008.03(A)
HEARING
OFFICER/STATE PERSONNEL BOARD HEARING. The State Personnel Board's
("Board") scope of review will be to determine whether or not the Personnel
Rules have been violated and whether the agency's action was taken in good
faith and for cause. The Board will decide the grievance in question based upon
the issues presented in the written grievance filed pursuant to the grievance
procedure. The Board may interpret relevant sections of the Personnel Rules and
apply them to the particular case presented to it, but the Board has no
authority to add to, subtract from, or in any way modify the Personnel Rules.
The Board has the authority to order reinstatement and to award back pay. In
cases involving discipline, the agency will present its case first and in all
other cases the grievant will present his/her case first. Hearing officers will
be appointed by the Board through the DAS-Employee Relations Division.
008.03(A)(i) The Administrator of the
DAS-Employee Relations Division or their designee has the authority to set time
limitations for:
(1) The length of time within
which a hearing officer needs to be chosen;
(2) The amount of time the parties will have
to present their case (each party will receive the same amount of
time);
(3) The time within which a
case needs to be heard after a hearing officer is appointed; and
(4) If allowed, the length of time that will
be allowed for the parties to submit post hearing briefs.
008.03(A)(ii) Post hearing briefs will not be
allowed in any case unless the parties and the hearing officer are all in
agreement as to the need for such briefs.
008.03(A)(iii) The recommended decision of
the hearing officer will be made in writing within 60 calendar days of the
conclusion of the hearing and will include findings of fact and conclusions of
law. The findings of fact will consist of a concise statement of the
conclusions upon each contested issue of fact. The hearing officer will submit
the recommended decision to the Board by sending it to the DAS-Employee
Relations Division by first class U.S. Mail or by electronic means. The
DAS-Employee Relations Division will send the Board's decision to the parties.
If the hearing officer does not render a recommended decision within 60
calendar days from the last day of the hearing or the date the last brief was
received, whichever is later, a penalty of $50 per day will be imposed and
deducted from the hearing officer's fee for each day over the 60 calendar days
the recommended decision is late, until the recommended decision is received.
This penalty may only be waived upon mutual agreement of the parties and the
Administrator of the DAS-Employee Relations Division or their
designee.
008.03(A)(iv) Any meeting
held pursuant to the grievance procedure may be recorded if the parties to said
grievance mutually agree to the recording.
008.03(A)(v) Both parties shall provide the
other party and the hearing officer with a listing of all exhibits to be
introduced at the hearing, a copy of each exhibit, and a listing of individuals
that the party plans to call as a witness in the hearing five calendar days
prior to the hearing.
008.03(A)(vi)
The pleadings in a contested case may include an appeal, notice, motion,
stipulation, objection, order, or other formal written document filed in a
proceeding before the Board. Any pleading filed in a contested case shall meet
the following requirements:
(1) The pleading
shall contain a heading specifying the name of the agency and the title or
nature of the pleading, shall state material factual allegations and state
concisely the action the agency is being requested to take, shall contain the
name and address of the appellant, and shall be signed by the party filing the
pleading, or when represented by an attorney, the signature of the
attorney;
(2) The initial appeal
shall also contain the name and address of the respondent;
(3) All pleadings shall be typed or
handwritten in ink;
(4) All
pleadings shall be filed at the DAS Employee Relations Division office. Filing
may be accomplished by personal delivery or mail and will be received during
DAS Employee Relations' Division regular office hours.
(5) The appellant shall serve a copy of the
appeal on each respondent listed on the appeal personally, by first-class or
certified mail, or by electronic delivery. Written proof of such service shall
be filed with the DAS Employee Relations Division.
(6) All pleadings subsequent to the initial
appeal shall be served by the party filing such pleading upon all attorneys of
record or other representatives of record and upon all unrepresented parties.
Service shall be made personally or by first-class, or certified mail, or by
electronic mail. Written proof of such service shall be filed with the DAS
Employee Relations Division.
008.03(A)(vii)
SUBPOENAS. If either party to a grievance hearing
before the State Personnel Board or designated representative wishes to use any
individual as a witness in the presentation of their case, they may request the
hearing officer or a designee to subpoena the attendance of the witness.
Request forms for subpoenas are available in the DAS-Employee Relations
Division and need to be submitted to the Division at least eight calendar days
prior to the hearing. Notice of less than eight calendar days will not
guarantee witness attendance. At least four work days before the scheduled
hearing, the requesting party will notify the other party of the names of any
individual(s) who have been subpoenaed as a witness. The requesting party or
their representative is responsible to serve the subpoenas on the person(s)
sought to be a witness. The subpoenas are to be served on the individual at
least four work days before the scheduled hearing. The Board or designated
representative may limit the number of witnesses either party may call to
testify, considering relevancy of proposed testimony and whether or not it
would be repetitious. The cost of serving any subpoenas will be paid by the
requesting party. The parties will not be required to serve subpoenas by the
process set out in statute but may serve them in person or by first class U.S.
mail.
008.03(A)(vii)(1) Employees who are
subpoenaed to attend an appeal hearing will be granted time off from their
assigned duties to appear and all hours in attendance will be considered paid
work time, including travel time.
008.03(A)(viii) Except to the extent that the
Administrative Procedure Act or another statute provides otherwise, the
DAS-Employee Relations Division record will constitute the exclusive basis for
State Personnel Board action in contested cases under the act.
008.03(A)(ix) Unless state law provides a
hearing is not required, the Board/Hearing Officer will set a hearing date.
Written notice of the time and place of the hearing and the name of the hearing
officer, if known, must be given to the parties by the DAS Employee Relations
Division. The notice must include proof of service.
008.03(A)(x)
CONTINUANCES. The Board chairperson/hearing officer
may grant extensions of time or continuances of hearings upon the Board
chairperson's/hearing officer's own motion or at the timely request of any
party for good cause shown. A party must file a written motion for continuance
which states in detail the reasons why a continuance is necessary and serve a
copy of the motion on all other parties.
008.03(A)(x)(1)
GOOD
CAUSE. Good cause for an extension of time or continuance
includes, but is not limited to, the following:
(a) Illness of the party, legal counsel, or
witness;
(b) A change in legal
representation; or
(c) Settlement
negotiations are underway.