MERIT SYSTEM 2573

no event shall exceed six months, reject any person appointed to a position
in his department upon statement in writing to the Commissioner of the
cause for rejection; providing that no appointing authority shall have
power to remove a probationer who has been appointed by promotion from
another class without the consent of the Commissioner; and provided fur-
ther, that no appointing authority who has removed a probationer as here-
inbefore set out shall have power to exercise such right of Temoval again
with respect to any other probationer in a position of the same class within
three calendar months after such removal. The employee so rejected shall
be considered permanently separated from such position, but the Com-
missioner may keep the name of the person thus rejected on the eligible
list from which he was appointed for future certification to another posi-
tion in the class to which the list applies.

No employee who has completed his probation may be permanently
removed from the classified service except for cause, upon written charges
and after an opportunity to be heard in his own defense. Such charges
may be filed by the appointing authority or by any citizen, provided, how-
ever, that no such charges may be filed by a citizen without the consent of
the appointing authority or of the Commissioner, and such charge shall,
within ninety days after filing, be heard, investigated and determined by
the Commissioner or by some person or board appointed by the Commis-
sioner to hear, investigate and determine the same.

The finding and decision of the Commissioner or of such person or
board when approved by the Commissioner shall be final, and shall be cer-
tified to the appointing authority and shall be forthwith enforced by such
authority.

The Commissioner shall, by rule, prescribe what may constitute cause
for removal, but no removal shall be allowed because of the religious or
political opinions or affiliations of any employee. The provisions of this
section shall apply to the demotion of an employee as described in Section
18 of this Article.
See notes to Sec. 25.

An. Code, 1924, sec. 16. 1920, ch. 41, sec. 16.

20. An employee in a position that is to be abolished, discontinued,
or vacated, because of change in departmental organization, or through
stoppage or lack of work, shall be laid off and his name placed, in the order
provided in the rules of the Commissioner, on the eligible list for the class
of the position from which he was laid off.

An. Code, 1924, sec. 17. 1920, ch. 41, sec. 17.

21. The appointing authority may for disciplinary purposes suspend
an employee. Every such suspension shall be without pay; provided, how-
ever, that the Commissioner shall have authority to investigate the suspen-
sion of every person suspended for a period aggregating more than thirty
days in any calendar year, and in case of his disapproval he shall have
power to restore pay to the employee so suspended. With respect to his
employees the Commissioner shall be deemed the appointing authority
and the Governor shall act in the place and stead of the Commissioner for
the purpose of this section.