1 Policy Statement

The University seeks to ensure classifications of positions reflect comparable job worth and market value by utilising formal evaluation methods to determine appropriate position classifications.

(Approved by Council June 1998)

2 Procedures

2.1 Classification levels for new positions

A Job Description Questionnaire should be completed in order to obtain various details about the duties and responsibilities of a new or amended vacant professional employee position which requires evaluation.  This document will then be used as the basis for both the evaluation of the position and the development of the position description.

Alternatively, a position description may be developed directly by the employing faculty or section and forwarded to Human Resources in order that a job evaluation may be undertaken.

The classification of the position will be assessed using the Mercer Cullen Egan Dell (CED) points factor job evaluation system.

The classification will be approved by the Executive Director, Human Resources in consultation with the appropriate Delegate.

2.2 Reclassification of existing positions

A continuing or fixed term professional employee who is appointed to a position of more than 12 months duration may apply for a review of the classification level of their position.

To be eligible for a review, it is expected the employee will have occupied the position for a period of more than 12 months.

Unless otherwise determined by the Vice-Chancellor, applications for reclassification may be initiated on an ‘as needs' basis by:

• the authorised delegate, having reviewed the duties and responsibilities of the position;  or

• the substantive occupant of a position.

An application for reclassification must be submitted on a Reclassification - Job Description Questionnaire.  The completed application signed by the authorised delegate is to be forwarded to the Executive Director, Human Resources.

2.3 Level of support by authorised delegate

Where an application for reclassification receives the full support of the authorised delegate as indicated in the Reclassification - Job Description Questionnaire, the procedures in 2.4 through to 2.9 will apply.

Where an application for reclassification does not receive the full support of the authorised delegate as indicated in the Reclassification - Job Description Questionnaire, the following procedures will apply.

• Authorised delegate to provide written comments on the Job Description Questionnaire to justify the lack of support.

• Application to be returned to the applicant to note the Delegate's lack of support, read the comments, respond and sign the Questionnaire accordingly.

• Unsupported application and response by applicant to be forwarded to the Executive Director, Human Resources.

• Two trained evaluators from Human Resources will then review the application, note the authorised delegate's comments and the applicant's response, compare the application content with previous documentation, and prepare a written summary and comments as to whether there has been significant change to the position since the last evaluation.

• The application, authorised delegate's comments and the applicant's response, evaluator's comments and comparative summary of changes, will then be forwarded to the Moderation Panel at the end of the quarter to consider and decide upon a course of action.

• Where the Moderation Panel decides the application will proceed, the procedures in 2.4 through to 2.9 will apply.

• Where the Moderation Panel decides the application will not proceed, written advice of this decision will be forwarded to the authorised delegate and applicant and the application will be retained on file in Human Resources for archival purposes only.   Feedback will be provided to the applicant on request.

2.4 Evaluation process

The Executive Director, Human Resources will notify the applicant of a decision to either accept, defer, or refuse the application.

Grounds for refusal or deferral of an application may relate to operational considerations including:

• a position will not normally be reviewed twice within a 12 month period;

• the application shows that when compared with previous documentation the duties and responsibilities of the position have not changed significantly since it was last evaluated;  or

• the position is part of a proposed reorganisation or job redesign exercise to be completed within six (6) months.

Where a decision is made to accept the application, the application should be evaluated within four (4) weeks of the last day of the quarter in which it was lodged with Human Resources.  Notification of the outcome is subject to consideration by the Moderation Panel, which meets quarterly.

The Executive Director, Human Resources will nominate a Classifications Officer to whom applications for reclassification are referred.  The Classifications Officer will allocate two trained evaluators to conduct an evaluation of the position.  Evaluators will not normally evaluate positions from their own cost centre.  Applications for reclassification which were not initially supported by the authorised delegate, but which the Moderation Panel has subsequently decided will proceed through the process (in accordance with 2.3), will not be allocated the same two trained evaluators who provided the initial comparative position summary as outlined in 2.3.

A review of the classification level of an employee's position will:

• be conducted by two trained evaluators,

• use the Mercer Cullen Egan Dell (CED) points factor evaluation system,

• comply with the Enterprise Agreement 2010-2013.

