SECTION III:  PROCEDURE INFORMATION

Classification/Skill Level Review Program

 A. SCHEDULED REVIEWS, MANAGEMENT-INITIATED (ANNUAL REVIEW PROGRAM)

Each Spring, the Vice President for Human Resources announces a Classification/Skill Level Review Program and disseminates information to the campus community on the review procedures.  Unscheduled management-initiated reviews are accepted throughout the year but carry monetary implications for a department.  (See Section III, B)

Note:  The Vice Presidents prioritize the reviews as levels 1, 2 or 3, with 1 being the highest priority.  Program Managers may include a recommendation to the Vice President to note any special circumstances that would require an early priority review.

PROCEDURES FOR GENERAL STAFF POSITIONS:
For employees in Information Technology Classifications the procedures in the section following this one should be used instead.

1. Each position recommended for classification/skill level review should first be approved by the appropriate Program Center Manager or Dean, and then submitted to the Office of Human Resources through the appropriate Vice President’s Office.  It should be completed within the timeline discussed in the annual Classification/Skill Level Review Program announcement sent to all HEERA Designated Managers and Supervisors. (The “Timeline for Management-Initiated Requests” document is available at the Classification and Compensation website, http://www.csus.edu/hr/classification/.)

Note:  Any positions submitted to the Office of Human Resources without first going through the appropriate Vice President’s Office, will be returned to the initiating department for proper submission process.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED:

All of these documents are required at the time of submission.  Incomplete packets will be returned to the initiating department.

a. One copy of the “old” (former) position description.

b. An original and three (3) copies of the “new” position description signed by the employee, supervisor and Appropriate Administrator (HEERA Designated Manager).  In signing the position description, the employee acknowledges that they understand management has the right to establish work assignments. The appropriate Dean or Program Center Manager must also counter sign the position description signifying concurrence with the contents and the review process.  The position description form is available online at http://www.csus.edu/hr/forms.htm under Staff Employment.

c. Completed Position Description Supplement.  This form is required for all positions (except IT positions), and is available online at http://www.csus.edu/hr/forms.htm under Classification and Compensation.  Please use the supplement that is applicable to the position being reviewed.

d. One copy of an up-to-date department organization chart showing incumbents’ names, classifications, working titles and reporting relationships.

2. Once review request materials are complete, Program Center Managers are required to forward their request packages to the appropriate Vice President’s Office.  The Vice President will review the request and forward it to the Office of Human Resources.

3. Classification and Compensation will prepare a final list of positions for review to be submitted to the Vice Presidents who will then prioritize the positions to be reviewed for the year. 

4. Reviews will commence July 3, 2006 with those designated as the highest priority (1) having precedence.  Priority 2 and 3 reviews will follow respectively through the end of the fiscal year.  Workload within the Classification unit will determine actual review dates. 

5. Reviews may include an interview with the employee, supervisor and other appropriate administrator(s).  This is in addition to the analysis of the position description(s), Position Description Supplement (except for IT positions), the Classification and Qualification Standard(s), and other factual information.  Internal campus position alignment is an important consideration in classification/skill level determination.

6. The Office of Human Resources will reach a classification/skill level decision and forward the written findings (the Classification determination letter, along with additional copies for the manager and employee) to the Vice President for review.  Once the Vice President has reviewed the classification determination letter, the copies are then forwarded to the manager for review and distribution to the employee.  When the manager and the employee receive their copies, they must sign and date the “Manager/Employee Sign-Off” form to denote receipt.  This form accompanies their copies of the classification determination letter, and should be returned to the Office of Human Resources promptly.

7. Occasionally, the review is postponed for appropriate reasons, such as an employee on leave or a pending reorganization. 

PROCEDURES FOR ALL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY POSITIONS:

If an employee’s position is currently outside of the IT classification series, but Management is proposing that it be considered for inclusion into the Information Technology series, an IT Position Description Form should be used.

