Progress report / Georgia Merit System

GEORGIA MERIT SYSTEM

vision is to champion workforce excellence in delivery aervices to our customers and the citizens of Georgia.
mission is to provide leadership in employment ns, staffing, compensation, benefits, and training s that enables state government to accomplish its ic business objectives.
RVICE STRATEGY
AN; ARE;
CUSTOMIZE.
CORE VALUES
WE VALUE:
Strategic alignment with customer expectations and goal achievement
Diversity of people, ideas and customers Collaboration, consensus and empowerment Timely and meaningful communication A competent workforce that is accountable in its duties
to the State New challenges and opportunities Best practices and continuous process improvement Quality leadership and innovations Employee development and continuous learning

a Message from tlte Comm1991
To our employees, agency customers, state government lead~
and Georgia citizens:
It is my pleasure to present our Fiscal Year 2000 Progress Report. report provides evidence of the agency's commitment to our valued success in carrying out that commitment.
In keeping with the new vision and mission of the agency and the
strategic plan, we broadened our focus on the 21st Century workforce by addressing current and
needs of state government.
There are many indications that statewide workforce planning is a strategy whose time has (X) like Georgia, are facing dire difficulties in hiring. They, like Georgia, are experiencing tremendo they, like Georgia, have an aging workforce.
Workforce requirements are changing. Employees and applicants are no longer setting salary as when deciding to remain in, or while searching for a job. Other work life issues are equally as im.
and family life issues seek a new balance and as the population ages, the state workforce likely face the challenges of recruitment and retention. Because those challenges are before us, the
committed to provide services that help agencies hire and develop their personnel, and provide emp
valued benefits through HR innovations and modern technology.
The 2000 General Assembly enacted Act 847, which requires all agencies to develop a workforce p of their strategic plan. Recognizing that this planning process requires inclusive involvement from aJI
government, the Merit System began the process of coordinating and facilitating a Workforce Planning Committee of key agency heads. The Committee began the process of developing planning strategies to workforce dynamics such as turnover, recruitment and selection, compensation, performance diversity, temporary/ contingent staffing, and succession planning.
As we look ahead to the next decade, we are committed to meeting the new expectations of eaq,
applicants, agencies and the citizens of Georgia. The Merit System is directing vigorous effort toward in the delivery of services to our customers and to leadership in planning strategies for a skilled, knowledgeable, and conscientious workforce that can carry out the business objectives of the state productively and efficiently. The workforce is the key ingredient to any effort, priority or expenditure of government.
Sincerely,
Marjorie H. Young, Commissioner

Fiscal Year 2000
H-iglillglrh;:
4Cmographic data tailored to their agency. ~eral Assembly and signed by Governor Barnes, requiring all agencies to
part of their strategic plan. The Merit System began organizing a Workforce of key agency heads to assist in developing plans to implement a strategic e planning. The goal of the Committee is to determine current and future
op strategies to meet those needs.
the Governor's Office and legislative committees.
market analysis of compensation and workforce statistics for each agency in
University of Georgia and Georgia State University to ascertain employees' performance management and pay-for-performance system, currently known implementation of Merit System Reform.
a committee of key agency heads to assist in evaluating the current pay-for-performance systems.
forms, applicants for many state government jobs can now apply online. In January the state's job vacancy posting site (called The JobSite) to include online application for through June, over 25,000 online resumes and applications were input to the database JobSite receives an average of 500,000 visits each month.
an initiative to implement safety-related training and education strategies in state ation Development Division in collaboration with the Department of ent and Workers' Compensation explored strategies for implementation of train-
'shments as a part of this initiative include: cy Safety Advisory Council. The Council is comprised of state agencies that
of their mission and state organizations that are impacted by safety issues because
ptacti.ces in public sector and private sector organizations. Web site as a communication vehicle for safety-related educational information.
offering direct deposit for reimbursement of health care and dependent care transfer reduced the amount of time it takes employees to receive reimbursement
three days after processing.
which includes provisions for process improvement and monetary rewards for ees, was amended to include unclassified state employees.
2000 General Assembly amended the program to include special recognition de meaningful recognition and thanks, in the form of a watch or plaque, to m State service.

