United States
Office of Personnel Management




Office of Merit Systems Oversight and Effectiveness
Digest of Significant Classification Decisions and Opinions
December 2001
Article No. 27-04


Standard:	Safety and Occupational Health Management, GS-018 (August 
1981)
Factor:	N/A 
Issue:	Position title

Identification of the Classification Issue

The appellant’s position was classified to the Safety and Occupational Health 
Management Series, GS-018, and was titled Safety and Occupational Health 
Manager.  The appellant requested an upgrade, but OPM found no evidence to 
support it.  During our review, however, we determined that the agency had 
incorrectly titled the position.  

Resolution

The appellant served as a regional occupational safety and health officer.  Her 
responsibilities involved developing and administering the total safety and 
occupational health program, including those elements unique to the installation 
and other serviced commands and activities. She exercised full supervisory 
responsibilities for professional, technical, and administrative employees.

OPM found that the title of the appellant’s position was incorrect.  The title Safety 
and Occupational Health Manager is appropriate for positions responsible for 
planning, organizing, directing, operating, and evaluating a safety and 
occupational health program for an entire agency or subordinate level.  The title 
Supervisory Safety and Occupational Health Specialist is the correct title for 
positions which meet the criteria of the General Schedule Supervisory Guide 
(GSSG) for evaluation as a supervisor.  Although the appellant had regional 
program responsibility, she also had full supervisory responsibilities for a staff.  
Because the grade level of her position was determined by reference to the GSSG, 
OPM found that the title prescribed in the standard for supervisory positions, 
Supervisory Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, was the appropriate title.

“Back to the Basics”

Official position titles are assigned in accordance with titling instructions 
prescribed in the governing position classification standard.  These titles are used 
to properly identify positions for various administrative and recordkeeping 
purposes (e.g., the maintenance of governmentwide statistics on categories of 
positions.)  However, this does not preclude agencies from constructing 
organizational titles that they believe are more descriptive or appropriate for local 
circumstances.  These organizational titles can be used both internally and for 
official program business in lieu of the official position title.  The distinction 
between official position titles and organizational titles should be explained to 
employees who perceive that the official position title implies a lesser stature than 
the organizational title.


Link to C-0018-12-03



Digest of Significant Classification Decisions and Opinions, No. 27, December 2001