'Director' means the Director of the Department of State Civil Service.

1.14.1 'Discrimination' means consideration of religious or political beliefs, sex, race, or any other non-merit factors.

1.14.01 'Dismissal' means the separation from employment for disciplinary reasons.

1.14.1.1 'Dual Career Ladder' means a set of one or more non-supervisory jobs in a job series which receives higher pay than traditional non-supervisory jobs because they require performance of higher level, more complex duties and possession of advanced, specialized skills.

1.14.2 Repealed effective July 1, 2010.

1.15 Repealed effective February 16, 2009.

1.15.01 'Employee' for the purpose of these rules, does not include any employee of a temporary staffing services firm on contract with the State.

1.15.1 'Employee Affected by a Layoff' means one who has experienced separation or relocation as a consequence of a layoff.

1.15.1.01 Repealed effective July 1, 2013.

1.15.1.1 'Exempt' is a term referring to those groups of employees that are exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

1.15.1.2 Repealed effective December 11, 2013.

1.15.2 'Furlough' means a period of leave without pay required of employees by an appointing authority in order to avoid a layoff.

1.15.2.1 'General Increase' means an across the board wage and salary increase.

1.15.2.1.01 Repealed effective July 1, 2013.

1.15.2.2 Repealed effective July 1, 2010.

1.15.2.3 Repealed effective July 1, 2010.

1.15.2.4 'Immediate Family Member' for the purposes of sick leave is an employee’s spouse, child or stepchild, foster-child, parent or stepparent.

1.15.3 Repealed effective May 8, 1996.

1.16 Repealed effective September 7, 1982.

1.17 Repealed effective March 15, 1966.

1.17.1 Repealed effective January 1, 1975.

1.17.1.1 'Job or Job Title' means the descriptive name for the total collection of tasks, duties, and responsibilities assigned to one or more individuals whose positions have the same nature of work at the same level.

1.17.2 'Job Analysis' means a comprehensive, systematic breakdown that identifies the relevant components in a particular job through a detailed description of the work behaviors and tasks performed.

1.18 'Job Appointment' is a non-permanent appointment of an employee to fill a position in the classified service for a limited period of time.

1.18.1 'Job Evaluation' means a formal process which determines the relative value to be placed on various jobs within the organization.

1.18.1.01 Repealed effective July 1, 2013.

1.18.2 'Job Specification' means a summary of the most important features of a job including the general nature of the work performed, specific task responsibilities, and employee characteristics (including skills) required to perform the job. A job specification focuses on the job itself and not any specific individual who might fill the job.

1.18.01 'Job Correction' means the change in the allocation of a position as a result of revisions to the job specifications and/or the allocation criteria.

1.19 'Layoff' means the separation of an employee from a position because of a lack of work or a lack of funds resulting in the abolishment of a position.

1.19.1 'Layoff Avoidance Measures' means actions taken by an appointing authority and approved by the Director and/or the Commission to help prevent a layoff. These include: reductions in work hours, furloughs and retirement incentives. Another measure, one not needing Civil Service approval, is the required use of leave during agency closures as stated in Rule 17.10.

The following words and phrases when used in these Rules shall have the following meaning —

1.20 'Leave of Absence Without Pay' means time off from work without pay granted by an appointing authority or imposed by an appointing authority for an unapproved absence.

1.20.0001 Repealed effective July 1, 2013.

1.20.0002 'Market Adjustment' means an adjustment to an individual’s base pay based upon the employee’s position into the range and relation to market.

1.20.001 Repealed effective July 1, 2018.

1.20.002 Repealed effected December 12, 2012.

1.20.01 'Military Purposes' means the performance of continuous and uninterrupted military duty on a voluntary or involuntary basis and includes active duty, active duty for training, initial active duty for training, full-time National Guard duty, annual training and inactive duty for training (weekend drills).

