The Director shall develop procedures according to the following criteria and limitations to identify those employees eligible to receive early retirement benefits due to layoffs in Identified Classifications.
(A) The Director shall identify employees eligible for early retirement benefits in the following order:
1. Permanent civil service employees
a. In order of seniority, employees currently employed in an Identified Classification and employees laid off between March 1, 2003 and June 30, 2005 from an Identified Classification.
b. In order of seniority, employees currently employed in classifications that have been near-listed to an Identified Classification.
The Director shall determine seniority at the time of notification using the Civil Service Commission rules on layoff. A current employee who has not received notice that he or she will be separated from employment due to layoff shall be eligible for early retirement benefits only if his or her retirement would result in the retention or return to employment of an employee who has received notice of separation or been separated from employment due to layoff.
2. Exempt and provisional employees.
(B) The number of employees who receive early retirement benefits in each Identified Classification shall not exceed the number of employees noticed for separation or separated from employment due to layoffs in the Identified Classification. The Controller shall certify the names of the employees identified, and that the number of employees identified for early retirement benefits in each Identified Classification does not exceed the number of employees separated from employment due to layoffs in the Identified Classification.
(Added November 2003)