Ohio Rev. Code § 5123.08
An appointing officer may appoint a person who holds a certified position in the classified service within the department of developmental disabilities to a position in the unclassified service within the department. A person appointed pursuant to this section to a position in the unclassified service shall retain the right to resume the position and status held by the person in the classified service immediately prior to the person's appointment to the position in the unclassified service, regardless of the number of positions the person held in the unclassified service. An employee's right to resume a position in the classified service may only be exercised when an appointing authority demotes the employee to a pay range lower than the employee's current pay range or revokes the employee's appointment to the unclassified service. An employee who holds a position in the classified service and who is appointed to a position in the unclassified service on or after January 1, 2016, shall have the right to resume a position in the classified service under this section only within five years after the effective date of the employee's appointment in the unclassified service. An employee forfeits the right to resume a position in the classified service when the employee is removed from the position in the unclassified service due to incompetence, inefficiency, dishonesty, drunkenness, immoral conduct, insubordination, discourteous treatment of the public, neglect of duty, violation of this chapter or Chapter 124. of the Revised Code, the rules of the director of developmental disabilities or the director of administrative services, any other failure of good behavior, any other acts of misfeasance, malfeasance, or nonfeasance in office, or conviction of a felony while employed in the civil service. An employee also forfeits the right to resume a position in the classified service upon transfer to a different agency.
Reinstatement to a position in the classified service shall be to a position substantially equal to that position in the classified service held previously, as certified by the director of administrative services. If the position the person previously held in the classified service has been placed in the unclassified service or is otherwise unavailable, the person shall be appointed to a position in the classified service within the department that the director of administrative services certifies is comparable in compensation to the position the person previously held in the classified service. Service in the position in the unclassified service shall be counted as service in the position in the classified service held by the person immediately prior to the person's appointment to the position in the unclassified service. When a person is reinstated to a position in the classified service as provided in this section, the person is entitled to all rights, status, and benefits accruing to the position in the classified service during the time of the person's service in the position in the unclassified service.
R.C. § 5123.08