Chapter 3 – Personnel, Training, and Employee Relations

33010.23.1 Timeliness Determination

• If a mailed application is received after the final filing date, the cancellation date stamped on the envelope by the post office is used to determine whether the application was mailed on or before the final filing date. 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 to be late applications. To avoid this, mail at a post office and obtain a certificate of mailing receipt. This is acceptable proof that the application was submitted timely.

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

  • The applicant claims he/she 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 Office of Workforce Planning (OWP) or the local testing office on or before the final filing date.

    • A late application may be accepted under this condition only if the applicant has a written statement from a post office official or other witness who verifies the application was mailed on time.

  • Application is postmarked after the final filing:

    • If the post office verifies, in writing, this was caused by post office error, the application shall be accepted.

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

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

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

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

  • The application was submitted in error to the CalHRCalifornia Department of Human Resources (formerly DPA and SPB) or to another state department’s Personnel Office and was either postmarked on or before the final filing date or date stamped by that department’s personnel office.