KRS 18A.025: Appointment of secretary of Personnel Cabinet -- Responsibilities --

Organization and duties of cabinet.

(1) The Governor shall appoint the secretary of personnel as provided in KRS 18A.015,

who shall be considered an employee of the state. T he secretary shall be a graduate

of an accredited college or university and have at least five (5) years' experience in

personnel administration or in related fields, have known sympathies with the merit

principle in government, and shall be dedicated to t he preservation of this principle.

Additional education may be substituted for the required experience and additional

experience may be substituted for the required education.

(2) The secretary of the Personnel Cabinet or the secretary's designee shall be

responsible for the coordination of the state's affirmative action plan established by

KRS 18A.138.

(3) There is established within the Personnel Cabinet the following offices,

departments, and divisions, each of which shall be headed by either a

commissioner, executive director, or division director appointed by the secretary,

subject to the prior approval of the Governor pursuant to KRS 12.040 or 12.050,

depending on the level of the appointment, except that the Kentucky Employees

Deferred Compensation Au thority shall be headed by an executive director who

shall be appointed by the authority's board of directors:

(a) Office of the Secretary, which shall be responsible for communication with

state employees about personnel and other relevant issues and for the

administration and coordination of the following:

1. Office of Employee Relations, composed of the following programs:

a. Workers' Compensation Program pursuant to KRS 18A.375;

b. Sick leave Sharing Program, pursuant to KRS 18A.197;

c. Annual Leave Sharing Program, pursuant to KRS 18A.203;

d. Health and Safety Program;

e. Employee Assistance Program;

f. Employee Incentive Programs, pursuant to KRS 18A.202;

g. Employee Mediation Program; and

h. Living Organ Donor Leave Program, pursuant to KRS 18A.194;

2. Office of Administrative Services, which shall be responsible for the

Personnel Cabinet's administrative functions, composed of the following

programs:

a. Division of Technology Services;

b. Division of Human Resources; and

c. Division of Financial Services;

3. Office of Legal Services, which shall provide legal services to the

Personnel Cabinet and to executive branch agencies and their

representatives upon request;

4. Office of Diversity, Equal ity, and Training, which shall coordinate and

implement diversity initiatives for state agencies, the affirmative action

plan established by KRS 18A.138, the state Equal Employment

Opportunity Program, and the Minority Management Trainee Program;

5. Governmental Services Center, which shall be responsible for employee

and managerial training and organizational development;

6. Kentucky Public Employees Deferred Compensation Authority, which

shall maintain a deferred compensation plan for state employees; and

7. Office of Public Affairs, which shall assist in all aspects of developing

and executing the strategic direction of the cabinet;

(b) Department of Human Resources Administration, which shall be composed of

the:

1. Division of Employee Management, which shall be responsible for

payroll, records, classification, and compensation. The division shall

also be responsible for implementing layoff plans mandated by KRS

18A.113 and shall monitor and assist state agencies in complying with

the provisions of the fe deral Fair Labor Standards Act. The division

shall:

a. Maintain the central personnel files mandated by KRS 18A.020

and process personnel documents and position actions;

b. Operate and maintain a uniform payroll system and certify

payrolls as required by KRS 18A.125;

c. Maintain plans of classification and compensation for state service

and review and evaluate the plans; and

d. Coordinate and implement the employee performance evaluation

systems throughout state government; and

2. Division of Career Opportu nities, which shall be responsible for

employment counseling, applicant processing, employment register, and

staffing analysis functions. The division shall:

a. Operate a centralized applicant and employee counseling program;

b. Operate, coordinate, and co nstruct the examination program for

state employment;

c. Prepare registers of candidate employment; and

d. Coordinate outreach programs, such as recruitment and the

Administrative Intern Program; and

(c) Department of Employee Insurance, which shall be responsible for the:

1. Health Insurance Program, pursuant to KRS 18A.225;

2. Flexible Benefit Plan, pursuant to KRS 18A.227;

3. Division of Insurance Administration, which shall be responsible for

enrollment and service functions;

4. Division of Financial and Data Services, which shall be responsible for

fiscal and data analysis functions; and

5. Life Insurance Program pursuant to KRS 18A.205 to 18A.220.

(4) The cabinet shall include principal assistants appointed by the secretary, pursuant to

KRS 12.050 or 18A.115(1)(g) and (h), as necessary for the development and

implementation of policy. The secretary may employ, pursuant to the provisions of

this chapter, personnel necessary to execute the functions and duties of the

department.