Personnel Policies Applicable to Professional Staff
Employees
of the State Services Department
Contents
Equal Employment Opportunity
Employee Conduct
Reorganization/Financial
Exigency
Removal for Just Cause
Compensation
Separation and Resignation
Equal Employment Opportunity
No applicant shall be denied employment by the State Services Department because
of race, color, age, creed, religion, sex, national origin, handicap or other factors when
such factors cannot lawfully be a basis for an employment decision. No mandatory questions
on th eemployment application shall relate to political or religious affiliation or racial
origin of the applicant. Hiring policies in all cases shall conform to all applicable
state and federal laws as well as the State Services Department Affirmative Action Plan.
Employee Conduct
Performance standards
- Employees shall perform their work efficiently and effectively acting with
prudence and integrity at all times. They shall abide by all of the policies of the State
Services Department.
Personal Conduct
The following are guidelines for appropriate personal conduct and are to be
applied with discretion.
- Employees shall not seek nor accept any personal advantage which might reasonably
be interpreted as an attempt to influence the performance of their duties. Such personal
advantages include gifts, loans, or other stuff that isn't available to everyone.
- Employees shall not engage in outside activities which conflict with required
working hours, job performance or work obligations and responsibilities with the State
Services Department.
- State Services Department equipment, property, funds and labor will only be used
for State Services Department business.
- Employees shall treat their fellow employees and the public with courtesy and
respect for human dignity regardless of how they actually feel about their fellow
employees or the public.
Solicitations
- Solicitations for organization membership or funds shall not be made of any
employee during working hours except as specifically authorized by State Services
Department officials. This includes Avon, Tupperware, and Girl Scout Cookies.
Supervision
- Each Regional Office Director is responsible for insuring that each employee
understands the established channels of communication and supervision. An annual
performance evaluation shall be held between employee and regional director.
Reorganization and
Financial Exigency
- In the event that the duties of a position held by a professional staff employee
on continuing employment are changed or the position eliminated as a result of
reorganization or financial exigency, skills, knowledge, abilities, quality of
performance, and years of service shall be the principal but not the only determinants
governing termination or placement in the reorganization process. Given the same range of
abilities, performance, skills, etc., the employee with the least years of service will be
terminated first.
Removal for Just Cause
- Employees may be dismissed for just cause. Just cause is defined as some
significant shortcoming which renders continuation in employment detrimental to th e
discipline and efficiency of the institution, and something which law and sound public
policy recognize as a good ground for termination. Usually, the actual date of termination
will not be less than two weeks from the date of notice of dismissal to the employee. If
warranted, however, the Director may terminate employment with less than two weeks notice.
- An employee may be dismissed for failure to perform assigned duties in a
satisfactory manner. The employee, after evaluation, must be given written notice of
unsatisfactory job performance. Following this written warning, subsequent evaluations
must be conducted at appropriate times to measure progress made by the employee. If
subsequent evaluations related to the same or similar dificiency or deficiencies are still
unsatisfactory, a written letter of termination may be initiated. The actual date of
termination must be not less than two weeks from the date the dismissal letter is received
by the employee.
Compensation
Each staff position, new or existing, will be reviewed by the State Services
Review Committee to determine proper classification and job title which accurately reflect
the functions and responsibilities of the position outlined in the job description.
Entering salaries for professional staff positions shall be determined in accordance with
job requirements and with due regard to the education and experience of the employee.
Annual Increment
- The State Services Staff Committee will be responsible for developing and
recommending annually a plan for the distribution of staff salary increases. The policy
shall include rationale and formula for the distribution of the funds appropriated by the
State for salary increases and allocated for distribution to the staff.
Outstanding Performance
- Each staff position shall have a written job description outlining the duties of
that position. Completion of these assigned duties in a competent manner is expected. Such
performance contributes effectively to the mission of the State Services Department.
Outstanding performance transcends the normal job requirements and may be manifested in a
variety of ways. Evidence of outstanding performance might include:
- Services to the community beyond the normal requirements of the position
- Creative activity related to the person's field of experience
- Professional recognition outside the State Services Department
- Exceptional productivity.
Performance
Appraisal and Evaluation
- Each employee will be subject to an annual review by their supervisor. The review
is based on the written job description and any mutually agreed upon developmental goals.
The review will be presented to the employee in both oral and written formats. At the
initiation of either the employee or the supervisor, an additional written review of
performance by peers or clients may be obtained. Each employee will be given a copy of all
written reviews and copies will also be kept in the employee's personnel file. Employees
may make written responses to their reviews for inclusion in the personnel file.
Separation and Resignation
- An employee shall, whenever possible, give the appropriate authority at least one
month's notice of resignation in writing
- An employee who is absent from duty without having notified a superior of reasons
for absence and of intention to return shall be considered to be absent without authorized
leave. Within a period not to exceed five working days from the first day of unauthorized
absence the immediate supervisor shall notify the employee by registered letter of the
consequences of his/her continued absence. Failure to respond will be accepted as
agreement for termination.
- An employee who does not return to work within five days after the expiration of
a leave of absence without pay and who has not given reasons to the immediate supervisor
for absence shall be subject to the same notification and termination procedures specified
above.
- The effective date of an employee's separation will be the last day worked.
However, the employee may take all accumulated vacation leave prior to retirement or
resignation. In these later two cases, the employee must secure the approval of the
immediate supervisor. Employees that are terminated for cause by the State Services
Department are not eligible to receive payment for accumulated and unused vacation leave.
Lump sum payment for accrued vacation leave will be made to the estate in the event of the
death of the employee.