Job Descriptions Establish Important Boundaries (and Goals) in Business and at Work

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: writing job descriptions is about as exciting as watching paint dry. However dull we all may find job descriptions, they perform several important functions in business and at work, including but not limited to:

• Compliance in several areas:
  • Audit by the Department of Labor
    • Documenting the correct exemption status of each employee, and subsequently signed by the employee.
  • Workers’ Compensation Injury / Liability
    • Documenting the physical requirements for each job (Yes, probably the dullest part of the job description of all. Clients often chafe at this section, wanting to edit it out – however, it’s the first thing that your Workers’ Comp carrier will ask for in the (knock wood) event of an employee injury. The carrier is not pleased to hear “no, we’ve never had job descriptions in the 30-year history of our company,” to say the least).
  • Unemployment Insurance and Discrimination Claims
    • Without a documented job description signed by all employees, any employer response basically amounts to verbal hearsay.

Perhaps even more important as the compliance reasons listed above, job descriptions are key boundaries on many levels. The clearer the boundaries of each employee’s job are (purpose, tasks, goals, qualifications, etc.), the clearer the communication, expectations and supervision. Of course, it’s not the panacea for all workplace issues – however, without that clarity, conflict and confusion are inevitable.

How do you use job descriptions to establish important boundaries, key performance indicators and individual goals supporting the organization’s overall strategic goals, in business and at work?