The evaluators will meet with the incumbent and nominated supervisor(s) as part of the review process to obtain and clarify further information about the position and perform an evaluation of the position.

The Executive Director, Human Resources will ensure that evaluations meet the requirements of the job evaluation system checks, feasibility checks and organisation consistency checks.  Profiles will not be changed without the involvement of the evaluators.

To ensure the integrity of the system, Mercer Cullen Egan Dell will be invited to undertake a review of the University reclassification process on an ‘as needs' basis.

2.5 Moderation panel

The Vice-Chancellor will establish a Moderation Panel to moderate the outcomes of the reclassification process.  The Moderation Panel will comprise the following:

• Executive Director, Human Resources (or Chief Operating Officer as proxy),

• a Dean or equivalent non-Faculty head,

• one on-campus representative from each of the four Unions covered by the Enterprise Agreement,

• Classifications Officer, as executive officer.

  with all members of the Moderation Panel to be provided with training in the Mercer CED points factor job evaluation system.

When considering outcomes, the Moderation Panel can access all documentation used in the evaluation process, meet with evaluators where necessary, and request that an evaluation be conducted by new evaluators.  The Moderation Panel may request the Executive Director, Human Resources to access market salary survey data.

2.6 Reclassification outcomes

The Classifications Officer will forward outcomes and recommendations of the Moderation Panel to the Vice-Chancellor and indicate the proposed actions to be taken.

The Vice-Chancellor will consider the recommendations taking organisational and operational matters into consideration and determine appropriate action for each position.

The Executive Director, Human Resources will advise the authorising delegate via letter of the outcome of each application for reclassification.

The Executive Director, Human Resources will notify applicants of the Vice-Chancellor's decision via the authorising delegate and initiate any required action in the areas of establishment, redeployment or recruitment.

2.7 Positions reclassified upwards

Where the position is reclassified upward by one classification level, the employee will be paid at step one of the new classification, unless recommended otherwise by the Moderation Panel and approved by the Vice-Chancellor.

An employee whose position has been reclassified to USQ Level 4 or above, and who had previously opted to pay superannuation contributions at the half contribution rate (3.5%) will now be required to contribute to UniSuper at the rate of 7% of gross salary.  Employees at USQ Level 3 whose position is reclassified to USQ Level 4 will have the reclassification take effect at Step 2 of the USQ Level 4 classification range.

The following dates will apply to reclassified positions:

Applications for reclassification which were not initially supported by the authorised delegate but which the Moderation Panel subsequently decided would proceed through the process (in accordance with 2.3), will have any successful outcome backdated to the date of effect relative to the quarter in which the application was originally lodged with Human Resources

Where a position is reclassified upward by two or more classification levels, the Moderation Panel may consider whether:

• a recommendation be made to the Vice-Chancellor (in accordance with Appointments by Internal Transfer or Secondment) to appoint the employee to the reclassified position by internal transfer, or

• the position be advertised (normally internally only).

The Panel's recommendation to appoint by internal transfer or advertise will then be conveyed to the authorising delegate by the Executive Director, Human Resources for decision. 

The authorising delegate will determine whether to appoint the incumbent by invitation or advertise taking into consideration the Moderation Panel's recommendation, and may submit reasons to support their decision.  The decision will then be forwarded to the Vice-Chancellor for approval.

Where the employee is unsuccessful in contesting an advertised position, alternative duties at the employee's substantive level will be found within their cost centre.

2.8 Positions reclassified downwards

Where a position is reclassified downwards, the employee will undertake the duties of the position while continuing to be remunerated at their existing salary level.  The Executive Director, Human Resources and the authorising delegate will initiate job redesign.

2.9 Feedback

Applicants are encouraged to request feedback concerning the Reclassification process and outcome by contacting the Classifications Officer upon receipt of the outcome. 

Feedback will be conducted by the Classifications Officer in the first instance.  Should applicants require more detailed feedback, one of the two trained evaluators who performed the job evaluation may then be involved in the process.

3 Other Policy Information