Reclassification Process

People Operations & Employee Resources Department

Ramapo College of New Jersey

Summary

The People Operations and Employee Resources Department (POERD), formerly known as People Operations and Employee Resources Department (POERD),  is committed to ensuring that all employees are classified and compensated fairly. Therefore, effective immediately, if there are significant ongoing changes to a position that could warrant a change in classification, an employee and their immediate supervisor must meet to review their job responsibilities.  Please note, that a request to reclassify a position should occur when the position responsibilities have evolved to a point that the current duties as outlined in the job specification no longer reflect the current classification.  This process is not to be used to reward an employee for outstanding performance or to give a salary increase.

Requests for reclassification should be discussed with the Supervisor/Manager and the Core Lead prior to submission to the POERD .  Documentation submitted to POERD should include a cover memorandum outlining how the job has changed, what duties are outside the scope of the current title, and any other pertinent information.

POERD will conduct the job analysis.  This is a lengthy process, involving interviews with the incumbent, supervisor, unit head, and others. This analysis could take up to ninety days from receipt of request in POERD to determine the final outcome.

General Overview

1. A request for reclassification of a position may be initiated by the incumbent with the concurrence of their Supervisor/Manager and the appropriate Core Lead.
2. The reclassification may be upward, lateral or downward.
3. If a reclassification request has been reviewed and denied, the affected staff member may, after meeting with the POERD, appeal that determination to the New Jersey Civil Service Commission if they are a Classified Civil Service Employee.  All others can appeal to POERDvia an internal appeal process.

Steps

1. When a request for reclassification is initiated, the staff member, in conjunction with his/her supervisor, prepares a reclassification packet which includes a Position Classification Questionnaire, DPF-44 (if Civil Service), an updated job description which highlights in track changes the new responsibilities, a cover memo explaining the reason for the request and an updated Organizational chart. The request packet is then forwarded to the appropriate Supervisor/Manager.
2. The Supervisor/Manager will review, comment if necessary, and forward the request packet to the Core Leader, who will review, comment and forward the packet to the POERD.
3. The POERD will review the request and in addition to reviewing the documents, may request a meeting to discuss the changes and may also perform an audit of the position.  After this review, the POERD will determine if the current classification accurately reflects the position responsibilities.
4. If it has been determined that the current position is improperly classified and that a reclassification is appropriate, the Core Leader will have the option of:
   1. Endorsing the request for a reclassification; or
   2. Reassigning responsibilities to or from the position so that the current title would be appropriately classified, thereby eliminating the need for a reclassification.
5. If the request is endorsed by the Core Lead and a reclassification is warranted, POERD will confirm with Budget that the additional monies (if needed) are available.
6. POERD will notify all parties of the decision.
7. If the request for reclassification is denied, POERD will inform the initiator of their appeal rights:
   1. The employee or union representative should submit a classification appeal to the POERD. The appeal must specify duties that do not conform to the specification for the title, and, if the appellant proposes a different title, an explanation of how that title more accurately describes the duties of the position than the current title.
   2. POERD will review the appeal, ensuring the necessary information is included and submit the appeal to either the Civil Service Commission (if CWA or IFPTE) within ten days of the receipt of all necessary appeal information or to the Appeal Committee if the appeal is from an AFT or Management employee . The Appeal Committee consists of a representative from Audit and a representative from Legal. The Committee will review the appeal and make a determination within 30 days.  This timeframe may be extended.

Please note:  Ideally, POERD encourages employees to utilize the above process when submitting a request for reclassification.  However, each union contract contains a clause that addresses reclassification and permits an employee to submit a reclassification directly to the POERD or the Civil Service Commission if they are Classified Civil Service Employees.

Training Sessions: 

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IT IS THE POSITION, NOT THE INDIVIDUAL, THAT IS RECLASSIFIED

Page last updated on July 11, 2022

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