Arkansas Administrative Code
Agency 001 - ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Rule 001.01.67-001 - Standard Specification for Highway Construction Edition of 1959

SECTION I

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

The Employee Advisory Committee was established in December 1953, to promote better relationships within the Department and to improve working conditions in accordance with the actual wishes of the employees. An Advisory Committee, composed of a chairman and two members, is appointed by the Director of Highways from personnel working in various positions. Each committee serves for a period of one year, then a different committee Is appointed to introduce new ideas, new viewpoints, and to bring more people into close contact with the operations of the program.

The Advisory Committee receives and. screens suggestions of the employees for recommendations to the Director of Highways. Improvements have been made as a result of committee recommendations and numerous others can be made. Supervisors should encourage employees to submit ideas or suggestions to help promote better working conditions and increase efficiency.

Applicants seeking employment constitute one of the Department's most important contacts with the public. Applicants are to be treated with utmost courtesy. Diplomacy and interest toward each person are essential in all instances. Employees having the responsibility for interviews should adhere to these policies. Applicants in Little Rock are to be directed to the Personnel Office for interview.

The policy of the Highway Department requires employees to be citizens of the United States, although a non-citizen may be employed if he provides satisfactory evidence that naturalization proceedings are active.

Public hearings are conducted by the Highway Commission to give the public an opportunity to present requests or problems pertaining to Highway business. The dates of these hearings are scheduled and publicly announced in advance enabling delegations to plan and present their cases directly to the Commission for consideration.

The Commission recognizes and respects the rights of Highway employees as taxpayers and has no desire to restrict or infringe upon those rights. However, it is considered unnecessary and out of order for employees to appear with delegations before the Commission or to otherwise, in any way, participate in activity organized and promoted for the purpose of Influencing the action of the Highway Commission. All Highway Department employees are requested to refrain from participation in any and all such activity.

The Capitol Credit Union was organized in 1949 and is owned and operated by state employees. All employees of the Highway Department are encouraged to become familiar with, and avail themselves of the convenience and advantages of the Credit Union by contact with the Accounting Division.

This booklet describes in an easy-to-read form the rights and responsibilities of each employee, what the Department expects of the employee and what the employee can expect of the Department- As a supplement to information provided by the Division Heads a copy of the handbook is mailed to each new employee by the Personnel Office upon receipt of approved personnel papers.

"Arkansas Highways", a magazine by and for employees of the Highway Department, was first issued in November 1953- The purpose of the magazine is to promote a better understanding of the diversified functions and productive operations involved in our business of building and maintaining highways. Technical articles on engineering or maintenance problems which have been solved are included. Each office should designate an employee as reporter.

Certificates of Service and Pins are presented to Department employees on the completion of five(5), ten(10), fifteen(15), twenty(20), twenty-five (25), thirty(30), thirty-five (35), and forty(40) years of service. The initial presentation of awards began in November, 1955. They are presented the month in which employees complete any five-year increment of service. Employees about to retire due to age will receive the next higher award before retirement providing they would be otherwise eligible to receive such award within the next five months and twenty-nine days after retirement. * (Example: An employee with 19 years, 6 months and 1 day service would receive a 20 year award.)

Every endeavor is made by the Personnel Office to accurately compute service time for the awarding of service pins. With the large number of employees buying retirement credit, some errors will occur. Any employee who did not receive his award or questions the service time credited to him should contact the Personnel Office.

The 1947 Arkansas Statutes (Bobbs-Merrill) define minors as:

"Males of the age of twenty-one years, and females of the age of eighteen years, shall be considered of full age for all purposes, and, until those ages are attained, they shall be considered minors".

No person, male or female, under eighteen years of age will be hired by the Department. Minors over eighteen are required to secure from a parent or guardian written permission to work. A minor over eighteen with no parent or guardian and earning his own living must sign a written statement of such fact in lieu of permission from a parent or guardian. This statement is always required before the employee starts to work.

When an individual accepts employment with the Department and signs the Employee Oath of Office, he agrees not to accept employment outside the Department but to give his undivided time to the work of the Department, diligently and impartially executing the duties of such employment.

The Highway Commission has long maintained the policy that it is not in the interest of the Department to employ a married couple.

