Section 420.210  Position Classification

a)         Classification Plan:  The Director of Personnel shall maintain, and revise when necessary, a uniform position classification plan for positions under the Merit Employment Code based on the similarity of duties and responsibilities assigned so that the same schedule of pay may be equitably applied to all positions in the same class, under the same or substantially the same employment conditions.  It shall be the responsibility of the department directors to report to the Director of Personnel any significant changes in the duties of every position within their department.

b)         Allocation: 

1)         At the request of a department, or at the discretion of the Director of Personnel, including when it is evident that the duties of a position deviate from the class specification for that title, or upon reorganization of a department, a survey or audit, or such other investigation by the Department of Personnel shall be made to determine the proper allocation of any position to a class.  Upon written request of an employee, a survey or audit by the Director of Personnel shall be made to determine the proper allocation of the employee's position.  If the survey or audit does not demonstrate a substantial change in the duties and responsibilities as determined in a previous audit or the existing job description, a determination shall be made as to the proper allocation of the position from a review of the record rather than an individual desk audit.  After making such survey, audit, or other investigation, the Department of Personnel shall notify the department in which such position is located of its decision as to the proper allocation of the position in question.  It shall be the responsibility of the Department of Personnel to give written notice to the incumbent of said position of its decision.

2)         An employee who has requested and received the results of an audit on his/her current position may request another review no sooner than 12 months following receipt of the prior audit result, and only if there is a change to his/her position duties and responsibilities.

c)         Reconsideration:

1)         Within 30 calendar days after receiving notice of such decision, the incumbent in such position may make a request in writing of the Director of Personnel for a reconsideration of the decision.  Thereafter, the Director of Personnel shall reinvestigate the duties and responsibilities of such position and related positions and the affected employee shall be given a reasonable opportunity to be heard.

2)         After such investigation, the Director of Personnel shall render a decision in writing and it shall be served on the employee in person or by certified mail, return receipt requested, at the last address shown in the official personnel file. The effective date of the Director of Personnel's reconsidered decision shall be the same as the effective date of the original allocation decision by the Director of Personnel.

3)         An employee wishing to appeal the Director of Personnel's decision shall serve upon the Merit Commission notice of appeal of said reconsidered decision in writing within 15 calendar days after receipt of notice of the reconsidered decision.  A copy of the notice of appeal shall also be served upon the Director of Personnel.

d)         Assignment to Other Classes:  An employee whose position has been allocated to a class having a higher, lower or same maximum permissible salary or rate may remain in the position, provided, however, that the Director of Personnel shall determine, in the case of allocation to a class having a higher maximum salary or rate, whether, considering the nature of such change in duties, the employee is qualified for the position.  In the case of allocation to a class having a lower maximum salary or rate, due to loss of duties or responsibilities after appointment to such position, the pay of such employee shall not be required to be lowered for a period of one year after the position allocation, in accordance with the Secretary of State Pay Plan, Section 10.00(b) (on file in the Secretary of State's Department of Personnel).

e)         Revised Class Requirements:  When requirements for a class are revised and the duties and responsibilities of positions comprising the class remain essentially unchanged, incumbents in these positions who qualified under the previous requirements for the class will be considered qualified.

f)         Establishment of New Classes:  When positions are reclassified resulting from the establishment of a new class, and the duties and responsibilities of such positions remain essentially unchanged, incumbents who qualified under the requirements of the previous class will be considered qualified for the new class.

g)         Temporary Assignment:

1)         An employee may be directly assigned (relegated) to perform the duties and responsibilities of another position in a different classification than that to which the employee is incumbent.

2)         Temporary assignments shall not be considered the permanent duties and responsibilities of the employee and, therefore, shall not be considered in the proper allocation of the incumbent's position.

3)         Additional compensation for temporary assignment of an employee to duties and responsibilities of a higher class shall be in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Department of Personnel Pay Plan.  To be eligible for such additional compensation, the employee must be temporarily assigned in accordance with the operational needs of the department and may not become effective without the written approval of the Director of Personnel and acknowledgement by the employee.

4)         Temporary assignment of an employee shall not normally exceed 6 months.

(Source:  Amended at 32 Ill. Reg. 15017, effective September 8, 2008)