Oklahoma Office of Personnel Management

Oklahoma Office of Personnel Management
Great Seal of Oklahoma
Agency overview
Formed	July 1, 1982
Preceding agency	Oklahoma Merit System Office
Headquarters	2101 N Lincoln Boulevard Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Employees	59 classified 22 unclassified
Annual budget	$2.6 million
Minister responsible	Oscar B. Jackson Jr., Secretary of Human Resources and Administration
Agency executive	Oscar B. Jackson Jr., Administrator
Website
www.ok.gov/opm

The Oklahoma Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is an agency of the state of Oklahoma that manages the civil service of the state government. OPM provides comprehensive human resource services to all state agencies and employees (excluding institutions of higher education), as well as information for individuals interested in state service careers. OPM, together with the Oklahoma Merit Protection Commission, is also responsible for administering and enforcing the State Merit System.

It is one of the principal agencies in the executive branch of the government of Oklahoma. The Office of Personnel Management is headed by the Administrator who is appointed by the Governor of Oklahoma with the consent of the Oklahoma Senate to serve at the Governor's pleasure. The current Administrator is Oscar B. Jackson Jr., having served in that position since 1991 when he was appointed by Governor David Walters. Jackson is serving currently as the Secretary of Human Resources and Administration, having served in that position under three Governors: David Walters, Frank Keating, Brad Henry, and Mary Fallin.

The Office of Personnel Management was created in 1982 during the term of Governor George Nigh as the successor to the Merit System Office.

Functions

The Office of Personnel Management, in partnership with the Oklahoma Merit Protection Commission, administers a variety of personnel-related management systems and services within state government to ensuring a professional and non-political civil service. In addition to administering the Merit System, the OPM provides a wide variety of personnel-related services and regulatory functions affecting all agencies and employees in all branches of state government. It is the responsibility of OPM to maintain a central clearing house of all classified job openings for the state government.

Classified and unclassified

OPM has total jurisdiction over state employees that are in the classified service and very limited jurisdiction over unclassified service employees. Classified employees are all state employees and positions which are subject to rules of OPM and the decisions of the Oklahoma Merit Protection Commission. This is as opposed to the unclassified service, which are at-will employees. The two primary distinctions between classified and unclassified employees are as follows:

• unclassified employees serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority. They may be removed from their position at any time, with or without cause, and have no right to appeal their termination to the Commission.
• unclassified employees are non-competitive positions. They are appointed by the appointing authority without regard to merit provisions, such as publicly publishing the position opening and rating eligible candidates.

Leadership

The Office is under the supervision of the Secretary of Human Resources and Administration and subject to the direct executive control of the Administrator of the Office. Under Governor of Oklahoma Brad Henry, Oscar B. Jackson Jr. is serving concurrently as the Secretary and the Administrator.

Organization

• Administrator
  • Deputy Administrator for Programs
    • State Employee Assistance Program Department
    • Employee Selection Services Department
      • Personnel Assessment Division
      • Applicant Services Division
    • Office of Equal Opportunity and Workforce Diversity
    • Human Resources Development Services Department
    • Agency Payroll Support Services Department
    • Management Services Department
      • Classification Division
      • Compensation Division
    • Office of Workforce Planning
  • Associate Administrator for Financial Management and Chief Financial Officer
    • Financial Management Services Department
  • General Counsel
    • Legal Affairs Department
  • Office of Legislative Affairs

Supporting agencies

• Affirmative Action Review Council
• Governor's Advisory Council on Asian American Affairs
• Governor's Ethnic American Advisory Council
• Employee Assistance Program Advisory Council
• Committee for Incentive Awards for State Employees
• Governor’s Advisory Council on Latin American and Hispanic Affairs
• Mentor Selection Advisory Committee
• Oversight Committee for State Employee Charitable Contributions

See also

• Office of Personnel Management (Federal government)
• Office of Management and Budget