§ 126A-1-10. Appointment types.
(a) All employees are assigned a position with a designated appointment type.
(1) A position is the unique duties and responsibilities of a job to which a person is assigned.
(2) An appointment type defines the terms and expected duration of employment, benefits eligibility, and the applicability of this Chapter to the position.
(b) Appointment types are as follows:
(1) Permanent. - An appointment to a permanent position established and expected to continue indefinitely. All permanent employees are designated as one of the following subcategories:
a. Career appointment. - Assigned to an employee who has been continuously employed for the time period provided in G.S. 126A-1-11.
b. Probationary appointment. - Assigned to an employee who has not been continuously employed long enough to become a career employee under G.S. 126A-1-11.
c. Permanent experiential appointment. - Assigned to an employee in an experiential program who has not been continuously employed long enough to become a career employee under G.S. 126A-1-11.
(2) Non-permanent. - An appointment to a position for a finite period of time. All non-permanent employees are designated as one of the following subcategories:
a. Temporary appointment. - Assigned to an employee employed for a period typically not to exceed 11 months.
b. Time-limited appointment. - Assigned to an employee employed in a position that has a limited period not to exceed three years.
c. Non-permanent experiential appointment. - Assigned to an employee in an experiential program for a limited period of time.
(3) Exempt. - An appointment to a position designated by statute as exempt as defined in G.S. 126A-1-20. An exempt appointment may be made to a permanent or time-limited position.
(c) An employee who moves from a non-permanent or exempt appointment to a permanent appointment shall have a probationary appointment for at least 12 months.
(d) The following exceptions apply:
(1) When a time-limited appointment exceeds three years, the employee shall be designated as having a permanent appointment and, notwithstanding subsection (c) of this section, shall not be required to have a probationary appointment.
(2) A time-limited appointment may be made to a permanent position only when that position is vacant due to the incumbent's leave of absence and the replacement employee's services will be needed for a period of one year or less.
(3) A career employee who is assigned a position that is designated as exempt under G.S. 126A-1-20(1)a., 126A-1-20(2), and 126A-1-20(3) may, once that employee is no longer in the designated exempt position, be reassigned as a career employee with no probationary period if the employee remains continuously employed by the State.
(e) Except for career and probationary appointments, the appointment types in this section do not apply to local employees. (2026-40, s. 1.)