Opinion ID: 2379464
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The appeals process

Text: Expressly finding that, in order to provide a fair and adequate classification and compensation plan for state employees, it was essential that a classification appeals process be initiated at the earliest possible time (P. & S.L., 1975, ch. 147, preamble), the Legislature established the Temporary Compensation Review Board. Id. at pt. D, sec. 6. It gave the Board exclusive jurisdiction to hear appeals from employees or their designated representatives and from state appointed authorities concerning the allocation of classifications and unclassified employees to pay grades under the Plan. It made the decision of the Board on any appeal concerning the assignment of any position or classification to a salary range final and binding on the parties. Effective June 14, 1976, the Act provided that all appeals be submitted to the Board prior to July 15, 1976, and urged completion of the appeal process prior to November 1, 1976, as the compensation provisions under the Plan were made to become effective with the employees' first pay period in November, 1976. Id. at pt. D, sec. 13. The legislation, however, provided no format or rules governing the appeals procedure, the Board being given only the following mandate: The board shall ensure that the current job specification or position description is correct and that the job has been properly evaluated by use of the Hay Guide Chart Job Profile Evaluation Method, together with job environment factors considered in relationship to all other jobs in State Government. It necessarily follows that the Legislature left it to the Board's discretion to set up the rules it would follow in processing these appeals. The legislation further empowered the Board, in order to reach a correct factual analysis of each appeal, to call on, and receive assistance from, the staff of the Personnel Department and the Office of State Employee Relations, through their director. It is evident that the primary purpose of providing an initial classification appeals process was to assure the accuracy of the job arrangements under the Hay Plan by inviting those most interested in these classifications, such as the workers themselves and the state authorities, to screen the same and, if found to be incorrect, to request a review by an independent board not connected with the Hay Associates. See Kempton v. Zitnay, 391 A.2d 341, 342 (Me.1978).