Job Evaluation Policy

​​​​Introduction

This document comes in two parts.

Part one sets out the Jersey Public Services policy and principles regarding job evaluation.

Part two provides the procedure, setting out how to implement the policy with links to toolkit items to give you more information. The procedure is intended as a guide only and may change or be varied from time to time.

This policy supersedes all previous policies, circulars and procedures connected with Job Evaluation within the Public Service. 

Code of practice and policy family

This policy forms part of the Reward and Benefits Code of Practice. This code will be reviewed at the start of each term of States Employments Board, or earlier where relevant legislation or regulations change.

Job evaluation policy

Policy purpose

The purpose of this document is to provide information and guidance about the Jersey Public Services approach to establishing and maintaining job evaluations. 

Policy principles

All our policies are underpinned by our values and behaviours.

This policy and procedure aim to:

• ensure everyone is treated in a fair, consistent, and equal manner, free from discrimination and victimisation
• be clearly written, easy to understand and apply
• ensure our compliance with the Employment (Jersey) Law 2003, Discrimination (Jersey) Law 2013 and other relevant legislation and regulations
• provide a systematic and consistent approach to defining the relative worth of jobs within the organisation
  
• provide a clear procedure which ensures that all jobs are evaluated in line with reward evaluation principles on a basis of a fair and orderly grading structure
  
• ensure that the scheme is operated in a robust mechanism in accordance with the agreed procedures detailed in this document (subject to supplier licensing agreements)
  
• undertake a matching process with jobs at the same scores, forming a comprehensive grading structure
  

Policy scope

This policy applies to all posts which are funded within the States of Jersey and Government of Jersey, and any arm's length bodies with relevant agreements in place.

To qualify for re-evaluation or evaluation, the following criteria needs to be met:

• the job or post is newly created
  
• there has been a significant and permanent change in the work and responsibilities of the job and re-evaluation is sought by the line manager and agreed by the Human Resources Business Partner. This applies equally to a reduction as well as increase in the requirements of the job
  
• there is a restructuring or re-organisation of tasks and duties within a team or department which has an impact on the post
  

Roles will not be re-evaluated within a rolling period of 12 months and must meet the criteria for significant change.

Significant changes in the post will need to be substantiated and agreed by the Senior Leadership Team representative and the Human Resources Business Partner to justify re-evaluation of a post.

Performance and key accountabilities

All of us

We are all responsible for:

• providing information to line managers which accurately reflects the duties and responsibilities required in our roles
• engaging in the process as required
• signing the appropriate section within the job description template that this is an accurate reflection of the role.
• seeking agreement for evaluation and re-evaluation with their Senior Leadership Team of the Department and Human Resources Business Partner
  

Line Managers

Our managers are role models, set clear standards and are supportive (People Strategy commitment - Your Experience).

As a line manager, you are responsible for modelling our values and behaviours. You set the tone for your team and across the organisation.

Additional responsibilities include:

• ensuring that the postholder understands the job evaluation process and has been consulted during the job description writing process
• ensuring that postholders sign the job description to confirm that it is an accurate reflection of their role
• signing the job description as a true reflection if the role is new and vacant
• being part of the appeals process to appropriately provide challenge to evaluation outcomes and overseeing the submission of the appeals paperwork
  

Chief Officers

You are responsible for:  

• familiarising yourself and complying with our six codes​ of practice and this policy and procedure
• ensuring line managers and employees within your department carry out their responsibilities, as set out in this policy. This includes the notification and recording of any breaches and upholding the spirit of the code of this policy and its procedure generally
• modelling and championing our values and ensuring that our organisation's standards and expectations are communicated clearly and fully adopted by your department. You set the tone for behaviours both within your department and across the organisation
  

Chief People ​​​Officer

As custodian of all Government of Jersey people policies and you will:

• ensure that this policy and its procedure are implemented using appropriate communication methods, to aid organisation wide awareness, in order that responsibilities can be fulfilled
  
• ensure that reviews take place in line with the schedule in the policy control sheet and that development of this policy and procedure is in keeping with the corporate policy framework, people policy guidelines and our People Strategy
  

HR Business Partners

• advocate for the process by pro-actively encouraging staff and line managers to adhere to be involved in the job evaluation process
  
• ensure that the scheme is communicated to their respective department(s)
  
• quality assure the job description before sending to the job evaluation team (currently with purchase order numbers until further notice relation to panel works)
  
• quality assure the job evaluation outcome together with the line manager
  

The Job Evaluation team

Responsible for the administration of the job evaluation schemes and will:

• ensure that all evaluation outcomes are quality assured, and bench marked against other roles within the Government of Jersey, to ensure parity across Government
  
• provide information and guidance to line managers and employees on all processes linked to Job evaluation
  
• setting job appeals panels
  
• ensuring that the job evaluation scheme continues to operate in partnership with Trade Unions and employee representatives
  

Trade Unions

• Ensuring that you advocate, support and pro-actively promote the job evaluation process, encouraging staff to be involved.
• working in partnership with the Employer by attending and actively participating in appropriate meetings
• ensuring that sufficient representatives and members participate in the job evaluation training and appeal panels. 

States Employment Board

The Board has a duty to issue Codes of Practice in accordance with Article 8 of the Employment of States of Jersey Employees (Jersey) Law 2005. This code will be reviewed at the start of each term of States Employment Board, or earlier where relevant legislation or regulations change. 

The procedure

What is Job Evaluation?

Job Evaluation is a method of comparing different jobs. The jobs are placed in a rank order according to their size, providing a basis for a fair pay and grading structure. Jobs can then be matched to other jobs within the organisation that have the same score.

It is important to recognise that it is the job that is evaluated, not the performance of the individual fulfilling it. For the purposes of job evaluation, jobs are evaluated against a requirement of full competence.

The procedure is as follows:

• a new post is identified, or a restructure requires new or existing job descriptions to be reviewed and/or updated by department, line manager or postholder with oversight from People Services
• People Services submit the job description for evaluation to job evaluation team along with the submission form
• the job description is evaluated, and the evaluation outcome is provided to the requester.

What is significant change? 

Significant change means a change in the role purpose and outcomes, supported by the Senior Leadership Team representative and Human Resources Business Partner. The addition of more duties of the same purpose and outcomes does not necessary mean that the role needs re-evaluation.

An appeal against the initial evaluation outcome may be conducted only where a justified challenge against the result is raised by the department and line management and with agreement by Human Resources. See separate appeals guidelines.

Appeals Process

An appeal process has been established to consider whether a specific job matching, and evaluation outcome should be reconsidered and reviewed. The appeals process is applicable to any type of evaluation method in use by the Jersey Public Service.

There are two categories of appeals:

• business as usual
• appeals as part of an organisational change/restructure process or service review
  

The outcome of the appeal process is final and other policies, for example, resolving grievances cannot be used as a mechanism to appeal against a job evaluation outcome.

Appeals process​

Glossary

See our glossary of terms for definitions​ or explanations.

People policies glossary​