Chapter 230

230.40   Political activities; public office.

230.41   Invalid appointments.

230.43   Misdemeanors; how punished.

230.44   Appeal procedures.

230.445   Grievance process for demotion, suspension, discharge, layoff, or reduction in base pay.

230.45   Powers and duties of commission and division of equal rights.

230.46   Duties of council on affirmative action.

230.48   State employees suggestion board.

SUBCHAPTER III

EMPLOYEE PROTECTION

230.80   Definitions.

230.81   Employee disclosure.

230.82   Processing of information.

230.83   Retaliatory action prohibited.

230.85   Enforcement.

230.86   Discipline based on surveillance.

230.87   Judicial review.

230.88   Payment of award, judgment or settlement; effect of order, arbitration award or commencement of court action.

230.89   Rule making and reporting.

SUBCHAPTER IV

EMPLOYEE FREEDOM OF SPEECH PROTECTION

230.90   Government employer retaliation prohibited.

subch. I of ch. 230 SUBCHAPTER I

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

230.01 230.01 Statement of policy.

230.01(1) (1) It is the purpose of this chapter to provide state agencies with competent personnel who will furnish state services to citizens as fairly, efficiently and effectively as possible.

230.01(2) (2) 

230.01(2)(a) (a) It is the policy of the state and the responsibility of the director and the administrator to maintain a system of personnel management which fills positions in the classified service through methods which apply the merit principle, with adequate civil service safeguards.

230.01(2)(b) (b) It is the policy of this state to provide for equal employment opportunity by ensuring that all personnel actions including hire, tenure or term, and condition or privilege of employment be based on the ability to perform the duties and responsibilities assigned to the particular position without regard to age, race, creed or religion, color, disability, sex, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, or political affiliation.

230.01(2)(bm) (bm) It is the policy of this state to recruit, select, and promote employees based on their relative skills, abilities, competencies, and knowledge, including using open processes to consider qualified applicants for initial employment.

230.01(2)(bp) (bp) It is the policy of this state to retain employees on the basis of the adequacy of their performance, to correct inadequate performance when possible and appropriate, and to separate from state service employees whose performance and personal conduct is inadequate, unsuitable, or inferior.

230.01(2)(c) (c) It is the policy of this state to take affirmative action which is not in conflict with other provisions of this chapter.

230.01(2)(d) (d) It is the policy of the state to ensure its employees opportunities for satisfying careers and fair treatment based on the value of each employee’s services.

230.01(2)(e) (e) It is the policy of this state to encourage disclosure of information under subch. III and to ensure that any employee employed by a governmental unit is protected from retaliatory action for disclosing information under subch. III.

230.01(2)(f) (f) It is the policy of this state to correct pay inequities based on gender or race in the state civil service system.

230.01(3) (3) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to either infringe upon or supersede the rights guaranteed state employees under subch. V of ch. 111.

230.01 History History: 1977 c. 196; 1981 c. 112; 1983 a. 409; 1985 a. 29; 1987 a. 32; 1999 a. 87; 2003 a. 33; 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 10, 32; 2013 a. 20 ss. 2365m, 9448; 2015 a. 150.

230.02 230.02 Liberal construction of statutes. Statutes applicable to the division and bureau shall be construed liberally in aid of the purposes declared in s. 230.01.

230.02 History History: 1977 c. 196; 2003 a. 33; 2015 a. 55.

230.03 230.03 Definitions. In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

230.03(1) (1) “Administrator” means the administrator of the division.

230.03(2) (2) “Affirmative action” means specific actions in employment which are designed and taken for the purposes of all of the following:

230.03(2)(a) (a) Ensuring equal opportunities.

230.03(2)(b) (b) Eliminating a substantial disparity between the proportion of members of racial and ethnic, gender or disabled groups either in job groups within the classified civil service, or in similar functional groups in the unclassified service, and the proportion of members of racial and ethnic, gender or disabled groups in the relevant labor pool.

230.03(2)(c) (c) Eliminating present effects of past discrimination.

230.03(3) (3) “Agency” means any board, commission, committee, council, or department in state government or a unit thereof created by the constitution or statutes if such board, commission, committee, council, department, unit, or the head thereof, is authorized to appoint subordinate staff by the constitution or statute, except the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, a legislative or judicial board, commission, committee, council, department, or unit thereof or an authority created under subch. II of ch. 114 or under ch. 231, 232, 233, 234, 237, 238, or 279. “Agency” does not mean any local unit of government or body within one or more local units of government that is created by law or by action of one or more local units of government.

230.03(4) (4) Except as provided in s. 230.80 (1m), “appointing authority” means the chief administrative officer of an agency unless another person is authorized to appoint subordinate staff in the agency by the constitution or statutes.

230.03(5) (5) “Bureau” means the bureau of merit recruitment and selection in the division.

230.03(6) (6) “Civil service” means all offices and positions of trust or employment in the service of the state, except offices and positions in the organized militia and the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.

230.03(6m) (6m) “Classified service” means the classified service of the civil service.

230.03(7) (7) “Collective bargaining agreement”, “collective bargaining unit” and other terms relating to collective bargaining for state employees have the meaning set forth for such terms under subch. V of ch. 111.

230.03(8) (8) “Commission” means the employment relations commission.

230.03(9e) (9e) “Director” means the director of the bureau.

230.03(9m) (9m) “Disabled veteran” means a veteran who has a service-connected disability.

230.03(10) (10) “Division” means the division of personnel management in the department of administration.

230.03(10e) (10e) “Division of equal rights” means the division of equal rights in the department of workforce development.

230.03(10h) (10h) “Employee” or “state employee” means an employee of an agency.

