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K-State Today

September 19, 2017

Reclassification process now available

Submitted by Jay Stephens

One of the main reasons for having a university compensation structure is to ensure that employees are being paid fairly for the work they do. To make sure employees continue to be placed correctly, the reclassification process has been redesigned using best practices.

In the past, employees may have viewed the reclassification process as one of the only ways to increase their salary or earning potential. There are now two ways to accomplish this:

  • When employees have a significant and permanent change in duties and responsibilities, supervisors can request a reclassification.

To make the reclassification process easier to access, we have developed an electronic form. The new three-part electronic form will be initiated by the supervisor, with review and input by the employee and next-level supervisor. The form is a thorough questionnaire that gives a full picture of the duties and responsibilities of the position.

Requests for reclassification will be reviewed after all three parts have been completed. Compensation and Organizational Effectiveness will conduct a full review, working with the department to determine the appropriate placement with consideration for both internal and external equity. Final determinations will be made within six to eight weeks from request receipt. A request for reclassification does not guarantee an outcome and may result in a pay grade increase, decrease, or no change.

We are recommending supervisors and managers contact their departmental Human Capital Services liaison or budget/fiscal officer to initiate a request.

Beginning in 2018, requests for reclassification will be accepted during two windows, one in the spring semester and another in the fall. This approach allows for better internal comparisons and helps to ensure employees have been performing the duties on a permanent basis before moving forward with the reclassification request.

Requests will be accepted from Sept. 1 to Oct. 15 — effective mid-year in December — and Feb. 1 to March 15 — effective at the start of the fiscal year in July.

During this transition, there will be a one-time exception to these new procedures by extending the review period this fall. This means that requests for reclassification will be accepted between now and October 31, with an effective date equal to the start of the next pay period following the final determination.

Human Capital Services encourages supervisors and managers to learn more about the request for reclassification process, and know when to request a reclassification of an employee's position. Additional resources for supervisors and managers also are available. For questions, contact Compensation and Organizational Effectiveness at hrcomp@k-state.edu or 785-532-1866.

Jay Stephens
Vice president for human capital services