Should it become necessary for a county to reduce staff, Merit System Services (MSS) will work with your county to determine the seniority of the staff.

The local agency determines the number of positions to be abolished/reduced, the classifications to be affected, and the designated programs or geographical areas of a department that will be affected.

Once MSS receives a written request from a department, MSS will collect work history forms from employees, performance evaluation information from the county, and unpaid leave information from the county. After this information has been collected and verified, MSS calculates seniority.

Employees with permanent or probationary appointments in an IMS local agency will receive credit for all employment in agencies governed by the Local Agency Personnel Standards (LAPS) if that employment has not been broken by a permanent separation of six months or more. When there has been a permanent separation of six months or more, credit will be given only for employment following the break in service.

Computations are based on total service time regardless of classification.

MSS follows federal and state law regarding seniority during military and industrial leave. Employees on approved leaves of absence will retain seniority accumulated before the leave of absence. Such time is not included in the seniority score computation; however, time on military and approved Worker’s Compensation leave is included.

For full-time employees, the starting and ending month of a period of service will be counted as a full month if the employee was on the payroll 15 or more calendar days of that month.

Performance ratings may affect seniority scores.

Once the seniority calculations have been computed, MSS will provide the layoff packet to the appointing authority who is required, per LAPS, to notify each affected employee at least 21 calendar days prior to the effective date of the action.

Most individuals affected by a reduction in force are placed on a reemployment list. The reemployment list is in effect for three years. If the department chooses to fill a vacancy for a classification that has an active reemployment list, the hiring authority must first offer the position to the individuals on the reemployment list starting with the most senior.

Reduction in Force Frequently Asked Questions