Spotlight State Civil Service March 2025
#2 Issue
The Spotlight's Mission is to foster meaningful communication with all stakeholders of the State Civil Service System.
Every Day For Every Citizen
Byron P. Decoteau, Jr., Director
Director's Message
Welcome to the State Civil Service Spotlight. Since our last issue, state agencies have been actively involved in the 2025 Regular Legislative Session, which concluded on June 12, 2025. During the session, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 8 by Senator Jay Morris. This bill proposes a constitutional amendment related to the unclassified service in state civil service.
• Excellent Compliance Audits • State Civil Service Commission Updates • State Civil Service Division Highlights • Hurricane Season Resources In this Issue:
What Does the Proposed Amendment Do? The proposed amendment will appear on a statewide ballot on April 18, 2026, and will be presented to voters with the following ballot language:
“Do you support an amendment to allow the legislature to remove or add officers, positions, and employees to the unclassified state civil service?” A VOTE FOR the amendment would allow the Legislature to remove positions from the classified service in order to add officers, positions, and employees to the unclassified state civil service by law. These positions could also be removed from the unclassified service only by law. A VOTE AGAINST the amendment would retain the current practice, in which authority to add or remove positions from the unclassified service remains with the State Civil Service Commission. BACKGROUND Article X, Section 2 of the Louisiana Constitution divides the state civil service into two categories: classified and unclassified. Individuals not included in the unclassified service are automatically part of the classified service. The Constitution enumerates specific unclassified positions, such as: • Elected officials • Department heads appointed by the Governor • Members of boards and commissions • Military personnel • Teaching and professional staff of educational institutions • Certain staff of the Governor’s Office, Attorney General’s Office, and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP), etc. Additional positions may be added to the unclassified service by rules adopted by the State Civil Service Commission. These additions typically occur at the request of appointing authorities within state agencies. Positions may also be removed from the unclassified service using the same rulemaking process.
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civilservice.louisiana.gov | jobs.la.gov | scsinfo@civilservice.la.gov
Director's Message Continued
Classified vs. Unclassified Permanent employees in classified positions can only be disciplined or dismissed through due process, which means that employees are afforded notice of a proposed disciplinary action and an opportunity to respond before a final decision is made. Additionally, permanent classified employees can appeal such decisions to the State Civil Service Commission. Employees in unclassified positions are considered at-will and can be disciplined or removed from service at any time without due process requirements. Current Governance Structure Under the current Constitution, oversight of the state civil service system rests with the State Civil Service Commission, an independent body with regulatory and rulemaking authority. The Commission’s members are nominated by the presidents of Louisiana’s private universities and appointed by the Governor. Any rules affecting wages and hours must also receive gubernatorial ratification. The Legislature’s current role in civil service matters is limited to the If approved by voters, the amendment would authorize the Legislature to enact laws that add or remove positions from the unclassified service. The bill’s author has stated that the intent is to allow for greater flexibility and reform in state government by expanding the number of positions that are not subject to classified civil service protections. Supporters of the proposal argue that increased legislative involvement could enhance the efficiency of state government by allowing at-will employment for more positions, thereby streamlining hiring and separation processes. Opponents raise concerns that expanding the unclassified service could reduce employment protections by removing due process and inviting political influence into everyday decision making, and shift oversight away from the Commission, potentially affecting the stability and impartiality of state employment. At this time, the State Civil Service Commission has not taken an official position on the proposed amendment. Byron P. Decoteau, Jr., State Civil Service Director state’s appropriations process. About the Proposed Change
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State Civil Service Spotlight | June 2025
Excellent Compliance Audits
State Civil Service would like to commend Louisiana Motor Vehicle Commission and Louisiana Department of Treasury for achieving perfect Compliance Audits. These agencies achieved 100% compliance in all categories audited.