9'able of Con
Compensation and Staffing ..... . ..................... ... Flexible Benefits and Deferred Compensation. ..... . ........ . .. . Customer Services .......................... . ... . ... .. .. .. Training and Organization Development .............. . ........ .
Communications and Marketing: E-commerce, Publications, Reports
Fiscal Year 2000 Personnel Legislation Summary . . ... . .. .. . ... . . GMS Leadership Team ............. ... ..................... . State Personnel Board and Employee Benefit Plan Council

~ 2000, the Compensation and Staffing ntinued its focus of providing professional
e (HR) management practices that are
oo:eaisect productivity and improved customer
Compensation and Staffing specialties include: measuring and assessing performance-
~ worker competencies;
-promoting state government as an employer and facilitating the application process;
managing and developing statewide compensation-reward systems; and consulting with agencies on best practices, customized HR solutions and legal compliance.
FY the capabilis of The JobSite were developed and implemented to complete an Internetb a s e d process for the posting of jobs by customer agencies, as well as the application for jobs through the use of an online resume building tool. The access and utilization of these functionalities have been shown to increase in substantial numbers as the state transitions from a paper-driven to an electronic process to advertise and recruit for job candidates.
The]obSittr.
has 649 registered users representing 137 agencies (a 250% increase and 100% increase, respectively, over FY 1999)
averages over 500,000 combined job hunter and recruiter visits per month.
has listed 4,200 job postings during this reporting period.
has established 19,200 "applicant accounts" between January 1, 2000 and June 30, 2000 (since inception of the Applicant Resource Center)

'Recruihnen f
In an effort to reach potential top applicants just entering the job market, during FY 2000 Compensation and Staffing recruitment specialists continued the semiannual visits to selected colleges, universities and technical colleges. During the Fall 1999 effort, 13 institutions were visited. Ten institutions were visited during the Spring 2000 tour. Presentations were made and on-site testing services were made available to those in attendance.
Job Ma r ke f 'Research
Compensation and Staffing conducts state-of-the-art job market research and analysis with the goal of providing agencies with tools to help them determine appropriate salaries for their employees and of comparing the competitiveness of state salaries with the overall job market. In FY 2000, market data was collected for almost 500 jobs covering almost 51,000 employees. Three major job market surveys (of the southeastern states, of Georgia health care employers, and of Georgia counties, municipalities, and local school systems) were conducted.
Customized salary surveys or studies were conducted for several agencies, including the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority and Public Health Desi,sdtrisicatbi2li'tiinesaadddjiutidoincattoiolna,wanednfeomrcpelmoyeenet,bseonceifailtss.ervic-
In addition, the 1999 Job Market Salary Report, which compiles salary data for the Merit System's major surveys and from salary surveys purchased from human resource consulting firms, was developed and distributed to agencies. The Job Market Salary Report provides agencies with market analysis for select jobs in the information technology and accounting fields. This year's report was expanded to include market data for agency unique jobs as well as for common jobs.
Each year the division compiles data on state jobs, state salaries, and the competitiveness of state salaries to the overall job market in an extensive report for the Governor, the Office of Planning and Budget and the Legislature as a basis for appropriations decisions affecting pay for state employees.