The Information Technology Advisory Committee composed of campus-wide representatives will be consulted to provide technical assessment to the Office of Human Resources of IT positions which have been submitted for classification/skill level review.

The Office of Human Resources may conduct on-site reviews and consider all information provided, as well as campus-wide skill level and classification alignment in making a final determination.

1. Each position recommended for classification/skill level review should first be approved by the appropriate Program Center Manager or Dean, and then sent to the appropriate Vice President’s office before being submitted to Human Resources.  It should be completed within the timelines discussed in the annual Classification Review Program announcement sent to all HEERA Designated Managers and Supervisors.

Note:  Any positions submitted to the Office of Human Resources without first going through the appropriate Vice President’s Office, will be returned to the initiating department for proper submission process.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED:

All of these documents are required at the time of submission.  Incomplete packets will be returned to the initiating department.

a. One (1) copy of the “old” (former) IT Position Description. 

b. An original and three (3) copies of the “new” IT Position Description signed by the employee, supervisor and Appropriate Administrator (HEERA Designated Manager).  In signing the IT Position Description, the employee acknowledges they understand that management has the right to establish work assignments.  The appropriate Dean or Program Center Manager must also counter sign the position description signifying concurrence with the contents and the review process.  The revised IT Position Description form is available online at http://www.csus.edu/hr/forms.htm under Staff Employment.

c. One (1) copy of an up-to-date department organization chart showing incumbents’ names, classifications, working titles and reporting relationships.

B. UNSCHEDULED CLASSIFICATION REVIEW REQUEST

Review requests received at times other than during the scheduled spring period are considered “unscheduled” and carry monetary implications for the department.  Unscheduled requests include the following types:

1. Unscheduled Requests - Management Initiated.  (Reorganization - out of cycle department/unit or position reorganization)

2. Employee-Initiated Classification/Skill Level Review Requests (Specific time frames stipulated by bargaining unit contracts.)

3. Reorganization in Response to the Issuing of New/Revised Job Standards from the Chancellor’s Office leading to a review request by the department

4. Management-Initiated Requests for Reclassification Upon Replacement

In each of these four instances, University policy requires that the initiating department fund the increased costs resulting from a decision for advancement to a higher classification or skill level.

Alternatively, management should note that in all cases, if it is determined that the position is recommended for advancement to a higher classification or skill level, management may choose to remove duties in order to retain the current classification/skill level.  Duties removed may be reassigned to others.  It is recommended that management discuss this process with the Manager of Staff Employment and/or Classification and Compensation Managers prior to removing and reassigning duties.

PROCEDURES:

In the case of an unplanned/unscheduled request, follow the same procedures as those listed for the Scheduled Reviews (see Section III).

UNSCHEDULED REVIEWS are processed as follows:

1. UNSCHEDULED MANAGEMENT-INITIATED REQUESTS are reviewed after completion of the scheduled reviews, prior to the end of the fiscal year.

2. RECLASSIFICATION UPON REPLACEMENT (see Section I, F).

3. REORGANIZATION.  The Office of Human Resources is available for consultation regarding reorganizations. 

4. REORGANIZATION IN RESPONSE TO NEW CSU JOB CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS. 
New Classification Standards issued by the Chancellor’s Office are normally implemented within mandated timeframes.  With the implementation of new classifications or skill levels, review of current staff positions may be appropriate to determine placement into the new classification standards.

5. EMPLOYEE-INITIATED requests are reviewed within the stipulated contract timeframe (180 days; see Section III, C, 3).

C. EMPLOYEE-INITIATED CLASSIFICATION/SKILL LEVEL REVIEW REQUEST

Staff employees have a right within University policy and/or contract language to initiate a classification/skill level review of their position.

When an employee initiates a classification/skill level review request, the department is required to fund any salary increase due to advancement to a higher classification or skill level.

