Resources of Experienced Professional Staff Guidelines
Resources of Experienced Professional Staff (REPS) Guidelines
1. Eligibility Requirements
2. Participation
3. Payment to Participants
4. Maximum Hours
5. Travel Reimbursement
6. Employment Guidelines
7. Situations/Projects Eligible for Funding
8. Request/Selection Process
9. Budget
1. Eligibility Requirements
- Be a former employee of any division of the Missouri circuit court system (paid by the state) who retired or resigned;
- No longer be working in a permanent position for the circuit court or another state agency;
- Apply for and enter the program within five years of court employment;
- Have at least four years of court experience.
2. Participation
- Participants will remain on the applicants list until the Office of State Courts Administrator (OSCA) is contacted by the REPS participant and asked to be removed.
- If the counties you are willing to work in change, please contact OSCA.
3. Payment to Participants
- The pay rate for those assigned court clerk work shall be equivalent to the pay step and range occupied when the employee resigned or retired or $16.89 hourly, whichever is lower.
- The pay rate for those assigned professional duties; for example, those consistent with a unit manager or juvenile officer, shall be equivalent to the pay step and rate occupied when the employee resigned or retired or $20 hourly, whichever is lower.
- For participants who were formerly paid by local entities, the participant’s step and range will be determined by comparing the salary at the time of retirement/resignation with the state salary system for the same period.
- Former statutory employees who did not occupy a range; for example, former circuit clerks and some juvenile officers, shall be paid the hourly rate for the current statutory position to a maximum of $16.89 hourly for court clerk work and $20 hourly for professional work.
- Participants’ hourly pay rate will be determined by the annual full time salary divided by 2,080 hours.
- Participants will be paid on the current pay periods for state employees.
- To assume timely receipt of payment, time sheets and expense accounts must be submitted by the due dates published periodically by OSCA.
4. Maximum Hours
- Each retired REPS employee must track hours worked to ensure that the maximum work hours allowed by MOSERS are not exceeded. Retired employees may work a total of 999 hours each year and still retain retirement benefits. MOSERS uses the date of retirement to establish the employees “year.”
5. Travel Reimbursement
- Participants will be reimbursed for travel expenses under OSCA reimbursement guidelines for all travel outside of the participant’s official domicile.
- Participants serving outside their county of residence will be paid for travel time. Travel time should be included with hours worked on the judicial time sheet. Actual work and travel time cannot exceed 40 hours in the workweek.
6. Employment Guidelines
- As temporary employees of the circuit court personnel system, the participants will abide by all guidelines for temporary employees.
- Eligible participants will complete the relevant personnel forms and will be considered temporary employees of the state of Missouri until they resign from the program.
- Participants will be covered by the same surety bond that covers other state-paid judicial employees as provided by Section 105.721 RSMo.
7. Situations/Projects Eligible for Funding
- Appointing authorities may hire REPS employees for the following temporary programs, pursuant to proper approval.
- Emergency Temporary Assistance Program. Prior approval must be obtained from the Circuit Court Budget Committee.
- Vacation Relief Program. Prior approval must be obtained from the Circuit Court Budget Committee.
- Replacing an employee on leave without pay. Prior approval is not required.
- Temporary assistance for JIS implementation and training. Prior approval must be obtained from the court services division of the Office of State Courts Administrator.
- Staffing for eligible special projects, to include temporary assistance for JIS implementation and training. Prior approval must be obtained from the court services division of the Office of State Courts Administrator.
- Coverage during a vacancy due to turnover in an existing position – not to exceed 90 days.
- OSCA may request services of the program participants to assist local courts. Some examples of such requests would be:
- On-site records reviews;
- Assistance with JIS rollouts;
- Assistance with reconciliations
8. Request/Selection Process
- OSCA publishes names of former court staff eligible for temporary employment under this program.
- If the project does not require prior approval and if the appointing authority wishes to hire an individual from the list of eligible former courts staff, the appointing authority may contact the former employee and offer employment.
- If the project requires prior approval or if the appointing authority needs assistance in locating or contacting an employee with the required expertise, the appointing authority contacts OSCA.
- OSCA will advise the appointing authority of action taken on requests requiring prior approval.
9. Budget
- REPS participants shall be paid from funds approved by the Circuit Court Budget Committee for temporary assistance programs.