Therefore, an applicant cannot be considered for employment if his spouse is presently employed by the Department.

Further,, at any time a male and female employee are married, either of the couple's employment with the Department must be discontinued within thirty (30) calendar days, or the end of the second pay period thereafter. Whenever possible, supervisors should counsel their employee contemplating marriage to another employee, so that the couple is fully aware of this policy. Supervisors must also notify the Personnel Officer immediately when such a marriage occurs. The Personnel Officer will notify the couple of this policy in writing and request their desire with regard to discontinuing either of the couple's employment. He will also co-ordinate the desires of the personnel involved with the needs of the Department and counsel the departing employee in obtaining other . employment, if requested.

The Highway Commission has adopted the same policy for employing relatives of those persons already on the State payroll as is being practiced by other State Agencies. No mother, father, wife, sister, brother, son, or daughter of anyone working in State Government may be employed by the Department. This policy is not intended to be retroactive. Exceptions may be made where separate households are maintained and providing employed members of the same family do not supervise a relative.

Highway Department employees are provided Old-Age and Survivors Insurance coverage under the provisions of Act 427 of the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas, dated 3-30-55, and under the Federal Social Security Law. The rate in use for all participating is deducted from the pay of each individual.

Employees' Social Security records are kept under the name and account number shown on their Social Security cards. The same number is retained for life. It Is most important that the name and number on employee's personnel records conform with the name and number on their ' Social Security card. For Example: Robert William Doe, SS No. 123-45-6789, should not be listed on the personnel records and payroll as William Robert Doe, Bill Robert Doe, Bob W. Doe, or in any other manner differing from that shown on his card. To change the name on personnel records, a Form AH 125 must be submitted correcting the error. Upon receipt of Form 125 necessitating a change in Social Security records, the Personnel Office will forward to the subject employee a Form 0AAH-7003, Request for Change in Social Security Records, and an envelope addressed to the nearest Social Security Office. This form should be completed according to the Instructions on the reverse side and forwarded to the nearest Social Security Office.

The Department and the University of Arkansas have entered upon an agreement to provide a co-operative plan of education and training for selective students who have completed their sophomore year in Civil Engineering. The program must lead to a BSCE at the end of a three year training program. This program is based on alternating work at the Highway Department and academic training at the University by a pair of students.

Applicants must be at least eighteen years of age, male and U. S. citizens. They must have satisfactorily completed two years of engineering study with a minimum grade point of "C".

During the phase of training at the Highway Department, the student will be assigned Highway Engineering work. His assignments may be wide in variety as needed for effective operation of the Department and to provide the student with a well rounded working experience.

The rate of pay will he dependent upon the amount of experience and education the student has achieved. Classification of all students will he adjusted annually according to the Department's Job specifications*

The selection of applicants will require the closely co-ordinated efforts of the Department and the University. In view of this, all interested persons should contact the Personnel Officer for additional information, application forms, etc. (Employees of the Highway Department should see their Supervisors for detailed information on this program, published in booklet form).

In any organization, especially one of the nature and magnitude of the Highway Department, it is imperative that the functions of the organization be performed as efficiently and economically as possible. Whenever public funds are expended, the taxpayers should realize the greatest return possible for each tax dollar. To accomplish this, the skills and abilities of all personnel must be fully utilized. Employees must be trained to accept more responsibility so that a continuing policy of promotion from within can be maintained.

Although the Department has always recognized deserving individuals, it Is felt that a more complete employee development program should be available so that any employee, so desiring, can have the opportunity to better himself both position and salary wise. The objective of such a program should be to fully acquaint employees with all phases of work within their own section and, in many cases, work outside their section. Accomplishment of this objective will result in qualified persons being available to assume more responsible positions, either in or out of their section or division. This will provide incentive for every employee to strive to improve himself through additional education and the acquisition of new or improved skills. The sum total will be high morale, low turnover, a lower cost of operation and --- a savings for the taxpayers.

The State Board of Registered Professional Engineers administers semi-annual examinations for registered professional status* Employees desiring to take the examination should contact the Personnel Officer for relative information as to the date, time and method of making application.

