People and jobs are not static. They change constantly; sometimes gradually and sometimes rapidly. In order to keep up with these changes, job descriptions should be reviewed periodically and revised to reflect current responsibilities. Whenever there have been substantive, measurable changes in a job’s content and responsibilities, which cause the job to appear inappropriately classified, a reclassification review should be initiated. These job reviews may be requested by a union member, a supervisor, or an HR officer at anytime. HUCTW representatives can also be available to help or advise a union member at any stage of the process.
Sometimes managers or HR offices are under the impression that reclassification reviews can only happen at certain times of year, but for HUCTW members, they can happen any time they are requested, year round. Although ideally your manager supports your reclassification application, they do not need to support the application for a formal review to move forward. The overall process is described below, but please reach out to your HUCTW organizer if you would like advice on how to get started or if you have a applied for a reclassification and encountered a road block. Write to huctw.info@huctw.org to connect with an organizer from our office who works with your department or school.
Local Reclassification Process
As a part of the job review process, a union member will typically fill out a Position Description Questionnaire (PDQ), which asks the member to describe his/her job duties in detail. During this process, union members sometimes find it useful to review the generic job descriptions for their job family, available on Harvie. Once union member has completed the form, the PDQ is usually signed by the member’s supervisor in order to indicate that the supervisor has read it. The PDQ is then submitted to the local HR office for review.
Ordinarily, the reclassification decision should take no longer than four weeks from the time it is submitted to a local HR office. In cases where an employee has made the request, the personnel officer or supervisor should keep her or him informed of the review’s status, including a general sense of when a decision can be expected.
Normally, a salary increase should be granted when a person is promoted or reclassified to a higher grade. The amount of the increase should reflect the employee’s skills and experience in relation to those required for the position, and in relation to those of others who work in the unit. It should also reflect the difference in salary level of the old and new job. Most often, changes in classification status and/or compensation are retroactive to the date of PDQ submission.
Joint Reclassification Process
If at the end of the local process, a union member still doesn’t feel that their job is appropriately classified, he/she may request the assistance of the University Joint Reclassification Committee (UJRC). The UJRC is composed of equal numbers of union and management representatives from across Harvard. Requests for UJRC involvement can be made through the HUCTW office.
Two representatives from the UJRC, one union and one management, will be assigned to the union’s member’s case. Together this pair will interview the relevant parties as well as review the PDQ and any other pertinent documents. Once they have concluded their review, the pair will present their findings to the UJRC and Committee will come to a consensus about the reclassification request. The UJRC’s decision is binding on all parties.
Job Reclassification Inquiries
Reach out to the HUCTW Organizers for your area to discuss the job reclassification process. If you don’t know who this is, please contact us at huctw.info@huctw.org.
Job Reclassification Forms and Resources