ARTICLE 6
CLASSIFICATIONS

6.1 Out-of-Classification Assignments

a.   If a department head or designee requires an employee in writing to work in a higher classification for more than 15 consecutive calendar days, the employee shall receive a pay differential of 5% over his/her normal daily rate of the class to which he/she is appointed for that period in excess of 15 calendar days. If a department head or designee requires an employee in writing to work in a higher classification for 30 consecutive calendar days or more, the employee shall receive a pay differential of 5% over his/her normal daily rate of the class to which he/she is appointed from the first day of the assignment. If the assignment to a higher classification is not terminated before it exceeds 120 consecutive calendar days, the employee shall be entitled to receive the difference between his/her salary and the salary of the higher class at the same step the employee would receive if the employee were to be promoted to that class, for that period in excess of 120 consecutive calendar days. The 5% differential shall not be considered as part of the base pay in computing the promotional step in the higher class. In accordance with the provisions of this subsection, no employee may be compensated for more than one (1) year of out-of-class work for any one assignment.

b.   The State shall not rotate employees in and out of out-of-class assignments for the sole purpose of avoiding payment of an out-of-class differential.

c.   It is not the State's intent to select employees for out-of-class assignments based on favoritism. Furthermore, whenever possible, the appointing power shall choose employees for out-of-class appointment from the current hiring list for the particular job classification for which the employee is to be hired on an acting basis. If there is no appropriate current hiring list at the local facility or office complex, the State shall assign the out-of-class duty whenever possible only to those employees who are qualified to take the examination for entry into that classification.

d.   If any dispute arises regarding out-of-class assignments and compensation, an employee may file a grievance and the decision reached at Step 4 (DPA) of the grievance procedure shall be final. Approved out-of-class grievances may be compensated retroactively for a period no greater than one (1) year preceding the filing of the grievance.

6.2 Classification Changes

a.   When the Department of Personnel Administration (DPA) or another department seeks (1) to establish a new classification and assigns it to Bargaining Unit 9, or (2) modifies an existing Bargaining Unit 9 classification, DPA shall inform PECG of the proposal during the preparatory stages of the proposals. PECG may request to meet with DPA regarding these classification proposals. Such meetings shall be for the purpose of informally discussing the classification proposal and for PECG to provide input. Upon request, DPA shall furnish PECG with drafts of the proposed classification specifications.

b.   The DPA shall notify and submit to PECG the final classification proposal at least 20 work days prior to the date the SPB is scheduled to adopt it.

c.   If PECG requests in writing within 10 workdays of receipt of the notice, DPA shall meet with PECG to discuss the final proposal. If PECG does not respond to the notice, or if PECG does not meet with DPA within five (5) workdays from their date of request, the classification proposal shall be deemed agreeable to PECG and be placed on SPB's consent calendar.

d.   The DPA shall meet and confer, if requested in writing by PECG, within ten (10) working days from the date the SPB approved the classification change, regarding the compensation of the classification. To the extent that a classification change necessitates other change which falls within the scope of negotiations, the State shall notify PECG and the parties shall bargain the impact upon request by PECG.