43A.02 Definitions.
Subdivision 1. Interpretation. Unless the language or context indicates that a different meaning is intended, the following terms, for the purposes of this chapter, have the meanings given them in this section.
Subd. 2. Agency. "Agency" means a department, commission, board, institution, or other employing entity of the civil service, in which all positions are under the same appointing authority.
Subd. 3. Allocation. "Allocation" means the assignment of an individual position to an appropriate class on the basis of the kind, difficulty, or responsibility of the work performed in the position.
Subd. 4. Applicant. "Applicant" means a person who has completed a state application for employment and has submitted it to the department of employee relations or other appointing authority who has been delegated authority to recruit and examine individuals for state jobs.
Subd. 5. Appointing authority. "Appointing authority" means a person or group of persons empowered by the constitution, statute, or executive order to employ persons in or to make appointments to positions in the civil service.
Subd. 6. Appointment. "Appointment" means the act of filling a vacancy by placement of a person in a civil service position through selection from an eligible list or a noncompetitive or qualifying process including transfer, demotion or reinstatement.
Subd. 6a. Balanced class. "Balanced class" means any class in which no more than 80 percent of the incumbents are male and no more than 70 percent of the incumbents are female.
Subd. 7. Candidate. "Candidate" means an applicant whose application for employment has been accepted into the examination process for a class.
Subd. 8. Certification. "Certification" means the referral of names from an eligible list to an appointing authority to fill vacant positions in the classified service.
Subd. 9. Change in allocation. "Change in allocation" means reclassification resulting from abrupt, management-imposed changes in the duties and responsibilities of a position.
Subd. 10. Civil service. "Civil service" means all employees in the legislative, judicial and executive branches of state government and all positions in the classified and unclassified services as provided in sections 43A.07 and 43A.08.
Subd. 11. Class. "Class" means one or more positions sufficiently similar with respect to duties and responsibilities that the same descriptive title may be used with clarity to designate each position allocated to the class and that the same general qualifications are needed for performance of the duties of the class, and that the same schedule of pay can be applied with equity to all positions in the class under the same or substantially the same employment conditions.
Subd. 12. Classified service. "Classified service" means all positions now existing or hereafter created in the civil service and not specifically designated unclassified pursuant to section 43A.08.
Subd. 13. Commissioner. "Commissioner" means the commissioner of employee relations.
Subd. 14. Commissioner's plan. "Commissioner's plan" means the plan required by section 3.855 regarding total compensation and terms and conditions of employment, including grievance administration, for employees of the executive branch who are not otherwise provided for in this chapter or other law.
Subd. 14a. Comparability of the value of the work. "Comparability of the value of the work" means the value of the work measured by the composite of the skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions normally required in the performance of the work.
Subd. 15. Competitive open. "Competitive open" means eligibility to compete in an examination for state employment is extended to all interested persons.
Subd. 16. Competitive promotional. "Competitive promotional" means eligibility to compete in an examination for state employment is limited to persons currently occupying, or on leave or layoff from, civil service positions.
Subd. 17. Declassified position. "Declassified position" means a position which is removed from the classified service and placed in the unclassified service.
Subd. 18. Department. "Department" means the department of employee relations.
Subd. 19. Eligible. "Eligible" means a person whose name is on an eligible list.
Subd. 20. Eligible list. "Eligible list" means a list of candidates qualified under provisions of this chapter for employment in a specific class.
Subd. 21. Employee. "Employee" means any person currently occupying, or on leave from, a civil service position.
Subd. 22. Executive branch. "Executive branch" means heads of all agencies of state government, elective or appointive, established by statute or constitution and all employees of those agency heads who have within their particular field of responsibility statewide jurisdiction and who are not within the legislative or judicial branches of government. The executive branch also includes employees of the iron range resources and rehabilitation board. The executive branch does not include agencies with jurisdiction in specifically defined geographical areas, such as regions, counties, cities, towns, municipalities, or school districts, the University of Minnesota, the public employees retirement association, the Minnesota state retirement system, the teachers retirement association, the Minnesota historical society, and all of their employees, and any other entity which is incorporated, even though it receives state funds.
Subd. 22a. Female-dominated class. "Female-dominated class" means any class in which more than 70 percent of the incumbents are female.
Subd. 23. Intermittent employee. "Intermittent employee" means an employee who works an irregular and uncertain schedule which alternately begins, ceases and begins again as the needs of the agency require.