PROCEDURES:

1. Employees who initiate review requests will be asked to submit the following documents with the appropriate signatures to the Office of Human Resources, Sacramento Hall, Room 173, via the appropriate Vice President’s office.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED:

All of these documents are required at the time of submission.  Incomplete packets will be returned to the initiating department.

a. An “Employee-Initiated Classification Review Request Form”, which is available online at http://www.csus.edu/hr/forms.htm under Classification and Compensation.

b. A copy of the position’s “old” or former position description.

c. An original and three (3) copies of the “new” position description signed by the employee, supervisor and appropriate administrator (HEERA Designated Manager).  In signing the position description, the employee acknowledges that they understand management has the right to establish work assignments. The appropriate Dean or Program Center Manager must also counter sign the position description signifying concurrence with the contents and the review process.  The Position Description form is available online at http://www.csus.edu/hr/forms.htm under Staff Employment.

d. Completed Position Description Supplement.  This form that is required for all positions (except IT positions), and is available at http://www.csus.edu/hr/forms.htm under Classification and Compensation.  Please use the supplement that is applicable to the position being reviewed.

e. One copy of an up-to-date department organization chart showing the incumbent’s name, classifications, working titles and reporting relationships.

2. It is the responsibility of the supervisor, appropriate administrator or Vice President to: 1) review the request, ensuring that the job description and comments provided by the employee reflect reported duties as assigned; and 2) ensure their own review does not unnecessarily delay the submission of the review request to the Office of Human Resources (see Section I, G).

3. The Office of Human Resources will acknowledge receipt of the request and respond with an approved classification decision within 180 days of receipt of all materials, as outlined in Section III, C, 1, above.  In order to achieve overall campus consistency, the time frame stipulated within the CSUEU bargaining unit contract (180 days from date of receipt) is also effective for Units 1, 4, 6 and 8.

4. The remaining procedures used for unscheduled reviews are the same as those listed for Scheduled Reviews (see Section III, A).

D. APPEAL PROCEDURES - ONE PROCEDURE IS USED FOR ALL MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEE-INITIATED REVIEW REQUESTS WITHIN ALL BARGAINING UNITS

If a union contract does not stipulate an appeal process, this University process may be used.  This appeal procedure applies only to staff bargaining unit employees and positions.  This procedure is not available to HEERA designated managers or to united employees who wish to appeal a classification decision, which has denied them placement into the Management Personnel Plan (MPP) or Faculty/academic-related positions.

The purpose of the appeal process is to provide a formal method to resolve any difference of opinion between the employee and the original Classification reviewer regarding the classification decision and/or skill level.

1. An employee may appeal a classification/skill level decision by completing an appeal form and submitting it to the Office of Human Resources.

a. The appeal form is available online at http://www.csus.edu/hr/forms.htm under Classification and Compensation.

b. The appeal must be received within fifteen (15) calendar days after the employee receives the official written notice of the classification decision (the Classification determination letter) and after the employee signs the “Manager/Employee Sign-Off” form.

2. The Human Resources appeal reviewer (the Vice President of Human Resources or a designee) will meet with the employee within fourteen (14) calendar days of receipt of the appeal.

The reviewer may consider:

a. The position description used in the review and Position Description Supplement;

b. Relevant Classification and Qualification Standards and documentation on internal campus benchmark positions;

c. Written and oral information from the previous review of the position, if appropriate;

d. Written and oral information provided by the employee as part of their appeal;

e. Information requested by the reviewer from the supervisor and/or appropriate administrator; and

f. Any other information determined to be relevant to assist in making an appeal decision.

3. The reviewer shall respond to the employee, in writing, no later than twenty-one (21) calendar days following the meeting with the employee.  The appeal level response shall be final.

4. Managers, supervisors, and confidential employees shall not serve as the employee’s advocate through written or oral communications at the appeal level to Human Resources, the Vice President of Human Resources or a designee.

5. An employee may terminate a classification appeal at any time by submitting such a request in writing to the Office of Human Resources.