Reclassification of a SPA Position

Human Resources Policy HR 10 96 Revised August 1, 2005

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A. Purpose: This policy is to provide a process to study changes in classified positions as a component of UNCP's position management program. Position management involves developing position descriptions and grading newly approved positions as well as evaluating the classification and grade of existing positions that have changed in duties and responsibilities. It is the reclassification of existing positions that this policy will address.

B. Scope: Applies to SPA (Subject to the State Personnel Act) positions.

C. Policy: It is the policy of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP) to grant position reclassifications when duties and responsibilities change significantly, or new technology is introduced to the work place, or the organizational unit changes, etc. All position reclassification actions will be awarded fairly and consistently for all SPA employees regardless of age, disability, national origin, race, religion, or gender.

D. Responsibilities

The Chancellor and Vice Chancellors are responsible for determining overall priorities concerning all reclassification of positions and assuring that the reclassification policy is conducted in a fair and consistent manner.

Financial Managers (FM), in consultation with Human Resources, are responsible for communicating reclassification of SPA positions to employees by ensuring employees attendance at related HR training, identify positions within their units that have considerable change in level of responsibility within their units, review impact of new technology introduced to the workplace, review organizational unit changes, and equitably determination of employee salary recommendations in compliance with UNCP Salary Administration Policy, etc. If a supervisors FM plans to seek a review of these position(s) during the current year, HR requires a prioritized list for review. This effort will assist HR in scheduling and prioritizing campus-wide reviews. A copy of the request shall be shared with the employee.

Supervisors FM are strongly encouraged to discuss the position changes with HR's Personnel Analyst for Classification and Compensation Prior to submitting a request to restudy review a position, supervisors are strongly encouraged to discuss the position changes with HR's classification analyst. During this discussion, a mutual understanding may be formulated regarding the merit of the review and the timing of the reclassification process.

The Director of Human Resources/EEO/AA Officer is responsible to ensure that the program is administered on a non-discriminatory basis and all necessary components are in place for an effective program.

Human Resources (HR) is responsible for classifying all SPA positions in conjunction with other salary administration policies, providing consultation and oversight of all program areas including communication, employee and manager training, and program evaluation. However, the Office of State Personnel (OSP) must review some positions. A listing of positions that may be classified locally is available in Human Resources, are attached as Exhibit A all other positions will be classified evaluated by Human Resources and reviewed for approval by OSP. Reclassification training is a part of the required “core” training program for staff development.

E. Human Resources

The Personnel Analyst for Classification and Compensation will serve as the Reclassification Administrator. The administrator will oversee the reclassification process, ensuring that the necessary components, effective communication, training, evaluation, accountability, and equal opportunity are in place for an effective program. The Reclassification Administrator will provide continuing technical support for managers on making salary recommendations.

Human Resources (HR) will conduct periodic self-assessments of the reclassification program including, but not limited to the following:

• Determining if employees have been provided opportunities for development and advancement,

• Determining if the reclassification concept has been communicated through HR training opportunities to employees,

• Ensuring that The University of North Carolina at Pembroke does not engage in unlawful discrimination,

• Ensuring positions are classified according to standard criteria developed by OSP and consistently applied within the designated occupational classes,

• Measuring the degree of common job characteristics present in the position description against the criteria to determine the appropriate class and grade of the position. Some major characteristics that are reviewed are: difficulty variety and complexity of work, level of responsibility for decision-making, consequences of error, analytical requirements, level of independence, nature of and type of public contact, supervision exercised, knowledge, skills, working conditions, etc.

• Tracking dispute resolutions resulting from reclassification decisions.

The Staff Development Specialist will introduce the Reclassification of SPA Positions Policy to new employees through the orientation program, and provide training to all employees on policy revisions within 30 days of the plan approval through informational sessions, articles in the Braves Bulletin, staff meetings and campus-wide email. As changes occur within the reclassification process and as new managers are hired/appointed, the Staff Development Specialist will provide training.

Human Resources will report results of the reclassification self-assessments to the Chancellor, respective Vice Chancellors and Office of State Personnel (OSP) at least annually, more often if required. Detailed information will be released to OSP for monitoring purposes as requested.

F. Reclassification Procedures

1. Initiating Reclassification Actions

Reclassification recommendations may be submitted at any time and will be reviewed within 30 days of receipt in Human Resources. The reclassification review must be initiated via one of the following methods:

a. Human Resources Initiatives

Human Resources may schedule a University-wide class study or conduct a position reclassification review as requested by Office of State Personnel. The Chancellor and Vice Chancellors, supported by appropriate documentation demonstrating the need for the study will review Human Resources’ recommendations.

b. Financial Manager (FM) Initiatives
The request for a reclassification review may be initiated by the FM or employee and is required to have the appropriate vice chancellor approval. The FM, in collaboration with the employee, will provide supporting documentation for the reclassification request, using the Reclassification of a SPA Position form, and submitting the request through the appropriate administrative channels to Human Resources.

Approvals required:

• Department chair or director approval is required to initiate reclassification requests from appropriate FM.

• Vice Chancellor approval is required for all requests.

