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1 State Personnel System GUIDE TO EMPLOYEE TRANSITION Division of Human Resource Management March 2011 GUIDE to EMPLOYEE TRANSITION Division of Human Resource Management Page i March 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .. 1 THE WORKFORCE TRANSITION PLAN .. 2 THE WORKFORCE TRANSITION TEAM .. 3 COMMUNICATION .. 4 AGENCY ASSESSMENTS .. 5 EMPLOYEE ASSESSMENTS .. 6 Career Service Employees .. 6 Law Enforcement, Correctional Officers, Firefighters and Professional Health Care Unit Employees .. 7 Selected Exempt Service and Senior Management Service Employees .. 8 EMPLOYMENT PLACEMENT STRATEGY .. 9 Internal Placement Assistance within the State Personnel System.

2 9 External Placement Assistance .. 11 EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITIES .. 13 RECORD KEEPING .. 14 APPENDICES .. 15 Appendix A - Workforce TRANSITION Plan (Sample) .. 16 Appendix B - Workforce TRANSITION Activities (Sample) .. 19 Appendix C-1 - Sample Letter 1 - Notification to Potentially Affected Employees .. 22 Appendix C-2 - Sample Letter 2 - Notification to Affected EMPLOYEE .. 23 Appendix C-3 - Sample Letter 3 - Selected Exempt Service EMPLOYEE Notice .. 24 Appendix C-4 - Sample Letter 4 - Senior Management Service EMPLOYEE Notice .. 25 Appendix C-5 - Sample Letter 5 - Offer of Employment .. 26 Appendix C-6 - Sample Letter 6 - Final Notice of Layoff.

3 27 Appendix D - Notificaton to the Department of Management Services and Collective Bargaining Agent of Pending .. 28 Appendix E - Accumulated Leave and Insurance Options Following Layoff .. 29 Appendix F - Personal Interest Form .. 30 Appendix G-1 - Information Sheet for Career Service Employees Being Laid Off .. 32 Appendix G-2 - Information Sheet for Selected Exempt Service Employees Terminating Employment .. 39 Appendix G-3 - Information Sheet for Senior Management Service Employees Terminating Employment .. 45 Appendix H - Government Website List .. 52 GUIDE To EMPLOYEE TRANSITION Division of Human Resource Management Page ii March 2011 Appendix I - Placement Activities Checklist.

4 53 Appendix J - Application Transmittal Form .. 54 Appendix K - EMPLOYEE Application Summary .. 55 GUIDE to EMPLOYEE TRANSITION Division of Human Resource Management Page 1 March 2011 INTRODUCTION The State Personnel System is committed to successfully transitioning Career Service employees who are impacted by a layoff and other employees who are terminated due to budget reductions, program reductions or other such actions. To this end, it is vital that each agency develop a Workforce TRANSITION Plan as a uniform course of action to ensure that agency services to the public are not disrupted and that adversely affected employees receive timely and relevant communication and assistance during the TRANSITION process.

5 These guidelines are designed to assist the agencies in: Developing a Workforce TRANSITION Plan; Forming a Workforce TRANSITION Team; and Assisting employees with transitioning into new employment opportunities. GUIDE to EMPLOYEE TRANSITION Division of Human Resource Management Page 2 March 2011 THE WORKFORCE TRANSITION PLAN The purpose of this plan is to establish a uniform course of action for agencies when a layoff is necessary. This may occur as a result of budget changes in authorized, filled, or vacant positions, program reductions resulting from outsourcing or privatization efforts, program phase-outs, elimination of grants, or other actions.

6 This plan is intended to ensure that agency services to the public and to agency employees are not disrupted as a result of a layoff, as well as to ensure that adversely affected employees receive timely and relevant information. A Workforce TRANSITION Plan (Sample Plan Appendix A) shall be approved by the Department of Management Services and shall include the following: A listing of the Workforce TRANSITION Team; A communications plan to notify all employees about a workforce reduction, and to notify unions, the Department of Management Services, the Agency for Workforce Innovation, the Regional Workforce Boards ( ), other state agencies, and community resources; An assessment for determining the positions to be deleted and retained.

7 An assessment of the impact of the positions to be deleted on the agency, if applicable; An EMPLOYEE assessment process; A strategy for assisting adversely affected employees, including re-employment and retraining assistance; and A system to track placement activities. GUIDE to EMPLOYEE TRANSITION Division of Human Resource Management Page 3 March 2011 THE WORKFORCE TRANSITION TEAM The Workforce TRANSITION Team s mission within the agency is to facilitate the orderly TRANSITION of employees in the event of a layoff. This team s membership should include key leaders in Administration, Human Resource Management, Communications, Legal, and the leaders of the affected divisions and bureaus.

8 In the event of outsourcing or privatization of an agency function, the TRANSITION Team should include a representative of the contractor as a team member. The Workforce TRANSITION Team should consider the following: Identifying any administrative actions prior to beginning the workforce TRANSITION process such as a temporary hiring freeze in order to place adversely affected employees; Evaluating programmatic needs to accomplish the agency's core mission; Scheduling informational meetings with agency employees regarding program changes; Providing appropriate notification to adversely affected employees, applicable EMPLOYEE unions and the Department of Management Services, Division of Human Resource Management.

9 Identifying alternative employment opportunities for adversely affected employees; Updating the State's Workforce TRANSITION Spreadsheet to include adversely affected employees (Required). The Workforce TRANSITION Spreadsheet can be found on the DMS/HRM website under the Forms section at: ); Tracking the Workforce TRANSITION Activities (Appendix B); Utilizing information in the human resource information system to identify available positions in other agencies; Notifying and coordinating with the Agency for Workforce Innovation s, Reemployment Emergency Assistance Coordination Team (AWI/REACT) and the Regional Workforce Board(s) to assist adversely affected employees.

10 And Coordinating with the agency's provider for EMPLOYEE Assistance Program needs. GUIDE to EMPLOYEE TRANSITION Division of Human Resource Management Page 4 March 2011 COMMUNICATION Communication is a key factor in the success of a workforce TRANSITION . All employees not just the affected ones must be kept abreast of all developments. Communications must be initiated as early as possible, be continuous, and open and honest to both adversely affected and remaining employees regarding agency staffing changes. Clear avenues for employees to seek and obtain information and assistance must be established.