(a) Applicability. A retroactive effective date may be required only if the employee is wrongfully demoted.

(b) Downgrading.

(1) The effective date of a classification appellate certificate or agency appellate decision can be retroactive only if it corrects a classification action which resulted in a loss of grade or pay. In order for the decision to be made retroactive, the employee must file the initial request for review with either the agency or the Office not later than 15 calendar days after the effective date of the reclassification action.

(2) However, if the appellate decision raises the grade of the position above the original grade, retroactivity will apply only to the extent of restoration to the original grade.

(3) The right to a retroactive effective date provided by this section is preserved on subsequent appeals from an agency or Office classification decision when the subsequent appeal is filed not later than 15 calendar days following receipt of written notification of a final agency administrative decision or 15 calendar days after the effective date of the action taken as a result of the classification decision, whichever is later.

(c) Grade change based on new duties and responsibilities. Retroactivity may be based only on duties and responsibilities existing at the time of demotion and cannot be based on duties and responsibilities assigned later.

(d) Retroactivity when time limits are extended. The right to a retroactive effective date provided by this section may be preserved at the discretion of the Office, on a showing by the employee that he or she was not notified of the applicable time limit and was not otherwise aware of it, or that circumstances beyond his or her control prevented filing an appeal within the prescribed time limit.