Opplicanf Ossessmenf ':ierv fces
FY 1999 projects to develop and implement behavioral interviewing processes for Special Agent positions in the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, and for Child Support Enforcement Agent positions in the D epartment of Human Resources continued into FY 2000. Both projects included developing training materials and conducting the training of agency hiring managers in the use of the process. Preliminary work was also begun on developing a similar process for Auditor positions in the D epartment of Audits. A validation of a physical fitness test for the selection of Tactical Squad member in the Department of Corrections was completed. Job analysis was completed and selection process development was begun for Assistant Financial Examiner in Banking and Finance. Agreement in principle was reached with the Department of Human
c:bila Resources to measure job performance and develop a competency model for superior performance in
The division also assisted agencies with the screening of applicants by administering work sample tes llqQ applicant qualifications. Of the more than 16,000 tests administered in FY 2000, more than 75 percent request for jobs unique to the individual agency.
Qualifications assessment decisions continued to be a much requested service utilized by the customer agencie this reporting period. The types of assessment decisions accomplished by staff are reflected as follows:
24,651 requests for Statement of Eligibility review 9,993 training and experience evaluations 2,198 approvals of qualifications of a complex nature for written tests
f:afr Labor ':ifa ndards Compliance
The division continued to offer services to strengthen the capacity of state agencies to deal with compliance is the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Division staff: responded to agency requests for information on FLSA and guidance on such issues as work hours, overtime and granting compensatory time off participated in the development of the statewide policy for emergency response and subsequent overtime compensation
The division also continued its role as liaison with the Attorney General's Office and a private-sector employment law firm and as designated investigator for state employee FLSA complaints to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Job Onal11s fs ':ierv fces
In FY 2000, the division analyzed, classified and made pay recommendations for 15 positions for the Soil and Wa~ Conservation Commission; 16 positions at Albany Area Community Service Board; and for all positions in the Workers Compensation Specialist job series at Subsequent Injury Trust Fund. Over 50 common jobs were developed for the conversion of "A" code jobs and hourly positions used in the Phoenix H R System. Approximately 880 job actions were processed to include the review and/ or development of new agency-unique jobs, job description changes, paygrade changes, clerical changes, and job inactivations.

Division manages the Deferred Compensation and Flexible Benefits Programs. E mployee Benefits d both change and growth during FY 2000. In keeping with maximizing pre-tax benefits to loyee Benefits Plan Council authorized the addition of several options to the Flexible Benefits offerings include: d dental plan, and a dental plan that includes periodontal surgery through Spectera f Life insurance coverage for employees from 3 to 5 times annual salary, and an increase in ;verage rtation benefits that allow employees to save on work-related commuting expenses.
int effort by the Merit System, D epartment of Administrative Services, and G eorgia
ty.
a cancer/dread health supplement was also explored.
Hon Program sivmmar11
Wfogt:am provides state employees with tax-efficient and cost-effective supplemental
tment options.

457 Plan

Date

# enrolled

Change

06/30/98

19 ,092

1,311

06/30/99

18 ,975

(1 17)

06/30/00

18,599

(376 )

Enrollment % change FY 98-00 = -3%

Assets% change FY 98-00 = 31%

% change 7% - 1% -2%

Assets 388 ,104 ,810.45 461 ,350,277.67 508 ,529 ,950 .00

Change % change 79 ,277 ,697 26% 73,245,467 19% 47,179,672 10%

401{k} Plan

Date

# enrolled

Change

06/30/98

5,996

1,876

06/30/99

10 ,729

4 ,733

06/30/00

13,383

2,654

Enrollment % change FY 98-00 = J23%

Assets % change FY 98-00 = 301 %

Combined 457 and 401 {k} Plans

Date

# enrolled

Change

06/30/98

25 ,088

3,187

06/30/99

29 ,704

4 ,616

06/30/00

31 ,982

2,278

Enrollment % change FY 98-00 =27%

Assets % change FY 98-00 = 39%

% change 46% 79% 25 %

Assets 12,137,61 4.00 29 ,020 ,336 .00 48,712 ,383.00

Change 8 ,754 ,015 16,882 ,722 19,692 ,047

% change 259% 139% 68%

% change 15% 18% 8%

Assets 400 ,242 ,424.45 490 ,370 ,613.67 557 ,24 2 ,33 3 .00

Change % change 88 ,031 ,712 28% 90 ,128 ,1 89 23% 66,87 1,71 9 14%

llment including Employer Contribution and Rollovers

Total Plan Assets as of June 30, 2000 = $557,242 ,333

Total Enrollment as of June 30, 2000 =

31 ,982

{:lex{ble 8 enefffs ':;ummar11
Based on 85 ,649 active employees- Fiscal Year 2000

Flexible Benefi ts include: Term Life Insurance, Dependent Life Insurance, Accidental Death and D ism Insurance, Short-term and Long-term Disability Insurance, Spending Accounts (healthcare and dependent Insurance, and Vision Insurance. All except Dependent Life, Short-tern Disability, Legal Insurance, and Care Insurance are before-tax deductions, which result in a tax-savings for employees.

