Job Evaluation Policies and Procedures
Tulane’s job evaluation policies and procedures facilitate:
- Job evaluations that capture and analyze the value of job duties and responsibilities.
- Consistent evaluations and market data applications university-wide.
- Alignment with career bands, levels, and pay structures to provide competitive and equitable pay and future salary growth.
Job descriptions exist for all regular staff positions and summarize typical duties and responsibilities as well as minimum hiring qualifications including required education, experience level(s) and licensure(s)/certifications(s).
Approved job descriptions must be signed by both the employee and supervisor as a condition of employment. One signed copy should be retained by the department for reference throughout the year; one copy should be given to the employee for reference as well; and the original should be forwarded via email to the Records Team or hard copy to Records Department within Office of Human Resources & Institutional Equity.
All jobs at Tulane are grouped into common categories based on the type of work involved, the level of difficulty, the level of responsibility, and the minimum qualifications required for the job. The Compensation Department maintains Tulane’s job evaluation system which is used in the classification of all staff positions:
- Job Evaluation Purpose:
These purposes include the evaluation of jobs internally and externally, for job posting and advertising, planning of annual and longer term employee performance goals, and in the development and guidance of training and professional development.
- Job Evaluation Process:
To ensure the assignment of jobs to pay grades is equitable and competitive, the university utilizes job evaluation which focuses on job value considerations, market data, and internal data. Job evaluation is a process by which compensation analysts assess the degree of knowledge and skills, scope of responsibilities, and range of impact factors as outlined in the job description. Market data as well as internal data of similarly situated positions are also reviewed to determine appropriate assignment of paygrade, salary structure, and Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) status.
Information required to conduct a detailed evaluation for a new position includes:
- Justification for evaluation to include business reasons for the change, approved budgeted amount, senior leadership approval, and other factors that would be helpful to understand how the new position relates to other positions within the department.
- Proposed new job description.
- Current and proposed organization chart, if applicable.
A reclassification may be appropriate if the content of a job has changed significantly (e.g., the responsibilities have changed by more than 15%) resulting in a job description/title change, such as:
- Department reorganization resulting in position restructuring.
- Addition of new areas of responsibility.
- Expanded level of authority leading to increased impact of decisions.
- Addition of leadership role or supervisory duties.
Information required to conduct a detailed re-evaluation:
- Justification for reclassification to include business reasons for the change, approved budgeted amount, senior leadership approval, and other factors that would be helpful to understand how the revised position relates to other positions within the department.
- Current and proposed job description.
- Current and proposed organization charts.
On occasion, a reclassification can also result in a move from a higher grade to a lower grade due to departmental needs and not be the results of corrective action.
What qualifies as a new position? It is considered a new position if the position did not previously exist within the department’s org number.
Submit the updated job description for posting to Compensation Email. Compensation will review to ensure the job description is Compensation-approved and ensure correct grading. Comp will reach out to the Hiring Manager with any questions. When the review is completed, Compensation will coordinate with HRIS to create the PCN and job posting template. HRIS will send a notification email when the job posting and PCN have been created. The department can then open a vacancy.
Please follow this link to learn more about the vacancy process.
A component of the job evaluation process is determining the appropriate FLSA designation. The FLSA establishes provisions and standards to determine overtime pay, hours worked, record-keeping plans, and child-labor provisions. Staff at Tulane are either classified as performing "exempt" or "non-exempt" work based upon regulations of the FLSA. The determination of "exempt" or "non-exempt" work is made by the Compensation department in accordance with FLSA criteria.
Effective January 1, 2020 the Department of Labor amended Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations by increasing the minimum salary requirement for exempt full and part-time employees from an annual salary of $23,660 to $35,568.
The following summarizes the primary differences in the two categories:
Exempt Status
- Exempt employees hold positions that are not protected or covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act.
- Individuals in this category must surpass the salary test, which is greater than or equal to $35,568 annually or $684 per week.
- Job titles do not determine exempt status.
- An individual’s job functions must also pass the Fair Labor Standards Act duties test.
Nonexempt Status
- Nonexempt employees are employed in positions covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act
- Individuals in this status have clearly defined non-exempt duties.
- Nonexempt employees have a defined work schedule and core hours as determined by their supervisors.
Questions regarding a position’s exempt or nonexempt status should be directed to the Compensation team.
Further information about Fair Labor Standards Act may be found at U.S. Department of Labor website.