Subd. 24. Intern. "Intern" means an individual who, for a work experience, is receiving academic credit from or is fulfilling an academic requirement of, an accredited educational institution.
Subd. 25. Judicial branch. "Judicial branch" means all judges of the appellate courts, all employees of the appellate courts, including commissions, boards, and committees established by the supreme court, the board of law examiners, the law library, the office of the state public defender, district public defenders and their employees, all judges of all courts of law, district court referees, judicial officers, court reporters, law clerks, district administration employees under section 484.68, court administrator or employee of the court in a judicial district under section 480.181, subdivision 1, paragraph (b), guardian ad litem program employees, and other agencies placed in the judicial branch by law. Judicial branch does not include district administration or public defenders or their employees in the second and fourth judicial districts, court administrators not under section 480.181, subdivision 1, paragraph (b), or their staff under chapter 485, or other employees within the court system whose salaries are paid by the county, other than employees who remain on the county payroll under section 480.181, subdivision 2.
Subd. 26. Layoff list. "Layoff list" means an eligible list by class of former permanent or probationary employees who have been terminated from positions in the class because of a shortage of funds or curtailment of service or for any other reason beyond their control not reflecting discredit on the employee.
Subd. 27. Legislative branch. "Legislative branch" means all legislators and all employees of the legislature, legislative committees or commissions.
Subd. 27a. Male-dominated class. "Male-dominated class" means any class in which more than 80 percent of the incumbents are male.
Subd. 28. Managerial. "Managerial" means those positions designated pursuant to section 43A.18, subdivision 3 as being accountable for determining, securing, and allocating human, financial, and other resources needed to accomplish objectives. Positions in this category also are accountable for determining overall objectives, priorities, and policies within a program area. Higher level positions in this category handle significant and involved relationships with governmental leadership. Incumbents of these positions have the authority to exercise discretionary powers on a regular basis.
Subd. 29. Officer. For purposes of chapter 15A the term "officer" may be used interchangeably with the term "employee" within the executive branch.
Subd. 30. Permanent status. "Permanent status" means the state or condition achieved by an employee in the classified service who has successfully completed an initial probationary period or a probationary period required following reinstatement or reemployment, or whose probationary period is waived through specific statutory direction.
Subd. 31. Position. "Position" means a group of duties and responsibilities assigned or delegated by competent authority, requiring the full-time or less than full-time employment of one person.
Subd. 32. Probationary period. "Probationary period", part of the examination process, means a working period following unlimited appointment to a position in the classified service, during which the employee is required to demonstrate ability to perform the duties and fulfill the responsibilities of the position.
Subd. 33. Protected groups. For affirmative action purposes, "protected groups" means females, persons with disabilities, and members of the following minorities: Black, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaskan native.
Subd. 34. Qualifying appointment. "Qualifying appointment" means the selection, from other than an eligible list, of a candidate who has demonstrated through an examination process that the candidate meets minimum job-related requirements.
Subd. 35. Reallocation. "Reallocation" means reclassification resulting from significant changes over a period of time in the duties and responsibilities of a position.
Subd. 36. Reclassification. "Reclassification" means changing the allocation of a position to a higher, lower or equivalent class.
Subd. 37. Reemployment list. "Reemployment list" means an eligible list by class of current or former permanent or probationary employees laid off, demoted in lieu of layoff, or separated in good standing from the class, or former permanent or probationary employees of the class who are receiving disability benefits under a state retirement plan and whose written applications for consideration for reemployment in the class have been approved by the commissioner.
Subd. 38. Total compensation. "Total compensation" means salaries, cash payments and employee benefits including paid time off, group insurance benefits, and other direct and indirect items of compensation with the exception of retirement plans.
Subd. 39. Unclassified service. "Unclassified service" means all positions designated not being classified pursuant to section 43A.08.
Subd. 40. Unlimited appointment. "Unlimited appointment" means an appointment for which there is no specified maximum duration.
HIST: 1981 c 210 s 2; 1982 c 560 s 8; 1982 c 634 s 2-5; 1983 c 247 s 19; 1989 c 335 art 3 s 2; 1990 c 594 art 2 s 1; 1993 c 146 art 2 s 9; 1997 c 79 s 2-6; 1999 c 182 s 2,3; 1999 c 216 art 7 s 1
* NOTE: Laws 1999, chapter 216, article 7, section 46, *subdivisions 1 and 3, provide specific effective dates for the *state takeover of court administrative and miscellaneous costs *under subdivision 25, as amended by Laws 1999, chapter 216, *article 7, section 1.
Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes