§ 21-5-203 - Definitions. - Arkansas Statutes

21-5-203. Definitions.

As used in this subchapter:

(1) "Agency director" means the executive head of all agencies, authorities, departments, boards, commissions, bureaus, councils, or other agencies of the state;

(2) "Base pay level" means the maximum entry level for classifications assigned to the career service pay plan;

(3) "Base range" means the range of pay between the entry pay level and the base pay level of the appropriate grade for classifications assigned to the career service pay plan;

(4) "Career pay level" means the salary level established on the career service compensation plan in a pay grade that is authorized only for current employees who meet established eligibility criteria;

(5) "Class" or "classification" means a group of positions sufficiently similar as to duties performed, scope of discretion and responsibility, minimum requirements of training and experience or skill, and other characteristics that the same title, the same test of fitness, and the same scale of compensation have been or may be applied to each position in the group;

(6) "Class specification" means a written document which identifies a group of positions that have the same type of work and responsibility and states the general components by providing a class title, class code, distinguishing features and examples of work, knowledge, skills, and abilities, and the necessary minimum education and experience requirements to perform the assigned duties;

(7) (A) "Crossgrade" means a temporary reclassification of a position during the fiscal year.

(B) The Office of Personnel Management may authorize a temporary change in the classification of a position from the classification authorized in an agency or institution appropriation act between legislative sessions to assure correct classification and for other purposes with the following restrictions:

(i) A position cannot be crossgraded to a classification having a grade higher than the grade originally authorized for the position by the General Assembly in the agency's or institution's appropriation act;

(ii) A position may be crossgraded to a classification having the same or lower grade than the position as originally authorized by the General Assembly in the agency's or institution's appropriation act;

(iii) Positions that have been crossgraded may be restored to the original authorized class during the fiscal year with the approval of the office for those positions within the same occupational group;

(iv) Position classifications may be crossgraded or restored to the original classification only after the review and approval by the office;

(v) Positions established under the career service compensation plan may not be crossgraded to professional and executive graded classifications and positions established under the professional and executive compensation plan may not be crossgraded to career service graded classifications; and

(vi) Positions having an authorized line item maximum salary by the General Assembly in the agency's or institution's appropriation act may not be crossgraded from line item status to classified status;

(8) "Demotion" means the change in duty assignment of an employee from a position in one classification to a position in another classification of a lower salary grade;

(9) "Employee" means a person regularly appointed or employed in a position of state service by a state agency or institution of higher education for which:

(A) He or she is compensated on a full-time basis or on a pro rata basis; and

(B) A class title and pay grade is established in the appropriation act for the agency or institution in accordance with the classification and compensation plan enacted in this subchapter;

(10) "Entry pay level" means the minimum entrance salary rate for classifications assigned to the career service compensation plan;

(11) (A) "Grade" means an authorized pay range having an entrance salary rate, intermediate rate, and a maximum rate of pay as provided in this subchapter.

(B) The determination of lower or higher grade in relation to another grade is determined by comparing the base rates of pay assigned to each grade;

(12) "Head of institution" means the executive head of an institution of higher education;

(13) "Institution of higher education" or "institution" means a public institution of higher education supported, in whole or in part, by appropriation of state funds;

(14) (A) (i) "Job sharing" means a form of employment in which the hours of work of two (2) persons are arranged in such a way as to cover a single, regular full-time position.

(ii) The Department of Finance and Administration may authorize job sharing for any regular full-time position.

(B) The Director of the Department of Finance and Administration or his or her designee shall promulgate necessary rules to carry out this subdivision (14);

(15) "Maximum pay level" means the highest authorized level of pay for a pay grade for normal compensation administration purposes;

(16) "Midpoint" means the rate of pay midway between the base pay level and the maximum pay level established for each grade;

(17) (A) "Occupational group" means a collection of classes having similar features of job components and sharing a primary function.

(B) In determining the occupational group to which a class is assigned, consideration will be given to the type of work to be performed, the type of education or experience required, job elements or tasks, and the purpose of the job;

(18) "Office of Personnel Management" or "office" means the Office of Personnel Management of the Division of Management Services of the Department of Finance and Administration acting under the authority granted in this subchapter and subject to the direction of the Director of the Department of Finance and Administration;

(19) "Pay level" means any single rate of pay in a grade including the entrance rate, intermediate rate, and the maximum rate of pay;

(20) "Position" means a single office or employment that is legislatively authorized in an agency or institution of higher education, occupied or vacant requiring the services of one (1) full-time equivalent employee;

(21) "Promotion" means the change in duty assignment of an employee from a position in one classification to a position in another classification of a higher salary grade;

(22) (A) "Reclassification" means a change in the assignment of a position from one classification title to another classification title of either a higher or lower salary grade when material and permanent changes in the duties and responsibilities of the position being recommended for reclassification have occurred or when it is necessary to establish a new classification title to meet federal standards as a prerequisite for federal programs.

(B) Positions eligible for reclassification within an agency or institution of higher education shall be only those positions assigned a specific classification title and salary grade.

(C) Positions having a line item maximum salary shall be considered exempt from the provisions in this section and may not be reclassified from line item status to a classified designation bearing a salary grade.

(D) Positions within an agency allocated to a specific classification title and salary grade may not be reclassified to a classification title having a maximum annual line item salary amount.

(E) Interim reclassifications approved by the Office of Personnel Management are to be implemented through the crossgrading of existing authorized positions within an agency or institution or through the acquisition of pool positions as authorized in 21-5-225(a)(1); and

(23) "State agencies" means all agencies, authorities, departments, boards, commissions, bureaus, councils, or other agencies of the state supported by appropriation of state or federal funds, except those agencies excluded in 21-5-204.