Permanent Change in Job Duties
If there is substantial, permanent change in duties for an existing position, the manager assigned to that job must use the Change in Duties form to report changes to the Director of the Personnel Commission. Commission staff will review changes to determine if the position is in the correct job classification. In consultation with the manager, the description will be revised and sent to senior management and the employee organization (if represented). If there are any incumbents in the classification, they will be notified before presenting to the Personnel Commission for approval.
Positions that change substantially because of gradual accretion of additional job duties over a period of two years may qualify for reclassification under Merit Rule Section 3.3.
A reclassification is a reassignment of a position or positions from one classification to another. A position can be reclassified upward, laterally (i.e., same level of responsibilities and pay) or downward. However, a position that is occupied will not be reclassified downward until it becomes vacant. For a position to be reclassified, the manager, incumbent or bargaining unit representative must submit the Reclassification Request Form to begin the process. A Working Out of Class (WOC) form can also be submitted to determine if temporary WOC pay is warranted while the reclassification study is in progress.
A reclassification study is a multi-step process where the Commission Office gathers critical job details and analyzes data based on job evaluation factors such as knowledge required, level of decision making, complexity of work, scope and consequence of error, nature & purpose of contacts in the course of work, and physical demands.
In order for a position reclassification to be approved by the Personnel Commission, all of the following criteria must be met:
- Gradual accretion of duties occurring over two or more years of regular, continuous service
- Change in duties is permanent and impacts a substantial portion of responsibilities
- Higher level duties cannot be reassigned without significant impact on operations
- District must approve fiscal impact. If PC recommends a reclassification, and fiscal impact is not approved by the District, higher level duties impacting substantial portion of the work must be reassigned or eliminated.
A determination of whether a reclassification is appropriate will be based on an analysis of the duties and responsibilities currently assigned to the position. Details on the procedures of reclassification are prescribed by Chapter 3 of the Merit Rules.
Click the links below for more reclassification resources.