§ 21-5-201. Title

This subchapter may be referred to and cited as the “Uniform Classification and Compensation Act”.

§ 21-5-202. Legislative intent

(a) It is the purpose and intent of this subchapter to establish uniform classifications for all affected state employees of agencies, boards, commissions, and institutions of higher education covered by the provisions of this subchapter and to establish a uniform compensation plan to be followed by the agencies, boards, commissions, and institutions of higher education, […]

§ 21-5-203. Definitions

As used in this subchapter: (1) “Agency director” means the executive head of all agencies, authorities, departments, boards, commissions, bureaus, councils, or other agencies of the state; (2) “Class” or “classification” means a group of positions sufficiently similar as to duties performed, scope of discretion and responsibility, minimum requirements of training and experience or skill, […]

§ 21-5-204. Exceptions

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this subchapter does not apply to: (1) The employees of: (A) Elected constitutional officers of this state; (B) The General Assembly, including employees of the Bureau of Legislative Research and Arkansas Legislative Audit; and (C) Members of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, circuit […]

§ 21-5-205. Effect on appropriation acts

(a) All appropriation acts of all state agencies subject to the provisions of this subchapter shall be governed by the provisions of this subchapter with respect to grades, class titles, salary increases, salary increase eligibility, and other provisions unless special language in the appropriation act of the state agency specifically allows the state agency to […]

§ 21-5-206. Legislative Council — Duties

In order to assist the General Assembly in more efficiently performing its constitutional duty, that being “… the number and salaries of the clerks and employees of the different departments of the State shall be fixed by law”, the Legislative Council shall: (1) Review the establishment and implementation of new classification titles proposed between legislative […]

§ 21-5-207. Office of Personnel Management — Duties

(a) It shall be the duty of the Office of Personnel Management to perform the following administrative responsibilities, subject to this subchapter: (1) To determine that each position of a state agency affected by this subchapter is allocated to a class having a written class specification based on the duties and responsibilities assigned to the […]

§ 21-5-208. Classification of positions

(a) There are established for state agencies covered by this subchapter the following classification titles and grades. (b) The following classification titles with grades indicated are approved for the state classification plan, subject to the appropriation acts for the various state agencies and various institutions affected by this subchapter: (c) (1) The classification titles and […]

§ 21-5-209. Compensation plan

(a) There is established for state agencies covered by this subchapter a compensation plan for the setting of salaries and salary increases, when deserved, of all employees serving in positions covered by this subchapter. (b) (1) No employee shall be paid at a rate of pay higher than the maximum pay level in the grade […]

§ 21-5-210. Implementation of plan — Changes in class specifications

(a) For the purposes of implementing the uniform employee classification and compensation plan for the respective agencies covered by this subchapter, the General Assembly determines that the class specifications prepared by the Office of Personnel Management in classifying the various positions authorized in the respective appropriation acts shall be the class specifications to be followed […]

§ 21-5-211. Implementation procedure for grade changes — Salary adjustments

(a) The Office of Personnel Management has administrative responsibility for enforcing compliance by state agencies affected by this subchapter in implementing classification and grade changes. (b) (1) The Governor may authorize a salary increase up to two percent (2%) each fiscal year if: (A) The Chief Fiscal Officer of the State and the Secretary of […]

§ 21-5-214. New appointments and other compensation plan provisions

(a) A new appointment to a position in a state agency covered by this subchapter shall be paid at the entry pay level for the grade assigned to the classification unless otherwise authorized by law. (b) Special rates of pay may be established for either classifications or positions for the following reasons: (1) Prevailing labor […]

§ 21-5-218. Reimbursement for interpreter services for deaf

Whereas Arkansas Rehabilitation Services currently purchases and sells staff interpreter services for the deaf with four (4) other agencies, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the Arkansas School for the Deaf, and the Administrative Office of the Courts and whereas the need for interpreters is immediate and often […]

§ 21-5-220. Shift differential

(a) (1) Upon the approval of the Office of Personnel Management, an employee whose working hours do not conform to normal state business hours shall be eligible for additional compensation up to twelve percent (12%) of the hourly rate for which he or she is eligible under this subchapter as a shift differential if: (A) […]

§ 21-5-221. Compensation differentials

(a) To address specific employee compensation needs not otherwise provided for in this subchapter, a state agency may pay additional compensation for current employees in specific positions or for classifications of positions assigned to a compensation plan authorized by the General Assembly for one (1) or more compensation differentials. (b) (1) Authorization for one (1) […]

§ 21-5-222. Salary administration grids

(a) (1) A state agency may request that a salary administration grid be approved for specific classifications or positions if the: (A) State agency has documented the need for a salary administration grid for specified positions or classifications; (B) Terms and conditions of a grid proposed by the state agency address the needs of the […]

§ 21-5-223. Severance pay

(a) (1) If the agency director determines that it is necessary to implement the state workforce reduction policy due to state agency organization structure change, budgetary reductions, abolishment of positions or duties, loss of functional responsibility by the state agency, or the loss of federal funding, grants, or other special funds, the agency director, upon […]

§ 21-5-224. Extra help positions

(a) (1) A position authorized as extra help in a state agency shall be assigned an authorized classification by the agency, and any person hired in an extra help position shall meet the minimum qualifications and any other requirements set by the official class specification of the classification assigned to the position. (2) The rates […]

§ 21-5-225. Position pools

(a) (1) There is established a pool of one thousand (1,000) positions assigned to the Office of Personnel Management to be used to reclassify positions in state agencies to the proper classification and grade if the state agency does not have a vacant position available with the appropriate classification and grade. (2) To obtain a […]