Angela Flannery, Louisiana Motor Vehicle Commission Administrative Program Director
Kayla Kirby, Louisiana Department of Treasury HR Director
State Civil Service would also like to commend several agencies for an excellent Compliance Audit. These agencies achieved 90% compliance or higher in all categories audited, had no areas of concern, and no major rule violations. Congratulations to Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, South Central Louisiana Human Services Authority, Florida Parishes Human Services Authority, Louisiana Department of Health Central Louisiana Supports and Services Center, and Department of Public Safety and Corrections-Division of Adult Probation and Parole. The results received by these agencies show the value and importance of excellence they place on Civil Service rule compliance. They are to be commended for a job well done!
Agency Email Update
State Civil Service has updated the agency's email system. All SCS employee email addresses will now be formatted as " firstname.lastname@civilservice.la.gov ." All la.gov mail sent will be forwarded in the short term.
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State Civil Service Spotlight | June 2025
State Civil Service Commission Updates Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry has appointed Dr. Thomas Grimstad to the State Civil Service Commission. Dr. Grimstad was nominated by Loyola University President Dr. Xavier Cole to represent the 1st Congressional District and was officially appointed by the governor on April 28, 2025. His term will continue through December 10, 2030. A graduate of Tulane University School of Medicine, Dr. Grimstad is a pulmonologist who has served the Marrero, Louisiana community. He also spent more than 10 years as President and CEO of the Louisiana Medical Liability Insurance Company (LAMMICO), retiring from that role in 2019. He continues to contribute to the organization as a member of its Board of Directors. Dr. Grimstad took the Oath of Office on May 23, administered by Sherri Gregoire, General Counsel for State Civil Service.
Dr. Thomas Grimstad
The State Civil Service Commission is a seven-member body responsible for overseeing the administration of the State Civil Service system. It serves as an impartial review board, enacting and adjudicating State Civil Service Rules that govern state personnel activities, and it hears appeals from state employees and agencies. Commission meetings and hearings are held monthly and are open to the public. Six members of the Commission are appointed by the governor, with the seventh being an employee representative elected by state employees. Each member serves a six-year term. Other members of the Commission include J. Stewart Gentry, Chairman (Louisiana Christian University); D. Scott Hughes, Vice-Chairman (Centenary College); Candes C. Carter (Xavier University); Craig A. Netterville (Tulane University); Jo Ann Nixon (Dillard University); and Codi Plaisance (employee representative). Read the Media Release New Resources Available Learn more about the History of SCS and the Appeals Process .
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State Civil Service Spotlight | June 2025
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The Applications and Data Management Division has been hard at work this spring to provide timely, accurate data to all external stakeholders as well as various application improvements to increase efficiency of data delivery. Data Projects Most recently, much work was completed on fiscal notes related to various proposed legislation which was derived from state employment data. In addition to fiscal notes, the division also assisted the Louisiana Legislative Auditor (LLA) in the completion of an upcoming report on the state’s workforce and staffing levels. Entry Guidelines In response to the entry issues and questions we received from the recent pay plan changes to the AS schedule, we’ve added a new section in the Entry Guidelines under the LaGov HCM Procedures section entitled “LaGov Entry Guidance for Pay Plan Changes.” In this detailed guide, HR users will find step-by-step instructions on how to correctly implement system entries related to pay plan changes, with instructions specifically for both position and employee entries. Please check for availability in the upcoming Quarterly Entry Guidelines classes on September 10th and December 9th! New Agency Billing System In order to streamline and modernize the process in which SCS bills agencies, the application team has been hard at work on a new online billing system to replace the paper-driven system. Agency invoices will no longer be emailed PDF documents, which require the agency fiscal staff to manually enter costing and email back to SCS. Beginning with the upcoming billing cycle in July, agencies will now receive their bill electronically via the Agency Billing Portal: State Civil Service Division Highlights Applications & Data Management
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State Civil Service Spotlight | June 2025
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Agency fiscal staff with access to the system will be able to: • Maintain agency contact information • View their current bill • View the billable classified employee list as of December 31st from which the invoice was derived • Check the outstanding invoice amount • IAT agencies will be able to enter all costing information electronically on a web form for submission, which eliminates the need to manually enter this information and email back to SCS Fiscal. • Once payment processing begins by SCS Fiscal staff, the invoice status will updated and agency fiscal staff can confirm complete or partial payments have been applied. SCS Fiscal staff is in the process of finalizing contact information to ensure all agencies with invoices will have the needed access to the portal. New Data Analytics Tool The division has also recently completed work on a new analysis tool using the state’s workforce data. The development of SWAG (State's Workforce at a Glance) has greatly assisted executive staff with graphical representations and trending data of the state's workforce in a variety of categories.
