GDQA- Support Staff Reduction in Force

Date Adopted: 3 August 1988

Current Review / Revision: 17 July 2013

All non-at-will support staff employees are covered under this policy. The District may reduce the number of staff through a reduction in force due to one or more of the following:

1. Declining enrollments in the District.
2. The discontinuance or reduction of a particular service or program.
3. The shortage of anticipated revenue after the budget has been adopted.
4. School consolidation.

When a reduction in force becomes necessary, the following items will be considered:

1. Retention consideration will be given to employees who have the greatest skill, ability, experience, training, and qualifications related to the requirements of the job classification and/or the ability to work in more than one job classification.
2. Performance on the job as evidenced by performance ratings on the current District Employee Evaluation Program instrument.

Any employee covered under this policy who is affected by a reduction in force may file a written request for an informal meeting before the Board within 10 days following receipt of notice of such reduction. Within 20 days of receiving such a request, the Board will notify the employee of the time and place scheduled for the informal meeting.

The Board may, at its discretion, schedule the informal meeting for the next regularly scheduled Board meeting. The employee may have representation at their own expense, and may be allowed to submit documents and affidavits, but will not be allowed to conduct discovery, or call or cross examine witnesses.

Under Utah Code the District may not utilize a last-hired, first-fired procedure for staff reductions when terminating employees. A "last-hired, first fired" procedure means staff reduction that mandates the termination of an employee who started to work for the District most recently before terminating a more senior employee.

If any positions abolished are reinstated within one year from the employee's last working day, those positions may be made available to those employees who were affected by the reductions, based on the needs of the District and employee qualifications.