NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1981 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 917

HOUSE BILL 195

 

 

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A WORK OPTIONS PROGRAM FOR STATE EMPLOYEES.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1. A new "Article 12" is added to Chapter 126 of the General Statutes to read:

"ARTICLE 12.

"Work Options Program for State Employees.

"§ 126-69. Work Options Program established. - There is established a Work Options Program for State Employees in the Division of State Personnel to be administered by the State Personnel Commission. The State Personnel Director shall assign an employee within the Division of State Personnel, to be known as the State Work Options Coordinator, to direct the Work Options Program as established in this Article.

"§ 126-70. Work options for State employees. - (a) The following work options allowed State employees are to be included in the program administered under this Article:

(1)        Flexible work hours as established by the State Personnel Commission;

(2)        Job sharing as permitted by the State Personnel Commission;

(3)        Permanent part-time positions as established under the State Personnel Act.

(b)        The State Personnel Commission shall examine the present options listed in subsection (a) of this section available to State employees and other options the State Personnel Commission may make available for a comprehensive program of work options for State employees. The State Personnel Commission shall, with the concurrence of the agency, determine the need for additional permanent part-time positions within State Government and how increased use of these positions could benefit employee morale and productivity as well as increase the use of the available labor force. None of the provisions of this Article shall be administered to reduce the total number of hours per day a State office normally is open to serve the public.

"§ 126-71. Promoting Work Options Program. - The State Personnel Commission shall develop a program to expand the use of work options. This program shall include training sessions for agency personnel to instruct them in the use of work options available to State employees. The State Personnel Commission shall also provide technical assistance to agency personnel in developing a Work Options Program for each agency or expanding existing programs in each agency. The Work Options Coordinator shall also identify personnel positions within the State Personnel System which can effectively be structured in job sharing or permanent part-time employment positions.

"§ 126-72. Authority of agencies to participate. - The State Personnel Commission shall request from each agency assistance in formulating the Work Options Program. Any division, department, agency, instrumentality or authority shall participate in the program of work options as established in this Article.

"§ 126-73. Administration. - The State Personnel Commission and any State division, department, agency, instrumentality or authority participating in the State Work Options Program shall promulgate rules necessary for the administration of the program pursuant to Chapter 150A, 'The Administrative Procedures Act'.

"§ 126-74. Report required. - The State Personnel Commission shall require a biennial report of each State division, department, agency, instrumentality or authority on the status of the Work Options Program. The State Personnel Commission shall in turn make a biennial report to the General Assembly on the status of the Work Options Program, including any increase in the use of job sharing, flexible work hours and any other approved work option for State employees."

Sec. 2. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to obligate the General Assembly to appropriate any additional funds, nor permit coverage under the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System and health benefits program in Articles 1 and 3 of Chapter 135 except as otherwise provided for therein.

Sec. 3. This act is effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 10th day of July, 1981.