84 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 41

The transfer of an employee against his consent from a
position in a given class to a position in a different class for
which a lower maximum rate of compensation is prescribed
shall be considered a demotion and may be made only under
the provisions governing removal and demotion herein.

15. An employee may be permanently separated from the
classified service through resignation, rejection on probation
or removal, and may be temporarily separated through lay-
off, suspension or leave of absence.

The Commissioner shall by rule prescribe what shall con-
stitute resignation.

The appointing authority may at any time before the ex-
piration of a probation period, prescribe by the rules of the
Commissioner which in no event shall exceed six months, re-
ject 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 further, that no appointing au-
thority who has removed a probationer as herein before set
out shall have power to exercise such right of removal again
with respect to any other probationer in a position of the
same class within three calendar mouths after such removal.
The employee so rejected shall be considered permanently
separated from such position, but the Commissioner may keep
the name of the person thus rejected on the eligible list from
which he was appointed for future certification to another
position in the class to which the list applies.

No employee who has completed his probation may be per-
manently 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 appoint-
ing authority or by any citizen, provided, however, that no
such charges may be filed by a citizen without the consent of
the appointing authority or of the Commissioner, and such
charges shall, within ninety days after filing, be heard, investi-
gated and determined by the Commissioner or by some per-
son or board appointed by the Commissioner to hear, investi-
gate and determine the same.

The finding and decision of the Commissioner or of such
person or board when approved by the Commissioner shall