Chapter 3 – Personnel, Training, and Employee Relations

31170.4.2 Timeliness Determination

• If a mailed application is received after the final filing date, the cancellation date stamped on the envelope by the USPSUnited States Postal Service is used to determine whether the application was mailed on or before the final filing date. To avoid dispute, applicants who mail at a USPSUnited States Postal Service Office should obtain a certificate of mailing receipt. This is acceptable proof that the application was submitted in a timely manner. The applicant shall ensure the application is postmarked on or before the final filing date.

• Applications placed in interdepartmental mail and not received on or before the final filing date shall be considered LATE applications and will be rejected from the examination.

• Following are the conditions under which late applications typically shall not be accepted:

  • The applicant claims they did not see the bulletin because of distribution problems within the reporting unit.

  • The applicant gave an application to another person to turn in to the office that is administering the examination, but it is not received on or before the final filing date.

  • The applicant claims the application was mailed, placed in interdepartmental mail, or hand-delivered to the Personnel Examining Section (PES) or other CDC testing offices on or before the final filing date.

• A late application shall be accepted under these conditions only:

  • If the applicant has a written statement from a USPSUnited States Postal Service official or other witness who verifies the application was mailed on time.

  • If the application is postmarked after the final filing, and the USPSUnited States Postal Service verifies in writing this was caused by USPSUnited States Postal Service error.

• Following are the conditions under which late applications may be accepted:

  • The hiring authority verifies in writing that the examination bulletin was not received by the local testing office because of bulletin distribution problems – prevented the employee from being properly notified.

  • The unit manager verifies the employee was away from their work during the entire publicity period.

  • The application delay was caused by the PES or field office staff error (for instance, an application was returned to an applicant in error).

  • Though submitted in error to SPBState Personnel Board (see CalHR), the personnel office of another State agency, or another local testing office, the application was either postmarked or date stamped by the State agency or local testing office on or before the final filing date.