256.10  Director salary — employment of staff.
  1.  The salary of the director shall be fixed by the governor.
  2.  Appointments to the staff of the department shall be without reference to political party affiliation, religious affiliation, sex, or marital status, but shall be based solely upon fitness, ability, and proper qualifications for the particular position. 
  3.  The director may employ full-time salaried staff for less than twelve months each year, but such staff shall be employed by the director for at least nine months of each year. Salaries for full-time salaried staff employed as provided in this subsection shall be comparable to other salaried staff, adjusting for time worked. Salaries for salaried staff employed for periods of less than twelve months shall be paid during each month of the year in which they are employed on the same schedule as all other full-time permanent salaried staff. Such staff shall have their salaries paid over twelve months. The director shall provide for and the department shall pay for the employer share of health and dental insurance benefits for twelve months each year for the full-time staff employed as provided in this subsection.
  4.  The director may employ hourly staff for less than twelve months each year, but such staff shall be employed by the director for at least nine months of each year. Wages for staff employed as provided in this subsection shall be paid during the months the employee is scheduled to work on the same schedule as other employees of the state. The director shall provide for and the department shall pay for the employer share of health and dental insurance benefits for twelve months each year for hourly staff employed as provided in this subsection.
86 Acts, ch 1245, §1410; 97 Acts, ch 212, §21; 2002 Acts, ch 1140, §6; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §2799, 2802; 2024 Acts, ch 1182, §36
Section amended