(1) "Employee" means any person employed by the state of Montana, except: elected officials and their chief deputy and executive secretary; officers and employees of the legislative branch; judges and employees of the judicial branch; members of boards and commissions appointed by the governor, appointed by the legislature or appointed by other elected state officials, officers or members of the militia; agency heads appointed by the governor; academic and professional administrative personnel with individual contracts under the authority of the Board of Regents of Higher Education; personal staff of the executive officials enumerated in article VI, section one of the constitution of Montana.

(2) "Agency" means any department, board, commission, office, bureau, institution or unit of state government recognized in the state budget.

(3) "Department" means one of the 20 principal departments within the executive branch, as provided by the constitution.

(4) "Department head" means a director, commission, board, commissioner, or constitutional officer in charge of a department.

(5) "Board" means the Board of Personnel Appeals or its designated agent.

(6) "Personnel Division" means the Personnel Division of the Department of Administration.

(7) "Inquiry" means the process of gathering and weighing evidence bearing on appeals. This process may include securing documents, holding individual interviews or group meetings, conducting a hearing, or any combination of the above.

(8) "Appeal" means any complaint filed with the Board of Personnel Appeals relating to the operation of the state employees' classification and pay plan, Title 2, chapter 18, MCA.

(9) "Working days" means all calendar days except Saturdays, Sunday, or legal holidays.

(10) "Form" means the state employees classification and wage appeal form BPA-C(1) .

(11) "Formal appeals procedure" means the appeals procedure provided for state employees in ARM 24.26.508.