Fiscal Year 2000

Fiscal Year 1999

Product

# enrolled % active emp. Total premiums # enrolled Total premiums

Life Insurance - 1 Life Insurance - 2 Life Insurance - 3 Life Insura nce - 4 Life Insurance - 5 Total

14,383 19,361 19,733 11 ,854 3 823 69,154

16.79 22.60 23.03 13.84 4.46 80.74

111,096 262,342 383,576 302,115 74620 1,133,751

18,990 22,138 25,580
66,708

165,338 317,366 507,363
990,068

Accid. Death & dismbr. Accid. Death & dismbr. Accid. Death & dismbr. Accid. Death & dismbr. Accid. Death & dismbr. Total

11,696 10,810 20,390 6,968 13,762 63,626

13.65 12.62 23.80
8.13 16.06 74.28

13,527 25,054 72,238 34,074 79,170 224,064

12,753 12,144 37,296
62,193

14,992 28,702 134,779
178,474

Dependent Life -1 De~endent Life -2 Total

16,293 23,652 39,945

19.02 27.61 46.63

32,911 95,554 128,465

39,497 39,497

86,893 86,893

Short-term disab.+Soc.Se Short-term disab. -Soc.S Total

31,679 63
31 ,742

36.98 0.07
37.06

283,814 685
284,500

29,981 57
30,038

249,866 550
250,417

Long-term disab. -Ret. + Long-term disab. +Ret. + Long-term disab. -Ret. Long-term disab. +Ret. Total

27,375 10,813
95 49 38,332

31.96 12.62
0.11 0.05 44.75

285,849 91 ,716 1,123 553
379,243

26,760 9,866 81 32
36,739

291 ,427 87,003
995 395 379,823

Dental - Single Dental - Family Dental, PPO - Single Dental, PPO - Family Dental PRPD - Single Dental PRPD - Famill'. Total

19,418 19,510 4,260 4,344 1,888 2,366 51 ,786

22.67 22.77 4.97 5.07 2.20 2.76 60.46

360,786 1,070,123
54,016 162,291 27,338 85,412 1,759,969

17,675 19,166 3,956 4,291
45,088

292,694 924,367 43,951 138,513
1,399,526

Spending Acct. - Health

9,345

10.91

605,720

9,414

548,543

Sj!ending Acct. - Dej!end.

1,048

1.22

244,735

1,096

246,269

' l

Total
Legal Insurance - Single Legal Insurance - Famil,r

10,393
4,324 4,345

12.13
5.04 5.07

850,455
38,483 49,967

10,510
4,078 4,553

794,812
36,294 52,359

Total

8,669

10.12

88,451

8,631

88,653

Long-term care - base

2,466

2.87

47,481

Long-term care - Intlat.

202

0.23

14,080

Long-term care - Reduc.

172

0.20

5,579

Long-term care Intlat. P

74

0.08

7,440

Total

2,914

3.40

74,581

2,482 184 201 73
2,940

51 ,574 12,439 6,994 7,167 78,175

Vision - Single Vision - Famill'. Total

17,156
151628 32,784

20.03 18.24 38.27

93,500 236,764 330,264

d and provide services that respond guickly and appropriately "t System realigned several units to create the Customer Service focused division provides a single point of contact for all Merit
s that are designed to assist agencies in assessing, developing, their workforce, and enhancing employment relations.

