Section 420.370  Promotions

a)         Definition:  The appointment of an employee who has held certified status during his/her current period of continuous service, with the approval of the Department of Personnel, to a vacant position in a class having higher qualifications, duties, responsibilities and maximum permissible salary or rate than the former class.

b)         Eligibility for Promotion:

1)         The Director of Personnel may approve the promotion of qualified employees who have established eligibility for the appropriate class through open competitive examinations in accordance with merit standards set forth in Section 420.300(a).

2)         The Director of Personnel may approve the promotion of qualified employees to a class for which the examination is closed, provided the employee meets the minimum requirements of the class.

3)         For promotional purposes, a passing examination grade for the appropriate class is valid for a 3 year period from the date of the examination. If the employee retakes the examination within the 3 year period, the most recent passing grade shall be the only one considered.

4)         Employees appointed to a trainee class for which an examination was required may be promoted to the title for which they are training by passing the appropriate examination or satisfying the requirements set forth in Section 420.320(b)(2).

c)         Limitations on Promotions:  No provisional, temporary, emergency or exempt employee may be promoted.  No probationary employee may be promoted unless the employee has previously held certified status during the current period of continuous service.

d)         Failure to Complete Probationary Period:

1)         A promoted, certified employee who fails to satisfactorily complete the probationary period in the promoted position because of inability to perform the duties and responsibilities of the new promoted position shall be returned to a position in the class, department and locality and with the status from which promoted.

2)         An employee who is demoted or one who accepts a voluntary reduction, during a probationary period shall serve a probationary period as provided in Section 420.360(a) unless the employee had previously held certified status in the former class, in which case the return shall be to certified status.

3)         A promoted employee previously certified may be discharged for cause during the probationary period.  The employee has the same rights to appeal as a certified employee.

(Source:  Amended at 32 Ill. Reg. 15017, effective September 8, 2008)