230.03(10m) (10m) “Gender group,” when used in connection with affirmative action under this chapter, does not include groups discriminated against because of sexual orientation, as defined in s. 111.32 (13m).

230.03(10r) (10r) “Job group” means a set of classifications combined by the office on the basis of similarity in responsibility, pay range and nature of work.

230.03(11) (11) “Position” means a group of duties and responsibilities in either the classified or the unclassified divisions of the civil service, which require the services of an employee on a part-time or full-time basis.

230.03(12) (12) “Resident of this state” means a person who, on the date an application under s. 230.16 (1) is filed:

230.03(12)(a) (a) Has established a residence, as defined in s. 6.10 (1), in this state not less than 10 days earlier;

230.03(12)(b) (b) Has resided in this state for not less than a total of one year out of the immediately preceding 5 years;

230.03(12)(c) (c) Is eligible to register to vote in this state; or

230.03(12)(d) (d) Is the spouse or minor child of a person meeting the requirements of par. (a), (b) or (c).

230.03(13) (13) “Unclassified service” means the unclassified service of the civil service.

230.03(14) (14) Except as provided in s. 230.16 (7m), “veteran” means any of the following:

230.03(14)(a) (a) A person who served on active duty under honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces and who was entitled to receive any of the following:

230.03(14)(a)1. 1. The armed forces expeditionary medal established by executive order 10977 on December 4, 1961.

230.03(14)(a)2. 2. The Vietnam service medal established by executive order 11231 on July 8, 1965.

230.03(14)(a)3. 3. The navy expeditionary medal.

230.03(14)(a)4. 4. The marine corps expeditionary medal.

230.03(14)(b) (b) A person who served on active duty under honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces in a crisis zone, as defined in s. 45.01 (11).

230.03(14)(c) (c) A person who served on active duty under honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces for at least one day during a war period, as defined in s. 45.01 (13) or under section 1 of executive order 10957 dated August 10, 1961.

230.03(14)(d) (d) A person who served on active duty under honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces for 2 continuous years or more or the full period of the person’s initial service obligation, whichever is less. A person discharged from the U.S. armed forces for reasons of hardship or a service-connected disability or a person released due to a reduction in the U.S. armed forces prior to the completion of the required period of service shall also be considered a “veteran”, regardless of the actual time served.

230.03 History History: 1971 c. 270; 1973 c. 333; 1977 c. 196 ss. 24, 100; 1977 c. 418; 1981 c. 20, 26; 1983 a. 27 ss. 1604, 2200 (15); 1983 a. 409, 453, 538; 1987 a. 32; 1989 a. 31; 1991 a. 101, 147; 1993 a. 16, 254; 1995 a. 27, 255; 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 65, 87; 2001 a. 16, 103; 2003 a. 33 ss. 2385 to 2387s, 9160; 2005 a. 22, 74, 335, 393; 2007 a. 20, 97; 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 7, 10, 32, 229; 2013 a. 20 ss. 1998u, 2365m, 9448; 2013 a. 165; 2013 a. 168 s. 21; 2015 a. 55, 196.

230.04 230.04 Powers and duties of the administrator.

230.04(1) (1) The administrator is charged with the effective administration of this chapter. All powers and duties, necessary to that end, which are not exclusively vested by statute in the commission, the division of equal rights, the director or appointing authorities, are reserved to the administrator.

230.04(1m) (1m) The administrator may delegate, in writing, any of his or her functions set forth in this chapter to an appointing authority, within prescribed standards if the administrator finds that the agency has personnel management capabilities to perform such functions effectively and has indicated its approval and willingness to accept such responsibility by written agreement. If the administrator determines that any agency is not performing such delegated function within prescribed standards, the administrator shall forthwith withdraw such delegated function. Subject to the approval of the joint committee on finance, the administrator may order transferred to the division from the agency to which delegation was made such agency staff and other resources as necessary to perform such functions if increased staff was authorized to that agency as a consequence of such delegation or if the division reduced staff or shifted staff to new responsibilities as a result of such delegation. Any delegatory action taken under s. 230.09 (2) (a) or (d) or 230.13 (1) by an appointing authority may be appealed to the commission under s. 230.44 (1) (b). The administrator shall be a party in such an appeal.

230.04(2) (2) The administrator may utilize the services of technical or specialized personnel to assist in implementing and maintaining a sound personnel management program. These services may be obtained from persons inside or outside of state service.

230.04(3) (3) The administrator may issue enforceable orders on all matters relating to the administration, enforcement and effect of this chapter and the rules prescribed thereunder except on matters relating to the provisions of subch. III or to those provisions of subch. II for which responsibility is specifically charged to the director.

230.04(4) (4) The administrator shall establish and maintain a collective bargaining capability under s. 111.815 (2).

230.04(5) (5) The administrator shall promulgate rules on all matters relating to the administration of the division and the performance of the duties assigned to the administrator, except on matters relating to those provisions of subch. II for which responsibility is specifically charged to the director.

230.04(8) (8) The administrator shall establish an employee performance evaluation program under s. 230.37 (1).

230.04(9) (9) The administrator shall do all of the following:

230.04(9)(a) (a) Establish standards for affirmative action plans to be prepared by all agencies and applied to all employees in and applicants for employment in the unclassified and classified services, except for state officers elected by the people. The standards shall state the time periods within which these plans shall be prepared.

230.04(9)(b) (b) Review and approve or disapprove any affirmative action plan prepared by an agency to ensure compliance with the standards established under par. (a), and send any approved affirmative action plan to the governor with comments.

230.04(9)(c) (c) Monitor, evaluate and make recommendations to each agency to improve its progress toward providing equal opportunity to employees, applicants for employment and clients of the agency.