1.20.02 Repealed effective May 8, 1996.

1.20.03 Repealed effective May 8, 1996.

1.20.04 Repealed effective July 1, 2010.

1.20.05 ‘Minimum Qualifications’ are minimum requirements established by the Director and included on the job specification necessary for appointment to a classified job unless specifically waived elsewhere in these rules.

1.20.1 Repealed effective July 12, 2000.

1.20.1.1 Repealed effective December 12, 2012.

1.20.2 'Official Domicile' means the following:

(a) The official domicile of an officer or employee assigned to an office, exclusive of temporary assignments, shall be the city in which the office is located.

(b) The official domicile of a person located in the field shall be the city or town nearest to the area where the majority of work is performed, or such city, town, or area as may be designated by the department head, provided that in all cases such designation must be in the best interests of the agency and not for the convenience of the employee.

1.20.3 'Official Holiday' means either the employee's actual or designated holiday, whichever is selected by the appointing authority for overtime compensation purposes.

1.20.4 'On-call Pay' means a nominal amount of compensation provided in return for an employee being available to report to work outside of his or her regular work schedule at the appointing authority's discretion.

1.21 'Organization Unit' means any administrative agency or part thereof that is designated by rule or regulation hereunder as a unit for purposes of administering these Rules.

1.21.1 'Organizational Unit' for the purposes of layoff and layoff avoidance measures means the area subject to a layoff or layoff avoidance measure, as approved by the Director. It shall normally be one of the following:

(a) One of the state Departments authorized in the Constitution.

(b) An office headed by a secretary, assistant secretary, or undersecretary, or an office established by law and headed by a comparable official having appointing authority over that office.

(c) An institution with an appointing authority and supporting services such as a hospital or school.

(d) A separate state agency or one that is housed in a department but has a separate appointing authority, separate identity, a distinct mission and powers granted by statute. Such agencies include those transferred under statute, each of which continues to exercise all of the powers, duties, functions and responsibilities authorized by the Constitution or laws. The functions of such agencies are exercised independently of the secretary and any assistant secretary.

(e) A program, activity or unit within a state department, office or institution.

1.22: 'Original Appointment' means appointment of a person to a classified position by probationary or job appointment.

1.23 Repealed effective June 29, 1987.

1.24 'Pay Plan' is the schedule of pay ranges assigned to each classification in the classified service.

1.24.001 Repealed July 1, 2010

1.24.002 'Pay Structure' means the organization of pay grades and ranges established for jobs within the classified service.

1.24.003 'Pay Structure Adjustment' means a change in the range minimums and/or maximums for grades. The purpose is to maintain a general competitive level with the market for recruitment purposes and is generally accomplished without increases to individual pay rates.

1.24.004 Repealed effective July 1, 2018.

1.24.01 'Performance Evaluation' means the overall rating of an employee, made in accordance with the performance evaluation system established by these Rules.

1.24.02 'Performance Standard' means a statement or description of observable conditions that define the levels of performance for each major task or duty area.

1.24.02.1 'Perquisites' means any tangible privilege or gain beyond salary and entitlements provided to employees, including but not limited to housing allowances, car allowances, spousal travel, insurance, and club memberships.

1.24.03 'Personnel Action' means a personnel transaction effecting a change to a persons employment or to a position.

1.24.1 'Political Activity' means an effort to support or oppose the election of a candidate for political office or to support or oppose a particular party in an election.

1.25 'Position' means a set of duties requiring the services of one employee.

1.25.01 'Position Change' for the purposes of types of appointment means the movement of a classified employee from one position number to another position number with the same job title.

1.25.1 'Preference Employee' is an employee who on the effective date of his/her transfer pursuant to Rule 24.1 would be entitled to veteran’s preference in accordance with Rule 22.7 as if he/she was applying for original appointment on that effective date.

