The director shall recommend such rules as he may consider necessary, appropriate or desirable to carry out the provisions of this article and may from time to time recommend amendments thereto. When such rules or amendments are recommended by the director, the board shall hold a public hearing thereon and shall have power to approve or reject the recommendations of the director wholly or in part or to modify them and approve them as so modified. Rules or amendments thereto which are approved by the board or on which the board takes no action within 30 days after they are recommended by the director shall be submitted to the Governor by the director, who shall have power to approve or reject them. Such rules or amendments thereto shall become effective when approved by the Governor or on the tenth day after they are submitted to him if prior thereto he shall not have rejected them. Rules adopted under this section, not in conflict with the laws of Alabama, shall have the force and effect of law.

Among other things, such rules shall provide for the method of administering the classification plan and the pay plan; the establishment, maintenance, consolidation and cancellation of lists; the application of service ratings; the hours of work, attendance regulation and leaves of absence for employees in the state service; and the order and manner in which lay-offs shall be effected. Such rules may include any provisions relating to state employment, not inconsistent with the laws of the state, which may be necessary or appropriate to give effect to the provisions and purposes of this article.

The powers conferred upon the director by this section shall be subject only to the provisions of this article and of the rules adopted under this section and may be exercised by regulation or by order as the director sees fit.