Job Evaluation toolkits

​​​​​​​​​Job evaluation appeals process

This toolkit is for employees and provides detail on the appeals process under the Job Evaluation policy.

This toolkit outlines the roles of the employees, line managers, HR Business Partners and People Consultancy​ Services team, Job Evaluation team, Trade Union Representatives, as well as outlining the key stages of the Job Evaluation appeals process.

All employees have the right to appeal the following:

• new information about a role that has not been considered or incorrect information has been reflected in the job description. This must be evidence-based
• the significance of an aspect of the role likely to impact the evaluation outcome has not been properly considered
  
• against a comparator job description in the same department due to similarity in job context and departmental specifics
  

An employee cannot appeal the following:

• not being happy with the grade post job evaluation (the same applies to the line manager if the role is currently vacant)
  
• the job evaluation process for positioning employees in the pay structure
  
• a comparator job description's grade in another department
  

​​All appeals are assessed against stringent criteria by the Job Evaluation team to ensure that the appeal meets the grounds listed above.

Doing more of the same type or level of work, in any job evaluation terms, does not automatically result in an increased grading or the requirement to review the role. Employees together with their line manager need to be able to demonstrate a significant step difference in terms of the defined level of work that was not considered in evaluation.

Appeals for evaluated job descriptions under service review following the closure of a 4-week consultation period will be addressed under job evaluation 'business as usual'.

Stage one - internal

The first stage is an internal appeal conducted by the Job Evaluation team representative. If you would like to appeal the evaluation outcome, you should first discuss this with your line manager, you will then have a discussion as to why you feel the evaluation outcome is incorrect with a Job Evaluation team representative and either your line manager or trade union representative. 

The Job Evaluation team will explain the job evaluation methodology, rationale and how this applies to the evaluated job description. 

If after this discussion you or your line manager do not agree with the rationale provided, you can move on to stage two and pursue an external appeal stage.

Stage two - external

The second stage is an external appeal, an appeal may still be lodged without agreement from your line manager as final approval will be required from the Departmental SLT or specific nominee.

You must submit the external appeal (business as usual or under a service review) to your line manager by emailing the completed appeal form (available on MyStates​) together with the supporting evidence, including a job description or a comparator job description within 10 working days of receipt of the evaluation outcome.

Upon receipt of the appeal form, your line manager will provide their respective comments and sign the form before escalating it to the Departmental SLT for final sign off within 10 working days of receipt of the evaluation outcome, unless mutually agreed with the Job Evaluation team.

Before submitting the external appeal to the Job Evaluation team via the HR Business Partners or People Consultancy Services, Departmental SLT will assess whether the appeal is required. 

If the appeal is supported, they will approve the form and ask the HR Business Partners or People Consultancy Services to submit the appeal to the Job Evaluation team for consideration. They will also assess the impact of the external appeal appropriately prior to re-evaluation and decide whether multiple post holders should be linked to the same appeal.

If the appeal is not supported, the external appeal process ends with the Departmental SLT advising the line manager and the role holders of their decision.

The HR Business Partner or People Consultancy Services team will submit the external appeal paperwork to the Job Evaluation team by emailing j.evaluation@gov.je after approval by the Departmental SLT.

The Job Evaluation team will record the submission of the external appeal and check whether it meets the criteria for appeal. The original job description and paperwork received as part of the appeal will be sent for independent re-evaluation at the departments expense if the criteria are met, if not then the HR Business Partners or PCS will be advised that the criteria were not met and the appeal is rejected.

Once the re-evaluation result is received, the Job Evaluation Team will record the result and inform the HR Business Partners or People Consultancy Services team, Departmental SLT or their specific nominee, the line manager and the employee of the outcome.

The re-evaluation of the job description based on appeal documentation may result in a change to the overall job evaluation total score which places the post in a different grade, which can be higher or lower than the existing grade, or it may result in a change or no change to the overall job evaluation total score which is not sufficient to change the grade for the post.

