Sec. 12. (a) This chapter shall be liberally construed so as to increase governmental efficiency and responsiveness and to ensure the employment of qualified persons in the state classified service on the basis of the following merit principles:

(1) Recruitment, selection, and promotion of employees on the basis of an individual's relative ability, knowledge, and skills.

(2) The provision of equitable and adequate compensation.

(3) The training of employees to ensure high quality performance.

(4) The retention of employees based on:

(A) the quality of the employees' performance; and

(B) the correction of inadequate performance;

and the dismissal of employees whose inadequate performance is not corrected.

(5) Fair treatment of applicants and employees in all aspects of personnel administration:

(A) without regard to political affiliation, race, color, national origin, gender, religious creed, age, or disability; and

(B) with proper regard for the applicants' and employees' privacy and constitutional rights as citizens.

(6) Protection of employees from coercion for partisan political purposes, and prohibition on an employee using the employee's official authority to interfere with, or affect the result of, an election or nomination for political office.

(b) All employment matters in the state classified service are guided by the merit principles set forth in subsection (a).

(c) The personnel administration systems adopted under this chapter govern and limit all other state employment matters and every appointing authority.

As added by P.L.229-2011, SEC.56.