Sorry this is so long! Hope everyone is doing swell. I need some help. I have a question, or more like an essay question. This is going to take awhile, but I have to explain everything before y’all can make a suggestion or answer. I started working at a local county government job on August 10, 2006. I got the job through a local temp agency. The lady that I was replacing filed for disability & didn’t come back. I’m still working through the same temp agency. They posted the job back in January, and I applied for & took the test. The way that the county government has to do is, if there’s an examination, a person has to be certified before a list of compatible candidates can be sent to the department in which the position is available. Well, I made the ‘certification’ list, and I was interviewed in June. My immediate boss, a lady, wants me to get the job & has tried her dandiest to get me hired. She is really heartbroken because he doesn’t value her opinion. He is never in the office – so he don’t know what I can do & what I can’t do, she does. She would be my boss. We work well together because she don’t take advantage of me, nor I of her. The final say, however, is the head of the department, a man. I’m not sure exactly what it is, but I have the feeling that he doesn’t like me for some reason. When I interviewed with him, he asked me all kinds of questions (which I thought were unethical,) but I answered them since we already knew each other & he knows how I work. I’m a dedicated person, and I’m already trained in my job. I went in his office a couple of weeks after my interview & restated my interests in the position. He informed me that he didn’t have to interview “ANYBODY!” He just had to hire someone off of the certification list (which I am on.) Well, he went through the certification list of 6 names, mine included, had interviews. He wasn’t satisfied with those, so he contacted the Personnel department for another certification list. They sent over another certification list, and four of the same ones that were on the 1st list were on the 2nd, myself included. There were only 2 new names on the new list. They called to get an interview set up and one of the ladies had taken another job, so that disqualified her. The other lady is coming in next Tuesday for an interview. When that lady was disqualified, he asked Personnel to send him another list – and once again, they did. This time – it only consisted of one more name. She, too, will be coming in Tuesday for an interview.

Now, with it being a civil service position and the policy of that particular county is: “CERTIFICATION; Vacancies are filled from the list of eligible applicants who have applied for that specific opening. Applications of candidates not selected will be kept on file for two (2) years from the date of application. Applicants must submit a separate application form for each position of interest. Upon receipt of an authorized requisition form an appointing authority, the Personnel Department shall certify the names from the appropriate eligible list. In general, all positions to be filled from the promotional and open-competitive list shall be filled by the rule of five (5), with one additional candidate for each vacancy past the first vacancy. The department head/supervisor will select from the list of five (5) provided by the Personnel Department. The four remaining names go back on the eligible list of consideration for future vacancies.”

With that being said, the first list that my department received had 6 names on it. They interviewed 4, on the next list, which had 2 new names plus 4 of the ones that were on the 1st list, one was disqualified, and he’s interviewing her next Tuesday. With one being disqualified (due to her accepting another job,) he sent over for a 3rd list. That one was the last one with just 1 more name, which is scheduled for an interview next Tuesday.

If I don’t get the job, what legal action do I have to stand on?