Shared employment.

In order to promote part-time career employment opportunities at all levels in the career service, the department shall establish and maintain a plan for shared employment applicable to all classes in the career service and shall be responsible for the overall review, coordination, and administration of the shared-employment plan.

(1) The department shall establish uniform policies with respect to, and may delegate to the employing agencies the authority to administer, the following:

(a) The review of career service positions which, after such positions become vacant, may be filled on a shared-employment basis.

(b) Procedures and criteria to be used in connection with establishing or converting career service positions for shared employment.

(c) A continuing review and evaluation of the shared-employment program.

(d) Procedures for notifying the public of vacant shared-employment positions in an employing agency.

(2) In accordance with rules adopted by the department, each employing agency may establish or convert a percentage of its career service positions, not to exceed 10 percent, for the shared-employment program. However:

(a) No agency shall designate any position which is occupied by an employee as a shared-employment position without the consent of the incumbent, nor shall any agency designate a shared-employment position as full time without the consent of the incumbent or without a 90-day notice of such action.

(b) No person who is employed full time in an agency shall be required to accept shared employment as a condition of continued employment.

(3) The occupants of any position which has been converted from a full-time position to a shared-employment position shall retain the status of the former position with respect to bargaining unit membership.

(4) The employing agency shall be responsible for the day-to-day administration of the shared-employment program under the rules promulgated by the department.

(5) The department shall adopt any rules necessary to implement the provisions of this section; however, such rules shall be approved by the Administration Commission prior to their adoption by the department.