Working with OTS staff, the division receives a weekly data file with the requested information and populates the various data categories on a weekly basis for SWAG to provide timely data analysis and trending.
The Applications and Data Management division of State Civil Service oversees the collection, analysis and reporting of data in regards to the state’s workforce, and the storage of the department’s records and reports as well as coordinating department-wide education efforts related to data collection and reporting. This division also oversees the development and support of applications that serve the department, human resources offices statewide, and the public through use of the SCS website. Learn more about the Applications and Data Management Division
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State Civil Service Spotlight | June 2025
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Compliance and Audit More than a Checklist: Compliance that Supports People Behind every accurate paycheck, competitive promotion, and compliant personnel action is a commitment to doing things right, and that’s where the Compliance and Audit Division plays a vital role.
Since its creation in 2000, this division has served as a safeguard for Louisiana’s merit system. Our purpose is simple but essential: to ensure that personnel decisions across agencies follow State Civil Service rules and uphold merit system principles. When systems work properly, employees experience fewer disruptions, their pay is accurate, and their careers progress as they deserve. Additionally, citizens can be assured that their tax dollars are being spent appropriately. Audits are not about catching people doing something wrong, rather, they are about identifying risks before they become problems. They help prevent the kinds of mistakes or abuses that can negatively affect employees, damage trust, or result in costly corrections. Our goal is to support agencies in creating a seamless employee lifecycle from hiring to retirement by promoting consistency and accountability in human resources practices. The Compliance and Audit team values collaboration and transparency. While our work involves detailed reviews, we also provide guidance, highlight best practices, and connect agencies with resources that make their operations more effective. We view every audit as an opportunity to strengthen the system and support the dedicated human resources professionals who rely on it. In short, we are here to protect the merit system, serve the public interest, and support agencies with their human resources functions. New Audit Cycle On July 1, 2025, the Compliance and Audit Division at State Civil Service will begin a new audit cycle. The State Civil Service Compliance Audit primarily focuses on compliance with Civil Service rules and documentation requirements. The duration of the audit cycle is two years, beginning July 1, 2025, and ending on June 30, 2027. Agencies employing twenty or more classified employees will be audited once per cycle. The audit will consist of the standard items reviewed in cycles past with the addition of two items. Optional pay will be added to the audit sample, concentrating on a review of the agency’s justification documentation. Parental leave will also be added in a supplemental sample, verifying that those employees who utilized parental leave were eligible and did not exceed their quota bucket.
The audit sample will consist of the following actions: • 30%=Hires • 30%=Promotions • 20%=Details/Reallocations/Demotions • 20%=Optional Pay
The audit will also consist of a review of the following: • Leave payments: upon separation and pay back upon rehire
• LSOC and LSAG • Overtime Caps • Parental Leave
The Compliance Audit Report will have a few new features added to this new audit cycle as well. The report will divide any violations into two categories, rule violations and documentation violations, listing compliance percentage scores. It will also contain a Required Corrections section that will address any items that need immediate corrective action. The report will conclude with an Areas of Concern section that will include any items that need attention or need improving. State Civil Service hopes these audits provide insights that support continuous improvement. They hope agencies will utilize these audits as a chance to grow and help strengthen their processes. For more information about State Civil Service Audits, please refer to the Compliance and Audit section of the Civil Service website.