1.25.2 Repealed effective July 2, 1986.

1.25.3 Primary Worksite' The employee’s usual and customary/in-office worksite.

1.26 Probationary Appointment' means appointment of a person to serve a working test period in a position.

1.26.1 'Progress Review' means a scheduled meeting between an employee and his supervisor in which they discuss the employee's accomplishments and possible problems in the area of performance (e.g., performance standards), and in which performance criteria is reviewed and revised if necessary.

1.27 'Promotion' means a change of a permanent status employee to a different position allocated to a job with a higher maximum.

1.28 'Promotional List' means a list, established in conformity with these Rules, of permanent employees who have demonstrated their fitness for a position of a higher grade by successfully passing an examination for such higher job position and are eligible for promotion within the same department or transfer and promotion from another department.

1.29 Repealed effective February 16, 2009.

1.30 'Public Hearing' means a hearing held after public notice of at least 24 hours, at which any person may have a reasonable opportunity to be heard, in accordance with such rules and regulations as may be adopted by the Commission.

1.31 Repealed effective March 15, 1966.

1.32 'Reallocation' means a change in the allocation of a position from one job to another.

The following words and phrases when used in these Rules shall have the following meaning —

1.33 'Reassignment' means the change within the same department of a probationary or permanent employee from a position in one job to another position in a different job, both jobs of which have the same maximum rate of pay.

1.33.01 'Red Circle Rate' is an authorized pay rate that exceeds the maximum of the range.

1.33.02 'Reduction in Pay' means an action taken for disciplinary reasons whereby an employee’s individual pay rate is reduced but the employee remains in the same job.

1.33.1 'Reemployment' means the noncompetitive appointment of a person based on permanent status attained in former employment in the Classified Service.

1.34 'Regular or Permanent Appointment' means the status attained by a classified employee upon the successful completion of his probationary period.

1.35 Repealed effective March 15, 1966.

1.36 'Reinstatement' means the restoration of an employee to pay and duty status with all benefits of employment.

1.37 'Removal' means the separation from employment for non-disciplinary reasons as provided in Rule 12.6.

1.37.1 'Reserve Component'-Consists of members of the National Guard and Reserves of all Branches, officers and enlisted personnel, who perform active duty, active duty for training or inactive training duty.

1.38 'Resignation' means the separation from employment at the employee's request.

1.38.1 Repealed effective July 1, 2013.

1.38.2 'Retitle' occurs when the revision in the job specifications results in a change in the job title.

1.38.3 'Selective Certification' means a special job-related qualification standard that is approved by the Director for a specific position number and consists of a narrowing of or addition to the established Minimum Qualifications but in no way reduces the Minimum Qualifications, i.e., an applicant must meet both the Minimum Qualifications and the Selective Certification to be appointed.

1.39 'Service Rating' means the individual rating of an employee, made in accordance with the service rating system established by these Rules.

1.39.01 'Shift Differentials' means extra pay allowances made to employees who work nonstandard hours.

1.39.1 'Sick Leave' is leave with pay granted to an employee who is suffering with an illness or injury which prevents him from performing his usual duties and responsibilities or who requires medical, dental, or optical consultation or treatment, or who requires the need to care for an immediate family member with similar circumstances.

1.39.101 'Special Provisional Appointment' means a temporary appointment under the provisions of Rule 24.2 to allow employees subject to acquisition up to two years to complete the processes required for probationary appointment. Employees appointed under this provision earn leave according to Chapter 11 of these rules.

1.39.2 'State Service’ for the purposes of layoff and layoff avoidance measures, means the total length of Classified State Service in the equivalent full‐time years, months and days as an employee of a state agency or agencies subject to the following:

(a) Periods of time not counted as Classified State Service under this definition for the purposes of layoff and layoff avoidance shall be:

1. All leave without pay not expressly authorized in Subsection (b)9 of this Rule.
2. State service earned before retirement in any state retirement system by an employee who is rehired into state service after such retirement.
3. Unclassified State Service acquired after January 1, 1983, subject to the provisions of Subsection (b) of this Rule.
4. Classified State Service obtained after January 1, 1983, on a restricted or provisional appointment if such an appointment was not converted to a probational or job appointment by July 1, 2013.
5. Classified or Unclassified State Service on a part-time intermittent (i.e., when actually employed -WAE) appointment, if such service was acquired after January 1, 1983.

