(a) The complaint shall be filed with and received by the Appeals Division within one year of the most recent alleged act of reprisal. The complaining party shall submit an original complaint and copy of all attachments, and enough copies of the complaint and attachments for the Appeals Division to serve each entity and person alleged to have engaged in retaliatory conduct and against whom damages and/or disciplinary action is sought.

(b) All complaints shall be in writing and shall identify and include the following:

(c) If adverse action is sought against any individually named Respondent, pursuant to the provisions of Government Code section 19574, the complaint must clearly state the facts constituting the cause or causes for adverse action in such detail as is reasonably necessary to enable the accused employee to prepare a defense thereto.

(d) Each complaint shall be limited to a maximum of 15 pages of double-spaced typed or printed text, not including exhibits. Additional pages may be allowed upon a showing of good cause. The Complainant shall submit a separate document with the complaint stating the reasons for good cause.

(e) The above procedures do not apply in those cases where an Appellant raises retaliation as an affirmative defense when appealing a notice of adverse action, pursuant to Government Code sections 19575 or 19590, when appealing a notice of rejection during probation, pursuant to Government Code section 19175, when appealing a notice of medical action, pursuant to Government Code section 19253.5, when appealing a notice of non-punitive action, pursuant to Government Code Section 19585, or when appealing a notice of career executive assignment termination pursuant to Government Code section 19889.2. Neither the remedies nor the relief available to a complaining party pursuant to the provisions of Government Code sections 8547.8 or 19683, shall, however, be available to a party who raises whistleblower retaliation as either an affirmative defense or as a separate cause of action in any other SPB hearing, unless that party has first complied with all filing requirements set forth in this section.