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State Civil Service Spotlight | June 2025
Minimum Qualification Modernization: Creating Opportunities for STARs Historically, minimum qualifications for classified job titles in State Civil Service (SCS) placed a strong emphasis on formal degree requirements. While alternative pathways were allowed, such as six years of full-time work experience in any field, specialized coursework or training, or a combination of these, those alternatives were often listed as substitutions rather than standard qualifications. Talent Acquisition & Workforce Development (TAWD) Division Highlights Division Highlights Division Highlights Division Highl
While the qualifications attracted a broad and diverse talent pool, they also unintentionally excluded a growing segment of the workforce – individuals who are Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs). These are candidates with hands-on experience, technical training, or other nontraditional backgrounds who possess the skills needed to succeed but may lack a formal education. STARs represent a massive pool of untapped talent with over 70+ million skilled people working in every field and occupation across the labor market, from travel and hospitality to healthcare, information technology, and more. To remain competitive in today’s labor market, SCS recognized the need to modernize its approach to qualifying applicants. That meant redefining what it means to be “qualified”, placing equal value on relevant experience, practical skills, and formal education.
Beginning in July 2024, SCS began redefining, reorganizing, and prioritizing relevant experience in the minimum requirements for all job titles in the classified pay plan. The aim of the project was to simplify qualification requirements, broaden applicant pools, eliminate ambiguity, and remove unnecessary degree barriers to create a more inclusive, accessible, and modern hiring process. As a result of this massive overhaul, the following outcomes were realized: • Three years of relevant experience has become an additional qualification for most entry-level jobs in addition to a bachelor’s degree and six years of any fulltime work experience. • SCS eliminated professional-level requirements from most minimum qualifications to allow agencies the flexibility of determining if applicant experience is relevant to their posted jobs. • We simplified the language of all minimum qualification requirements to reduce ambiguity with the intention of helping applicants better understand the requirements of jobs to which they apply. State Civil Service implemented the changes to the minimum qualifications effective January 1, 2025. Following implementation, the Talent Acquisition and Workforce Development (TAWD) Division committed to the quarterly review of newly implemented minimum qualifications. Quarter 1 revisions concluded and were implemented effective April 21, 2025, and TAWD is currently working on Quarter 2 reviews. Source: Opportunity@Work
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State Civil Service Spotlight | June 2025
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Building Momentum with Skills-First Hiring The Talent Acquisition and Workforce Development Division continues to advance Louisiana’s shift toward skills-first hiring with bold steps in training, partnerships, and statewide support. This spring, we were proud to be featured in a national Opportunity@Work case study, highlighting our innovative approach to creating more equitable access to public sector jobs. In line with this work, we’ve officially launched Skills-First Hiring: A Practical Guide for HR Professionals , a new instructor-led course designed to help HR teams bring the statewide hiring framework to life. What You Need to Know: • The course is now available for enrollment in SuccessFactors • It is intended for Human Resources professionals involved in recruiting, hiring, or classification • Sessions include hands-on activities , tools for building competency-based job postings, and strategies for inclusive, skill-aligned hiring We’re excited to continue supporting agencies as they implement this shift to skills-based talent management strategies. Our team is ready to provide the tools, training, and guidance to make the shift a reality. Have questions or ready to get started? Reach out to us at SCS-WorkforceDevelopment@civilservice.la.gov . Let’s work together to shape the future of public service—one skill at a time. The Talent Acquisition and Workforce Development division is responsible for acting as a resource to state agencies as it relates to recruiting and sourcing talent through job posting branding, talent assessments and efficient use of the current applicant tracking system. Learn more about the Talent Acquisition and Workforce Development Division Louisiana State Civil Service | P.O. Box 94111 | Baton Rouge, LA 70804 US Hurricane Season Resources DOTD: • Evacuation Route Map • 511la.org provides continual updates about weather-related road conditions, road work, commercial vehicle restrictions, road closures, and other travel information Get a Game Plan with the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Louisiana Department of Insurance: Hurricane Resource Center LSU AgCenter: list of non-perishable items to add to your hurricane food supply Follow us.
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