All employees of the department of social and health services who are directly employed in connection with the exercise of the powers and performance of the duties and functions transferred to the department of corrections by RCW 72.09.040 shall be transferred on July 1, 1981, to the jurisdiction of the department of corrections.

All such employees classified under chapter 41.06 RCW, the state civil service law, shall be assigned to the department of corrections. Except as otherwise provided, such employees shall be assigned without any loss of rights, subject to any action that may be appropriate thereafter in accordance with the laws and rules governing the state civil service law.