The Personnel Commission is responsible for continuously updating job descriptions for the classified management and non-management roles. Every fiscal year, the Commission Office works with the District and employee organizations to prepare a calendar of reviews. The annual Cyclical Review calendar is presented for approval to the Personnel Commission.
The following factors are considered when scheduling studies:
- Major changes or inaccuracies in duties
- Turnover rates or recruitment concerns
- Previous applicable studies
- Scope of resources required
The primary purpose of Cyclical Reviews is to determine if the job description is an accurate reflection of the work assigned. Cyclical reviews are not reclassification studies. However, both managers and employees can also request a reclassification study of a position anytime.
Employee Participation
In partnership with employee organizations, incumbents in permanent positions will be invited to participate in Cyclical Review orientations, where Commission staff will explain the process and address any questions. These orientations are scheduled based on the approved annual review calendar.
Employees are strongly encouraged to complete a Position Description Questionnaire (PDQ) during reviews. The PDQ is a form of job documentation used to gather information from the incumbent in a particular job. It is the primary source of input requested from employees during the cyclical review of job descriptions and reclassification requests. The questionnaire is not used to evaluate performance, but rather to understand the essential duties, responsibilities, knowledge, and abilities related to the job. The incumbent in the job is the job content expert and their input is critical to the job analysis process.
Salary Studies
Currently, the District has requested salary studies to be completed with Cyclical Reviews. The Commission Office uses a standardized list of comparable agencies to collect salary data and determine percentile ranking for each classification under review. If salary reallocation is warranted, the Commission Office presents salary recommendations to the District and employee organizations for input. Once the Personnel Commission approves salary recommendations, the Board of Trustees has final authority and may approve, amend or reject the recommendations in accordance Education Code provisions and negotiated agreements.
For more details, about the Cyclical Review process, click here.
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.