Relations achieved impressive outcomes including the Alternative which aided in resolving conflict at the lowest possible level.
training and coordination of a pool of certified mediators and cerThis year Employee/Management Relations: mediators
tion practicums for 23 veteran mediators
new hearing officers
~ officers to cases assistance to over 5,000 employees and managers "cal assistance to over 11,000 Web site inguiries
00 percent of requested mediations with agreement
of the Customer Service Division is policy and procedure development and review, and the production ployee handbooks. Last year the division developed and distributed over 3,900 customized employee 4 agencies. Staff also guided agencies in the development of five policy manuals and developed and
template on the Web site.

_.r.,m,TafoT'l/ Servfces
regulatory services include State Personnel Board Rule development, distribution, and interpretation. 2000, the Customer Service Division provided policy/rules technical assistance to over 200 agency HR e division also provided technical assistance to over 400 managers and employees for Equal Employment 'ty, ADA, and the Medical and Physical Examination Program.

ONTRIBl

Charffable Confr{buHon s Progra m
The State Charitable Contributions program is a statewide, community-based program that provides an opportunity for employees to donate to charities of their choice through payroll deductions. State employees and employees of the Georgia university systems contributed $2.7 million during fiscal year 2000.

Gmplo11ees' SuggesHon Program
The Employees' Suggestion Program, which includes provisions for process improvement and monetary rewards for adopted suggestions by state employees, was amended (effective July 1, 2000) to include unclassified state employees. Twenty-seven suggestions were processed during FY 2000. Two state employees' suggestions were adopt-
ed and generated more than $163,000 in savings to the state.

'71,e f:affhful S ervice Owards Program
This program recognizes graduated years of employee service with a pin and/ or certificate. The program was amend-
ed (effective July 1, 2000) through legislation to include special recognition for retirees. Awards based on graduated years of service were presented to 9,989 employees.

Medical and Ph11s fcal GxamfnaHon Program and Sfafe Drug CfesHng
The Medical and Physical Examination Program assures that applicants meet the standards of medical and physical fitness as prescribed by law. Statewide drug testing includes pre-employment drug testing, random testing of employees in high-risk jobs, and critical incident alcohol/drug testing programs. The division administered 10,779 random drug tests during FY 2000.

Training and Organization Development Division provides, customizes and coordinates statewide training for government employees. The Merit System Training Center, located in Decatur, provides teleconferencing, features satellite downlink facilities and an education and training resource library. The division also assists state agencies in assessing job-related skills needed to hire, train and develop employee competencies in the following areas:
Management and Supervisory Training Secretarial and Support Staff Communication Skills Development Workplace Skills Development Trainer Skills Development Professional Secretaries Development Program

O ccomplfshmenfs and O cHviHes for f:iscal ]1ear 2000

Developed a three-phase Pre-Supervisory Training Program in collaboration with
DHR's Division of Rehabilitation Services.
Provided training and administrative support for the State Financial Management Certificate
Program (the University of Georgia) and the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing
Training Program (DOAS State Purchasing).
Implemented the PMP Performance Expectations and Measures database. This web-based
resource provides managers with model performance expectations. The division also coordinated
the publication of Georgia Interagency PMPT calendars for statewide Performance Management Process
training classes.
Coordinated and administered the Training/ PeopleSoft Focus Group, which is a multi-agency group
that focused on administering the training module of PeopleSoft (Phoenix HRMIS). This group developed
change requests designed to increase the utilization of the training administration module and to make it
more useable.
Developed a training needs assessment survey for D OAS State Purchasing.
Coordinated the Ninth Annual Professional D evelopment Conference for Support Staff that was attended by
341 individuals from 82 state government organizations.

Provided GSAMS and
distant learning support services to multiple agencies including the Georgia Cancer Registry and various county offices of DHR's Department of Family and Children

Direct Delivery Qf Training Services for FY 2000

Classroom Training

Participants Session Locations Organizational Entities

6,442

418

248

Performance Management/

Performance Training (PMPT) 438

23

111

Services and the

Division of Public

New PMPT Instructors

21

2

6

Health.

