STATE OF LOUISIANA
DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
General Circular No. 001630
To: Heads of State Agencies and Human Resource Directors
Subject: Proposed Amendments to Rule 17.7, Reduction in Work Hours as Layoff Avoidance Measure
Issue Date: October 5, 2005
The State Civil Service Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, November 2, 2005 to consider proposed amendments to Rule 17.7.
The hearing will begin at 9:00 a.m. and will be held in the Louisiana Purchase Room of the Claiborne Building, 1201North Third Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Consideration will be given to the following:
When an appointing authority determines it is necessary to reduce the work hours of employees in order to avoid or reduce layoffs, his request is subject to the following:
(a) No change
(b) Such reductions shall not exceed one period of 12 consecutive months unless prior approval of the Commission is granted.
(c) The number of work hours reduced for an employee shall not exceed 40 hours per biweekly payroll period.
(d) No change.
Civil Service Rule 17.7 allows for appointing authorities to reduce the work hours of employees in order to avoid or reduce layoffs, subject to the approval of the Director of Civil Service (Rule 17.2). Rule 17.7(c) currently reads “The number of work hours reduced for an employee shall not exceed 16 hours per biweekly payroll period.” One of the original intents of the restriction was to discourage employers from unrealistically delaying layoff actions.
However, many of our agencies are facing unprecedented situations as the result of Hurricane Katrina. Increasing the restriction to 40 hours per bi-weekly payroll period would provide one more option that could prove mutually beneficial to both the agencies and state employees in the hardest hit areas. This change would allow agencies to work people half time, either half days or a week on and a week off.
This layoff avoidance measure may afford agencies a better opportunity to reconstitute a workforce as conditions improve. Extended furloughs without pay followed by layoffs would likely make it more difficult to recruit employees to come back to work, especially in high demand jobs. People could continue to work and would have time to tend to their personal business (clean – up, meeting with insurance adjustors, rebuilding their personal lives) without taking significant amounts of leave. Many people are facing unemployment and for many of them, half of their salary would equal or exceed their unemployment benefits. Being able to continue to work, even on a drastically reduced schedule, may allow employees the option of continuing their group health coverage. Employees may also be able to continue contributions to the retirement system, although at a reduced rate.
Rule 17.7(b) currently makes no provision for extending an approved reduction in hours beyond a 12 month consecutive period. The proposed change would grant the Civil Service Commission the discretion to extend this time period at an agency’s request.
Persons interested in making comments relative to these proposals may do so at the public hearing or by writing to the Director of State Civil Service at Post Office Box 94111, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70804-9111.
If any accommodations are needed, please notify the Civil
Service Department at (225) 342-8272 prior to the meeting.
Sincerely,
s/Anne S. Soileau
Acting Director