Through the Employee Development Program, self-improvement, part-time school and other methods, an employee may become qualified to better serve the Department In a capacity different from the one In which he is working* Therefore, employees are eligible to apply for a different job, of equal or greater status, within the Highway Department after six (6) months of satisfactory service, even if It would entail a transfer. An employee should not submit more than two (2) requests for transfer within a period of twelve (12) months.

Any employee who has acquired additional education, new skills or improved his qualifications, should complete form AH 115 (Experience and Qualification Sheet) in duplicate and submit to the Personnel Office.

Employees making a request for another job within the Department should submit AH Form 115, If applicable, and an Inter Office Memorandum to the Personnel Section stating the title, title code, salary and the Section, District, or Division in which they are seeking a transfer.

Personnel Section will forward the request and the employee's personnel records to the section on the transfer request. If that office has a vacancy and is interested In obtaining the employee, Personnel Section will, upon the request of that Section, secure a current Personnel rating of the employee from his supervisor. After the evaluation of the employee, the request for transfer and the employee's personnel records are returned to Personnel with a recommendation for approval or disapproval of the transfer. If the recommendation Is for approval, Personnel will initiate the appropriate 125 action. A suitable replacement for the transferring employee will be employed, if needed. If no action on the request can be taken immediately, it will be placed in a reference file in the Personnel Section for future consideration. All requests will be void six (6) months after date submitted. The Personnel Section will notify the employee the results of his request.

Employees of the Highway Department with a severe hardship may request reassignment from work at one geographic location to comparable work at another location. Employees should first discuss the problem with their supervisor to ascertain if a satisfactory course of action other than a transfer can be effected. If not, the employee should make the request on an Inter Office Memorandum stating the Section, District or Division to which he is requesting a transfer, and a brief but thorough statement Justifying his request. The employee's supervisor should forward his written recommendation with the request to the Personnel Section. Personnel will handle the request In the same manner as in topic above, "Reclassification and/or Transfer".

SECTION II

PERSONNEL FORMS

The AH Form 126 Is completed by each person making application to the Highway Department for employment. If necessary, AH Form 115 nay be used as continuation sheets. It must be completed In Ink or typed.

This form comprises the experience record of the employee and Is an essential part of the official personnel records. It should always be kept current. For Instance, If an employee acquires more education, new skills or Improves his qualifications, he should complete AH Form 115 (Experience and Qualifications Statement). The application in duplicate with all other required personnel forms must accompany the AH 125 for all new and re-employees. However, if the re-employee's last date of employment with the Department was In the same calendar year as date of re-employment and the re-employee had not been employed at any place since leaving the Department, a new AH 126 is not required. See page 39 for required forms for employment.

The w-4 Form is required on all employees of the Department. It is Initiated at the time of employment and thereafter is kept current. The W-4 Is forwarded with the other required personnel forms to the Personnel Section at the time of employment. The w-4 form for a "change of dependents" must be transmitted to personnel with a 125 form.

Employees should carefully read the Instructions on the form before completing it. The form must be completed In ink or typed and signed in the same manner as the Social Security card. For example, if the employee's Social Security card is filled out as "John H. Doe", the W-4 form should hot be signed "J. H. Doe" or anything other than "John H. Doe".

Acts 14 and 40 passed by the 1967 General Assembly eliminates the need for employees to furnish proof of payment of the poll * and personal property taxes. Therefore, as directed in Administrative Circular 67-2, the Department no longer requires proof of payment,

Employees of the Department must be rated each year as of the 31st of March. This form should be completed in duplicate copies. The original is forwarded to the Personnel Section and the carbon copy is retained by the originating office.

Rating is a service to which all employees are entitled. It is an indispensable part of a complete personnel file and essential for considering an employee for a promotion. Therefore, supervisors should exercise every precaution to give each employee a true and unbiased rating. After completing the rating form, supervisors should explain his rating to each employee and counsel him on any weak points.

This form is used to request sick, military, jury and vacation accrual leave, and leave-without-pay. It must be signed by the employee, his supervisor and Division Head or District Engineer.

With the exception of sick leave, this form must be approved before the leave commences. A Physician's Certificate (AH Form 510) must be furnished for all consecutive days of sick leave beyond three (3) days. The 508 must be initiated in duplicate copies. The original is sent to the Personnel Section while the carbon is retained by the originating office.

The AH 125 must accompany the "request for leave" when the request is for leave-without-pay.