No officer or employee in the classified service of the county, who shall have been appointed under said rules and after said examination, shall be removed or discharged or suspended for a period of more than 30 days, except for cause, upon written charges to be filed in the office of the Civil Service Commission by the executive head of the department, institution, or office in which such officer or employee is then employed, or by the appointing officer, and after an opportunity to be heard in his own defense. Such charges shall be investigated or heard by or before the Civil Service Commission, or by or before some officer or board appointed by the Commission to conduct such investigation or hearing. The Commission, after receipt of such charges, shall set a date for a hearing on or investigation of such charges, which date shall be within 30 days from the date of the suspension of such officer or employee on such charges pending such investigation or hearing. The hearing shall be public, and the officer or employee shall be entitled to call witnesses in his own defense and to have the aid of counsel. The finding and decision of such Commission or officer or board appointed by it to conduct such investigation when approved by said Commission shall be certified to the appointing officer, and shall be forthwith enforced by such officer. In making its finding and decision, or in approving the finding and decision of some officer or board appointed by it to conduct such investigation or hearing, the Civil Service Commission may, for disciplinary purposes, suspend an officer or employee for a period of time not to exceed 90 days, and in no event to exceed a period of 120 days from the date of any suspension of said officer or employee, pending investigation of such charges.
Nothing in this Division shall limit the authority of the appointing officer or the executive head of any department, institution or office to suspend a subordinate for a reasonable period not exceeding 30 days. Any officer or employee serving his or her probationary period fixed by the Commission may be discharged by the appointing officers or the executive head of the department, institution, or office in which such officer or employee is then employed, without reference to the provisions of this Section.
55 ILCS 5/3-14023