The Personnel Commission Rules define “Reclassification” as “The removal of a position or positions from one class and placement into another as a result of a gradual accretion of duties.” 

The Personnel Commission  further defines “gradual accretion of duties” as two or more years of regular service in which conditions changed causing added duties and responsibilities.

A reclassification study occurs when an employee, District Administrator or recognized employee organization alerts the Personnel Commission that there has been a change in duties and responsibilities for a specific employee.  Personnel Commission staff will then analyze the data provided.

The reclassification process is not the same as the classification study process.  You should only submit a request for reclassification if you have experienced a gradual accretion of duties over a two-year period or from the last time your position was studied.  If the duties you submit were already analyzed during the last classification study, then they are not new duties.

Work volume and job performance are not justifications for reclassification.

The employee and/or District Administrator will participate in the analysis which may include a desk audit (job shadow), review of work performed, interviews, etc.

Reclassification studies may result in upward changes (higher classification), downward changes (lower classification) or no changes (same classification or different classification in the same salary range).

Reclassification of a position shall become effective on the date prescribed by the Personnel Commission and shall not have a retroactive effect.  Effective dates may be set sufficiently in the future to allow time for examinations to be completed, but not for more than three months from the date the Commission approves of a reclassification. (PC Rule 3-22)

An employee who has been reclassified shall be ineligible for subsequent reclassification for a period of at least two years from the initial or last reclassification (EC 88104c)

For more information on the effects of reclassification, please review PC Rule 3-23. 

The first step is to complete and submit the Reclassification Request Questionnaire, which will initiate a review. Personnel Commission staff will use the information contained in the questionnaire to conduct a cursory review of whether or not a deeper analysis is warranted. The questionnaire should be completed as thoroughly as possible. Please reach out to Personnel Commission staff prior to submitting the questionnaire if you have any questions.

Personnel Commission staff may reach out to the employee and/or the supervisor regarding duties and responsibilities that have been assigned and other related information. They may also schedule a desk audit. You may wish to take notes of regular tasks or information relevant to your duties that you wish to share.

To put your work into context, it may be necessary for the Personnel Commission staff to ask questions regarding the work performed by other people.

As a general rule, emergency or incidental assignments will not be considered. Duties you performed in the past but no longer do, or duties that were compensated for a working out-of-classification or temporary assignment will not be considered. Current duties that expect to continue will be the focus of the review.

If a desk audit is planned, it will likely be scheduled for several hours. Most of the time will simply be spent observing office functions and there may be follow-up questions during the course of the observation. The benefit to this occurring at your regular workstation is having your work tools and products on hand. However, the desk audit may have to be done virtually.  If this is deemed unsafe or makes you uncomfortable, alternative arrangements can be discussed. Commission staff may ask for work samples.

Sample questions may include:

• Describe each duty, the frequency that you perform each duty and the average time spent on each duty.
• Describe the workflow associated with a duty (how is the assignment received, what happens after completion, etc.).
• How long would it take someone to reasonably perform special tasks that you are responsible for?
• Do you have cash handling responsibilities or things of special value?
• Who do you regularly come in contact with over the course of your duties and for what purpose?
• Do you assign and/or review the work of others? What is the nature of your review? Are you responsible for their safety?
• Do you have the authority to countermand or change someone’s work?
• Do you use any special equipment or software?
• Is a license or certificate required to perform your job?

Following the review, Personnel Commission staff will evaluate the information that has been collected and prepare a report. The report will include a recommendation indicating what classification specification the duties performed appropriately fall within and an explanation of the basis of that recommendation. The employee, supervisor and Human Resources department will receive a copy of the report before it is authorized before the Personnel Commission.

• Reclassification is about the job, not the person. Educational attainment, personality, effectiveness,  performance, etc. are not factors which will lead to a reclassification.
• Longevity may enhance performance but it is not a factor in determining the level of a position.
• Speed, dedication, similarly to performance reviews, will not factor into reclassification. Opportunities for individual recognition do exist and can be explored with Human Resources staff. Reclassifications are about new duties assigned to a position and not individual performance.
• Retention may be a concern for supervisors and/or co-workers but keeping the “best” employee is not a basis for reclassification. Those concerns may be addressed with strategic planning, succession planning and promotional opportunities.
• Personal financial needs will not factor into consideration for reclassification.
• Future and strategic planning are important for innovation and growth, but duties that are not currently being performed will not be considered for reclassification.
• Reclassification decisions often involve looking at the totality of duties and what position those duties should reside in. If you are performing one particular function that can be reassigned to a more appropriate classification, the District has the right to reassign that duty. The majority of duties should regularly fall within your assigned classification.
• Reclassification analyses do not always result in an upward reclassification, even when the manager/supervisor supports the request.

• Reclassification Request Questionnaire
• Obtain a copy of your current classification
• Personnel Commission Rules
• Personnel Commission staff contact information should you have any questions or concerns