Other Civil Service Information

Employee Appeal Process

As a state classified employee, you have the right to appeal any employment action or decision that violates Article X of the State Constitution or a Civil Service Rule or that discriminates against you because of your political or religious beliefs, sex, or race. Once you attain permanent status, you gain the right to appeal any disciplinary or removal action taken against you.

To be timely, an appeal claiming an Article/Rule violation or discrimination must be filed within thirty calendar days following the date you learned or became aware that the action occurred. An appeal challenging a disciplinary or removal action must be filed within thirty calendar days following the day you received written notice of the action. Filing a grievance with your agency does not give you extra time to file an appeal.

An appeal must be in writing and must: provide your (and your attorney’s) mailing address; identify the action you are challenging; state the date you received written notice of that action or the date you learned that the action occurred; explain why you are challenging the action; and state the relief you want. Appeals claiming Article/Rule violations or discrimination must provide facts, pleaded in detail, to support the conclusion that the violation or discrimination occurred.

An appeal may be filed in any of the following ways:

Mail: Department of State Civil Service, Appeals Division, P. O. Box 94111 , Baton Rouge , LA 70804 -9111

Hand or courier delivery: Department of State Civil Service, Claiborne Building, 1201 North Third Street, Suite 3-240, Baton Rouge, LA.

Fax: (225) 342-8058                          

E-mail: dscs.appeals@la.gov

If you have a right to appeal and if your appeal is timely, your case will usually be decided based on evidence (from witnesses and documents) presented at a hearing. Appeal hearings are conducted throughout the state, generally where most of the witnesses are located. Hearings are like trials in civil court. You call witnesses, question them under oath, and cross examine witnesses called by the agency. Certain procedural and evidentiary rules apply. After the hearing is concluded, you will receive a written decision. If you disagree with the decision, you can appeal it to the courts.

You may represent yourself or you may hire an attorney to represent you. (Civil Service staff cannot represent you.) If you choose to hire an attorney, you are responsible for paying his or her fees. If you are successful in your appeal, you may be awarded up to $1500 in attorney’s fees.  About two-thirds of the employees who file appeals choose to be represented by attorneys.

For detailed information concerning the appeal process, see the FAQ’s and the instructions for filing an appeal (“the yellow sheet”) in the “Appeals” section of this site.