Courses via Telecourse/Satellite 670

9

59

Received approval for 20

Georgia Merit System

Support Staff Conference

341

82

courses to qualify for

POST certification.

Trainers' Conference

135

37

e changes &om a paper-based to an electronic-based medium, access to services continue to escalate. By capturing the power
the Internet, the Merit System is moving steadily forward with new
matnres aimed at enhancing service delivery to our customers through
To provide the greatest benefit to our customers, we are constantly improving the Merit System's Web site's content and functions. In iupgraded the state's job vacancy posting site (called The JobSite) to include tion for state employment. The JobSite averages half a million visits th. Both applicant and agencies have embraced these services and are vigorously as like services are used in the private sector.
this year, the Merit System began offering direct deposit for reimbursement
care and dependent care spending accounts. Although electronic fund transfer is not new technology, being offer it provides the prompt service that employees who benefit from Flexible Spending Accounts want. We also transferring paper- and labor-intensive processes as the annual Flexible Benefits Open Enrollment, the Charitable
ti.ons Program, and the Employees' Suggestion Program to Internet-based systems. Automating these processes hip with the new Georgia Technology Authority will save the state considerable money and make enrollment
cipation more convenient for most employees.
tance of online learning is growing. As the methods and techniques for online training evolve to utilize more capacities of Internet technology, educational possibilities will be infinite. Our Training Division began exploring 'pOSSibilities and looking for ways to adapt them to the training needs of state employees.

Vision. A quarterly newsletter published by the Georgia Merit System that communicates news of person-

trends and events that affect successful management of state agencies and employee productivity, efficiency

and satisfaction. During FY 2000 more than 6,000 newsletters were distrib-

,........,,.......,_~

_..._...._..._.....-____...___..,____ State Health Benefit Plan
Offers PPO Option in place of Stondard Op...,t.ion ._ , .,,...., .. _<w,l)JO)p,,,,., .......... _, _____J
,..lwJ. ____..,Dq_ ~Ml,OJ,_ ..

,-..,.o,..-..-_,...i~..,-..,. -.. .._......._

=7~;:-:.:~: =:;~--;- 1!:~:':!~

.=:i~::'=~

~-f~1::
and $131.72 for

Charitable Contributions

::_~:!"!'!...,.:W family coveraa:e.

. ~wards p~e.s!lnted _

uted to state agency leaders and senior managers and to Georgia Merit System board members, the governor and members of the General Assembly.
The Georgia Statement. A quarterly newsletter published by the Georgia Merit System and distributed to all state employees. The Georgia Statement features articles and information of importance to employees as they carry out their official roles and responsibilities and as they interact with their coworkers, supervisors and managers. More than 360,000 newsletters were distributed during FY 2000.

Market Composite Report. Produced annually by the Compensation and Staffing Division; compares state "th the overall job market. August 1999.
Report. Produced annually by the Compensation and Staffing Division; provides salary information for jobs and agency-unique jobs. December 1999.
Industries Compensation Survey. Conducted annually by the Compensation and Staffing Division.
ty and Municipal Governments Compensation Survey. Conducted annually by the Compensation and on. May 2000. Care Compensation Survey. Conducted annually by the Compensation and Staffing Division. May
States Compensation Survey. Conducted annually by the Compensation and Staffing Division.