2. Important Points Applicable to the Restudy Process

a. Significant job change is defined as a change in duties and responsibilities that constitutes at least 40 percent of workload and must be documented by the FM. The change could be additional duties, defined as other duties with greater complexity, a higher impact level of responsibility, and with greater consequences of error, etc.

b. When an employee’s position is reclassified, our policy is to award a 5% salary increase for the first grade and 2 ½% for each additional grade, up to a maximum of 20% or to the minimum of the new grade whichever is greater consistent with the UNCP Salary Administration Policy. Approved upgrades salary increase amounts will be effective with the first pay period following the approval date if funds are available and if there are no performance or personal conduct issues involved.

c. If funding required to fully implement salary adjustments exceeds the availability of salary reserves all requests for salary adjustments from that point forward will be held until March 1 and the Human Resources Director will not approve further reclassification actions from that point in time. As of March 1, if additional amounts have been escrowed in the salary reserves funds they will be distributed per the priority ranking defined in the In-Range Salary Adjustment Policy on a first received and first funded basis. Increases will be awarded on a current basis. In all situations, the Chancellor and appropriate Vice Chancellor must give prior approval for use of salary reserve funding. Salary reserves must be used for state mandated labor market range revisions, special entry rates, range revisions, career banding competency assessments and career progressions salary adjustments, and situations where departments request reclassification adjustments in excess of the amount required to take an employee to the minimum of the new salary grade.

If funds are not available to support the reclassification upgrade, HR will hold the action until funds are available. When funds become available, the upgrades being held will be processed in the order in which they were received.

d. HR will be responsible for initiating a campus-wide study of a class of positions annually and will develop a timetable whereas all position classes will be reviewed at least once every five years.

e. Vacant positions that are awaiting reclassification for recruitment purposes will be considered completed prior to over other pending reclassification actions positions in the queue.

f. If a reclassification is processed at the campus level, Human Resources will respond to the requestor and incumbent within 30 working days. Should the request be processed through the Office of State Personnel (OSP), Human Resources will respond to the requestor and incumbent as soon as OSP renders a decision. In either case, if the request is denied, Human Resources will develop provide a written response to the requestor and incumbent of the reason(s) for the denial.

g. Employees who receive a reclassification and with-in 12 months voluntarily leave the position for a lower grade position will have their salary reduced by the reclassification amount upon the effective date of the job change.

G. Procedures

A request to study a position classification must be submitted on the Request for Reclassification of a SPA Position form. This form is available on the web site with this policy.

The "Request for Reclassification of a SPA Position" completed form must be submitted supplemented with an updated position description and a current proposed organizational chart to HR. The more explanatory the A well-written position description will is the better. A well-written provide a more explanatory narrative of the tasks performed using action verbs will yield better results rather than short, non-descriptive statements presented in a bullet format. Also, the organizational chart must identify titles of each position, EPA/SPA designations, position numbers, etc. The appropriate supervisor must sign and date all documents.

Significant job change must be demonstrated -on Section I of the form- by listing current duties with % of time devoted to each task (per the current position description) and then listing the new duties and the % of time to be allocated to these duties (per the new position description). The change in the % of time devoted to new tasks shall be at least 40%.

It is assumed that if new duties are to be preformed then some current duties must be eliminated or transferred to another employee(s). Please give detail of such changes in Section 2 on the Request for Reclassification of a SPA Position form - Section II.

Be sure to obtain all required signatures prior to submitting these forms to Human Resources.

HR's Personnel Analyst for Classification and Compensation will log and date-stamp all reclassification requests. The analyst will also notify the supervisor FM of the review timetable of the review process, when the request is transmitted to OSP (if required), and when the decision is made regarding the reclassification.

H. Review Process

Step 1: Department
The FM makes the first determination as to evaluating a position for reclassification and/or forwarding an employee’s reclassification request for approval(s) and/or to Human Resources for consideration. If the FM denies the employee’s request at the department level, a denial letter must be provided to the employee within 10 days of the decision. A copy of the denial letter should also be provided to Human Resources.

Step 2: Employee

If the employee is not satisfied with the FM decision to deny the employee’s request, the employee may file a written request to meet with the FM to discuss the reason(s) for the action. Such a request must be made within 10 days of receipt of the related action. The purpose of the meeting may also be to discuss what direction the employee might need to take in order to improve the possibility for a future reclassification. The FM will provide a written report to the employee within 10 working days following the meeting. A copy of the written report should also be provided to Human Resources.

If the employee and FM are not satisfied with Human Resources’ determination of the classification review and would like to discuss this decision, the FM or employee may submit a written request within 10 working days from the date the notice is received to the Human Resources Director within 10 working days from the date the notice is received.

Step 3: Human Resources Director

The purpose of the request would be to have the decision reviewed.
Upon receipt of such a request, the Human Resources Director has 15 working days to convene a meeting that may include the employee, the appropriate supervisor FM, director, and vice chancellor. The purpose of such a meeting is to discuss the written request and reasoning for Human Resources' decision. The Human Resources Director will record the decision of this meeting and provide a written report of the decision within 10 working days with all parties participating within 10 working days.

Step 4: Chancellor

Should the applicant wish to pursue this matter further he/she has 10 working days to request a meeting with the Chancellor Employee Advisory Chancellor. Upon review of all the information available pertaining to the matter and after meeting with the employee, the Chancellor shall render the final decision. The Chancellor will have 10 working days after the meeting to file report the decision to all parties.

Any disputes resulting from reclassification actions will be tracked and independently reviewed by Human Resources and Office of State Personnel in accordance with the established process and time limits.

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