(1) When an employee requests return to full-time work, the employee must be offered full-time employment in available agency vacancies in the class and location in which the employee is serving at the time of the request. Vacant positions in that class and location may not be filled by transfers from within or outside the agency; appointments from employment lists, including reemployment lists; or by permissive reinstatement, unless such employees have refused the position. At the discretion of the employee and with the approval of the appointing power, positions in different locations and classes for which the employee is eligible may be offered in lieu of a position in the same class and location.

Employees who refuse three offers of full-time work, as described in the preceding paragraph, may be considered to have waived their right to full-time employment offers for six months. Within each class and location, return to full-time work requests shall be considered on a first-come, first-served basis, with the requests of employees who had previously refused three offers being considered as new requests. Exceptions to this order of return may be made where warranted by instances of extreme employee hardship.

As used in this section, the same location shall be any work location that the employee could reasonably accept without a change in residence.

(2) At any time the agency makes a determination that it is not administratively feasible to continue a position as a reduced worktime position, the appointing power may require the employee to return to full-time work. In determining which of a group of employees to recall to full-time work, agencies may consider seniority, program needs, affirmative action and/or individual employee hardship. The method used in each such instance shall be clearly identified and shall be uniformly applied to all affected employees.