Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 124.324 – Layoff displacement rights

(A) A laid-off employee has the right to displace the employee with the fewest retention points in the following order:
1. (1) Within the classification from which the employee was laid off;
2. (2) Within the classification series from which the employee was laid off;
3. (3) Within the classification the employee held immediately prior to holding the classification from which the employee was laid off, except that the employee may not displace employees in a classification if the employee does not meet the minimum qualifications of the classification or if the employee last held the classification more than three years prior to the date on which the employee was laid off. If, after exercising displacement rights, an employee is subject to further layoff action, the employee's displacement rights shall be in accordance with the classification from which the employee was first laid off. The director of administrative services shall verify the calculation of the retention points of all employees in the service of the state in an affected classification in accordance with section 124.325 of the Revised Code.
(B) Following the order of layoff, an employee laid off in the classified civil service shall displace another employee within the same appointing authority or independent institution and layoff jurisdiction in the following manner:
1. (1) Each laid-off employee possessing more retention points shall displace the employee with the fewest retention points in the next lower classification or successively lower classification in the same classification series.
2. (2) Any employee displaced by an employee possessing more retention points shall displace the employee with the fewest retention points in the next lower classification or successively lower classification in the same classification series. This process shall continue, if necessary, until the employee with the fewest retention points in the lowest classification of the classification series of the same appointing authority or independent institution has been reached and, if necessary, laid off.
(C) Employees shall notify the appointing authority of their intention to exercise their displacement rights, within five days after receiving notice of layoff. This division does not apply if the director of administrative services has established a paper lay-off process pursuant to division (E) of section 124.321 of the Revised Code that includes a different notification requirement for employees exercising their displacement rights under that process.
(D) No employee shall displace an employee for whose position or classification there are certain position-specific minimum qualifications, as established by the appointing authority and reviewed for validity by the department of administrative services, or as established by bona fide occupational qualification, unless the employee desiring to displace another employee possesses the requisite position-specific minimum qualifications for the position or classification.
(E) If an employee exercising displacement rights must displace an employee in another county within the same layoff district, the displacement shall not be construed to be a transfer.
(F) The director of administrative services shall adopt rules under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code for the implementation of this section as it relates to positions in the service of the state.