An employee holding a position in the classified service may be temporarily transferred from the employee’s original position to a similar position for a period not to exceed thirty days, or for a longer period not to exceed ninety days if agreed to by the employee and employer.

No employee shall be temporarily transferred more than once during any six-month period without the approval of the director of administrative services, if the employee is in the service of the state, or otherwise without the approval of a commission. The director, by rule, shall set guidelines concerning procedures to be followed by all appointing authorities when making a temporary transfer and list those classifications where the nature of the employment is such that systematic changes in the location of an employee’s work assignments are necessary for the efficient operation of an office, department, or institution.

If the director or a commission approves a second temporary transfer within any six-month period and the employee objects to the transfer because the employee does not hold a position listed in the director’s rules as one requiring systematic changes in the employee’s work assignment or because it is not necessary for the efficient operation of the office, department, or institution, the employee may appeal that transfer to the state personnel board of review. If the board finds that the position held by the employee is not by its nature subject to systematic changes or that a temporary transfer is not necessary for the efficient operation of the office, department, or institution, it shall not approve the transfer. If the board finds that the temporary transfer is necessary for the efficient operation of the office, department, or institution or that the position is by its nature subject to systematic changes, it shall approve the transfer.

Any employee who is temporarily transferred from the employee’s original position to a similar position in excess of twenty miles from the employee’s place of residence shall be reimbursed, by the appointing authority requesting the transfer, for all actual and necessary expenses incurred during the temporary transfer.

An appointing authority, with the approval of the director of administrative services, if the employee is in the service of the state, or otherwise with the approval of a commission, may permanently transfer an employee in the classified civil service from the employee’s original position to a similar position in another office, department, or institution. For purposes of this section, a “permanent transfer” means any transfer in excess of thirty days unless the employee and the employer agree to a longer period not to exceed ninety days. The appointing authority requesting the permanent transfer shall notify the employee and the director or commission in writing of the request to transfer. If the director or commission determines that the transfer is not necessary for the efficient operation of the office, department, or institution, the director or commission shall not approve the transfer and shall notify the appointing authority and the employee in writing that transfer is not approved. If the director or commission finds that the transfer is necessary for the efficient operation of the office, department, or institution, the director or commission shall notify the appointing authority and the employee, in writing, that the transfer is approved, including in that notification a statement whether the transfer will require a permanent change of residence for the employee.

If the employee consents to the transfer and is in agreement with the statement concerning a permanent change of residence, the appointing authority of the office, department, or institution receiving the employee shall reimburse the employee for actual and necessary travel and living expenses or, if the move requires a permanent change of residence, actual and necessary expenses of moving to the new location and provide a per diem allowance not to exceed thirty days for living expenses until the employee’s residence can be moved to the new location.

If the employee does not wish to be transferred or feels that the decision regarding the need for a permanent change of residence has been unfair, the employee, within ten days after receipt of the notice, may appeal the transfer to the state personnel board of review, but, pending determination of the appeal, the employee shall not refuse the transfer.

In such an appeal, the appointing authority of the office, department, or institution receiving the employee shall be required to show that the permanent transfer is necessary for the efficient operation of the office, department, or institution. If the state personnel board of review finds that the transfer is necessary for the efficient operation of the office, department, or institution and if the employee is transferred, the appointing authority of the office, department, or institution receiving the employee shall reimburse the employee for the actual and necessary expenses of moving to the new location and shall pay the employee a per diem allowance not to exceed thirty days for living expenses until the employee’s residence can be moved to the new location.

If the state personnel board of review finds that the transfer is not necessary for the efficient operation of the office, department, or institution and if the employee has moved to the new location pending the appeal, the appointing authority of the receiving office, department, or institution shall pay the actual and necessary expenses of the employee of moving to the new location and actual and necessary expenses for returning the employee to the employee’s previous location.