(b) Periods of time counted as Classified State Service under this definition for the purpose of layoff or layoff avoidance measures are the following, which are all subject to Rule 1.39.2(a)2:

1. All time spent on any type of Classified and/or Unclassified appointment prior to January 1, 1983.
2. Classified State Service obtained after January 1, 1983, on probational, job and permanent appointments and on restricted or provisional appointments that were converted to probational or job appointments, subject to the provisions of Subsection (a) 5 of this Rule.
3. Absence from State Service of not more than one year as the result of a layoff of an employee with permanent status.
4. Any military service that interrupts Classified employment, including military service consisting of active duty in the armed forces of the United States for not more than six years of voluntary service or an indefinite period of involuntary service, subject to the provisions of Rule 17.21.
5. Separations of not more than thirty days from the Classified State Service, except that no breaks between emergency and/or restricted and/or multiple restricted appointments count.
6. Unclassified State Service acquired by an unclassified employee relative to his being brought into the Classified Service under Rule 24.2.
7. Periods of time that the layoff avoidance measures stated in Chapter 17 Rules are in effect for full-time employees shall count as full-time employment.
8. All authorized leave with pay.
9. Authorized leave without pay under the following conditions:
1. Any leave without pay taken prior to January 1, 1983.
2. Any period(s) of leave without pay which does not exceed 30 calendar days, if taken after January 1, 1983. Additionally, if any period of leave without pay taken after January 1, 1983 equals or exceeds a 30 calendar day period, i.e., a reportable action to Civil Service, 30 days of one reportable period shall be counted in any calendar year, i.e., January 1, 1983 through December 31, 1983.
3. To hold an unclassified office, job or position with the State.
4. Leave without pay for military purposes as provided in Rule 11.26.
5. If authorized for educational purposes and approved by the Director. Such education must be required by the agency, pertinent to the job or needs of the agency, and full-time as defined by the educational institution attended, except that a final semester's work toward a degree need not be full-time.

(c) All periods of Classified State Service not expressly excluded or included in these Rules shall be submitted to the Director for a ruling.

1.40 'Suspension' means the temporary exclusion from employment of an employee for disciplinary reasons or while criminal proceedings are pending or while an investig ation is being conducted.

1.40.001 'Telework' A work flexibility arrangement under which an employee performs the duties and responsibilities of their position from an approved alternative worksite (e.g., the employee’s home).

1.40.002 'Telework – Formal' Telework that occurs as part of an approved on-going, regular schedule or within established limits. (e.g., full time or a set number of days per week).

1.40.003 'Telework – Situational' Telework that is approved on a case-by-case basis generally for a fixed duration of time and where hours worked are not part of a previously approved, on-going and regular telework schedule. (e.g., telework approved as a result of inclement weather, declared emergency, reasonable accommodations, or office closures).

1.40.004 'Teleworker' The term used to describe the employee while working from their approved alternative worksite.

1.40.01 'Temp' or 'Temporary Staffing Services Employee' means a short-term, temporary worker whose employer is a private sector temporary services firm on contract with the State.

1.40.02 'Temporary Staffing Services', for the purpose of these Rules, means a private firm on contract with the State whose primary business is to provide temporary employee staffing to private business.

1.40.03 'Temporary' a non-permanent appointment for a limited duration of time.

1.40.1 'Title Change' means a change in the title of the class to which a position is allocated without change in the position's duty and responsibility content.

1.41 'Transfer' means the change of an employee from a position in one department to a position in another department without a break in service of one or more working days.

1.41.1 Repealed effective July 1, 2010.

1.42 'Uniform Pay Plan' means a pay plan wherein the pay structure and administrative rules are uniformly applicable to all agencies for positions of the Classified Service.