'R,epol'fs, Videotapes, Leg1sla-Hon S'1JmmaMf
1999 Salary/Market Reports. Customized reports of compensation and workforce statistics for each agency in state government.
Employee Benefits Study. Compares employee benefits with local job benefit market. Produced by the Compensation and Staffing Division. August 1998.
Competency-Based Behavioral Interview (CBBI): Variations on a Theme. Produced for the International Personnel Management Association Assessment Council ews. June 2000.
Child Support Agent Selection Training Manual. A publication of the Georgia Merit System. July 2000 .
STAR: Identifying High Performing CSE Agents. A summary in Best Practices in Child Support, a publication
of the US Department of Health and Human Services Child Support Enforcement, Office of State and Local Assistance. ovember 2000.
Structured, Competency-based, Behavioral Interviewing: A workshop presented at the International Personnel Management Association Assessment Council ational Conference in Washington, D.C. June 2000.
Strategically Aligned Selection Research: A presentation at the International Personnel Management Association Assessment Council ational Conference in Washington, DC. June 2000.
Human Resources Issues: Hiring, Retention, Performance Evaluations. A workshop presented at the ational Child Support E nforcement Association ational Conference, San Diego, CA. July 2000.
The Value of HR Services: Cost Benefit Analysis Made Simple. A pre-conference workshop at the International Personnel Management Association ational Conference in San Francisco, CA. October 2000.
Videos
1998-1999 State Charitable Contributions Program. A 12-minute video produced by the Georgia Merit System under an agreement with the Georgia Department of Labor; August 1999. About 200 copies of the video were distributed to the contributions campaign coordinators of all state agencies and colleges and universities for use in educating employees about the program and to encourage them to make a contribution to the charity of their choice. Video production is funded by the State Charitable Contributions Program.
"Take a Closer Look" 2000-2001 Flexible Benefits Program (Educational Entities Version). An 11-minute vid produced by the Georgia Merit System under an agreement with the William M. Mercer Group for the April 16--: a 15, 2000, employee open enrollment.
"Take a Closer Look" 2000-2001 Flexible Benefits Program (State Deferred Compensation Version). A 20minute video produced by the Georgia Merit Sys tem under an agreement with the William M. Mercer Group for th April 16-May 15, 2000, employee open enrollment.
Personnel LeqfslaHon q11mmar11
Act 847 (House Bill 1314) This Act specifies the General Assembly's intent with respect to personnel policies in state government and changes expands the functions of the state merit system. The Act provides that each agency shall develop an annual work
plan according to state-wide criteria and guidelines. The Act provides that the unclassified service includes any po
established on or after July 1, 1996, and any classified employee who, on or after July 1, 1996, accepts employment unclassified position. The Act provides that the State Personnel Board shall prescribe the guidelines by which the personnel policies shall be administered and determine appropriate human resource management goals and obje the employees of the classified and unclassified service and prescribe policies for their accomplishment. The ct that, as a part of employee compensation, such board shall establish rules for accrual and usage of leave and holi for compensation due to emergency closure for state offices or facilities for nontemporary employees in the service. The Act provides that such board shall provide for a performance management system for periodic
rating of the quality and quantity of work performed by classified employees. The Act further changes certain d
procedures, and other provisions relating to the employees' suggestion and awards program.

System Leadership Team
rjorie H. You
Commissioner

Peggy Rosser istant Commissio

Manager

Director

Division vin Johns
Director

Director

STATE PERSONNEL BOARD

M. DAVID Aw.OF Chair

GERI P. THOMAS Vice Chair

CLAYBON EDWARDS
Member

MELINDA LANGSTON
Member

MARJORIE H. YOONG
Executive Secrelat1

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN COUNCIL
The 10-member Emplqyee Benefit Plan Council is made 11p ef five members ef the State Personnel
Board and hvo department heads, hvo emplqyee representatives, and one en,plqyee benefit plan corporate
representative. The commissioner ef the Georgia Merit System serves as the Council's executive secretary.
M . D AVID .ALALoF, Chair THOMAS T. IRVI , Vice Chair LONICE BARRETT, Member
R OD COGGINS, Member NATALYN CONE, Member CLAYBO EDWARDS, Member M ELINDA LANGSTON, Member GERI P. THOMAS, Member MARJORIE H . YOUNG, Executive Secretary Employee representative - Vacant Employee benefit plan corporate representative - Vacant

GEORGIA MERIT
2 MARTIN LlmmR KING, JR.
SUITE 504, WmT ATLANTA, GEORGIA 303
(404) 656-2
(404) 656-59