Iowa Administrative Code › Agency 681 - Regents Board › Chapter 3 - Regents Human Resources Management-merit System Rules › Rule 681-3.3 - Administration

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 3, July 24, 2024
Under authority of the board of regents and the supervision of
				its executive director, a merit system director will be appointed who will be
				responsible for the development, operation and evaluation of the system in
				compliance with the objectives and intent of certain provisions of Iowa Code
				chapter 8A, subchapter IV, related to merit staff employment and board of
				regents policies and rules. At each board of regents institution the head
				thereof will designate an administrator to serve as resident director of the
				system. The resident director will be responsible through the chief executive
				at the institution for human resources administration in accordance with these
				rules. The merit system director shall review the operation of the merit system
				at each of the institutions and will be responsible for the direction of the
				merit system and have the authority to ensure the administration of the merit
				system consistent with the provision of these rules.
(1)
Records and reports.
The
			 resident directors will maintain appropriate documentation on each employee
			 that will include a record of all personnel transactions affecting the
			 individual's employment. The resident directors will also maintain records on
			 operations conducted under these rules and will periodically as requested
			 report a summary of such operations to the merit system director and in
			 addition will prepare other reports as may be required by the merit system
			 director to indicate compliance with applicable regents and state requirements
			 and federal standards. The resident director will establish, in cooperation
			 with employing departments, a program that will provide for the regular
			 evaluation, at least annually, of the qualifications and performance of all
			 employees consistent with board and institutional policies.
(2)
Nondiscrimination.
All
			 programs and transactions administered under these rules will be conducted on
			 the basis of merit and fitness without discrimination or favor because of
			 political opinions or affiliations, nor any discrimination protections by law,
			 regulation, or board of regents or institutional policies.
(3)
Political activity.
No
			 merit employees covered under this system will engage in any partisan political
			 activity that is prohibited by law; employees will have the right to freely
			 express their views as private citizens and to cast their vote; coercion of
			 employees for political purposes and the use of employees' positions for
			 political purposes will be prohibited.
Those employees who are by law subject to the provisions of the
				federal Hatch Act and successor legislation will be informed of such provisions
				by the resident director at their institution and will be required to adhere
				thereto.
(4)
Revisions and additions.
In accordance with the provisions of
			 Iowa Code chapter 8A, these rules may be revised at any time. In addition,
			 supplementary rules subject to Iowa Code chapter 17A not inconsistent with
			 these rules may be made applicable to any department, program or service,
			 whenever such additional merit system provisions are required as a condition of
			 eligibility for federal funds.
(5)
Suspension of merit increases.
During any period of time when
			 merit increases provided under these rules are temporarily suspended by
			 legislative action, the rules providing for such increases shall be suspended
			 for the duration of that legislative mandate. The merit system director shall
			 provide for the administration of such suspension and shall ensure the
			 maintenance of necessary information at each board of regents institution as
			 would be necessary for reinstatement of such increases following the temporary
			 suspension. Reinstatement of such increases shall be authorized by the board
			 upon the recommendation of the merit system director and may include a delay in
			 increases to promote equity among employees. Any such delay, however, cannot
			 exceed one year and must be applied uniformly throughout the system to all
			 employees with like performance and length of employment in the system, or in
			 classification of position, or other specified categorization.
This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code section
				262.9.