The Job Evaluation Team will report the result back to HR Business Partners or People Consultancy Services team, Departmental SLT or their specific nominee, the line manager and the employee via email. 

This outcome is final and not subject to further review or appeal.

Individual or collective appeals

Individual or or more than one person can appeal.

Roles and responsibilities

Employees are responsible for:

• discussing the potential appeal with their line manager. They may still appeal if the line manager does not agree as the final approval will be required from the Departmental SLT or a specific nominee
  
• submitting the external appeal (business as usual or under a service review) to their line manager by emailing the completed appeal form which can be obtained from the Toolkit items, together with the supporting evidence within 10 working days of receipt of the evaluation outcome

Line managers are responsible for:

• confirming if they do or do not support the external appeal, providing respective comments in the appeal form and signing the form which they need to escalate to the Departmental SLT or the specific nominee for a final sign off within 10 working days of receipt of the evaluation outcome unless mutually agreed with the Job Evaluation team otherwise
  
• ensuring that the employee they manage is supported through the appeal process, and act as a point of advice and guidance
  
• ensuring that any changes to the employee's pay following the appeal re-evaluation outcome except for back pay or pay protection get processed by informing Payroll of the revised pay as necessary and with effect from the re-evaluation date
  

HR Business Partners or People Consultancy Services team are responsible for:

• ensuring employees, line managers and departmental or a specific nominee from the senior leadership team (SLT) are guided through the job evaluation process and act as a point of advice concerning the appeal process
  
• supporting the line manager and the employee with locating a comparator job description
  
• ensuring that backpay and pay protection changes to the employee's pay, following the appeal outcome, get processed, by informing Payroll and the relevant parties as necessary with effect from the re-evaluation date
  
• if following an appeal, an employee's post changes in terms of their positioning in the structure or their pay grade, HR Business Partners or People Consultancy Services team are responsible for ensuring these changes are actioned, such as, creating a new post or updating post details, by informing the People Link or the Connect team
  
• submitting the external appeal paperwork to the Job Evaluation team by emailing j.evaluation@gov.je if such appeal has been approved by the Departmental SLT or their specific nominee
  

Departmental SLT, or a specific nominee, are responsible for ensuring:

• discussing queries relating to the appeal process with HR Business Partners or People Consultancy Services team in the first instance to ensure that all employees in their departments are supported appropriately through the appeals process
  
• line managers are fully conversant with their duties and responsibilities under the appeals process
  
• the impact of the external appeal is assessed appropriately prior to the re-evaluation, whether they are unique or where multiple post holders should be linked to the same appeal
  
• before the external appeal is submitted to the Job Evaluation team via the HR Business Partners or People Consultancy Services team, they must assess whether the appeal is required. If the appeal is supported, they approve the form and ask the HR Business Partners or People Consultancy Services team to submit this appeal to the Job Evaluation Team for consideration. If this appeal is not supported, the external appeal process ends with the Departmental SLT advising the line manager and the role holders of their decision
  

The Trade Union representatives are responsible for:

• ​directing members to the appeals process guidance
  
• advising members of the criteria for appealing
  
• providing representation at the internal stage of appeal if requested by employees;
• participating in job evaluation training and refresher training, organised by the Job Evaluation team
  

The Job Evaluation team are responsible for:

• managing either internal or external stages of appeal as appropriate
  
• recording the submission of the external appeal (via forms) and checking whether the appeal meets the aforementioned criteria
  
• processing the external appeal and sending the original job description together with the received paperwork for independent re-evaluation if the aforementioned criteria are met or rejecting the appeal and advising HR Business Partners or People Consultancy Services team if the appeal criteria were not met
  
• quality assuring the re-evaluation outcome once the independent re-evaluation has been completed
  
• informing HR Business Partners or People Consultancy Services team, Departmental SLT or their specific nominee, the line manager and the employee (as reflected in the appeal form) of the outcome of their external stage of appeal by email. The communication will clearly state whether the result of the appeal has increased, stayed the same or decreased their grade with no further right to appeal