The following are answers to frequently asked questions about this project.
How will an employee know if their position is under review for possible reclassification?
Those employees whose positions may be impacted were initially notified directly by Human Resources via an email on July 7, 2022 from uoelr@uoregon.edu. Impacted employees received an additional notice on October 22, 2022 from elrdirector@uoregon.edu with their final determination – remaining an OA or transitioning to a SEIU classification.
What was the process of evaluating the classification of a position?
It began with an initial assessment of the OA position to determine if it met the OA criteria. If the initial assessment did not reach a conclusive determination that the position met the OA criteria, then there was a re-evaluation process that started with updating the position description. This was a collaborative process that involved the employee, the supervisor, and HR, and it included several rounds of discussion to reach a final approved version of the updated position description (PD). The new PD was then evaluated based on the OA criteria. If it did not meet the criteria, then a more in-depth evaluation occurred to make a final determination, assign the appropriate classification, determine the correct competency level, and finally, evaluate compensation.
In the fall of 2021, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) submitted a unit clarification petition with the Oregon Employment Relations Board, seeking to move a number of officer of administration (OA) positions in IS into the SEIU bargaining unit. In response to this petition, the Office of Human Resources, Finance and Administrative Shared Services Human Resources (FASS HR), and Information Services initiated a comprehensive review of OA positions to ensure they are accurately categorized.
Why has it taken this much time?
Conducting a thorough review of all OA positions within the unit is a lengthy process that follows a series of steps and allows for consultation and collaboration with the employee, their supervisor, and HR along the way. The scope of the project, number of positions involved, and thoroughness at each stage impact the amount of time needed to conduct a comprehensive assessment of each position to ensure accuracy, which is of critical importance.
As an overview of the process, the project began with an initial review to determine which positions clearly meet the OA criteria. Then the remaining positions received a comprehensive review to update their position descriptions. Over several months, the team focused on establishing current and accurate position descriptions, which identified about 50 positions that may require reclassification. Then, the project team conducted more in-depth evaluation to make a final determination, assigning the appropriate classification, determining the correct competency level, and finally, compensation level. Now, the project has reached the final stage on the process to determine compensation and FLSA designation.
If an employee disagrees with the determination of their classification, can they request a classification review on their own?
Yes. An employee can request a classification review on their own by submitting their current position description to fass@uoregon.edu to initiate that process. Please note that the employee's supervisor will be an integral part of this process, so the employee should first discuss any proposed changes to their position description before submitting it to FASS.
