United States

Office of Personnel Management

Office of Merit Systems Oversight and Effectiveness

Digest of Significant Classification Decisions and Opinions

September 1984

No. 05-01

Standards:	All

Factor:	N/A

Issue:	Impact of the person on the job.

Identification of the Classification Issue

This issue arose in a position classification appeal decided by the Office of Personnel Management. The issue was whether or not the unusual competence of an incumbent can have a grade-enhancing impact on the classification of the position involved.

Resolution

The concept of the "impact of the man on a job" is addressed under that heading in the General Introduction, Background, and Instructions of the Position Classification Standards. This concept holds that, by virtue of exceptional competence, an incumbent may have such an impact on the duties, responsibilities, and qualification requirements of a position that it is changed to the point where its classification must also be changed. Since the position itself is changed, this change must be reflected in the official position description. The "impact of the man on the job" is reflected in classification only "when and because it actually makes the job materially different than it otherwise would have been." (Emphasis in the General Introduction, Background, and Instructions of the Position-Classification Standards.)

Although in this appeal case both the appellant and his supervisor certified that the position description was accurate, the appellant argued that his unique background enabled him to perform his assigned duties better than anyone else. However, in terms of the proficiency of an individual, such impact is properly recognized in the performance evaluation and ratings process and through the incentive awards program.

In comparing the appellant's official position description to controlling classification standards, the Office of Personnel Management found that his duties, responsibilities, and qualification requirements did not warrant a higher grade when compared to the grade levels described in the standard. Thus, the appeal was denied.

(This item is published primarily to identify the issue and direct attention to the detailed guidance in the General Introduction, Background, and Instructions of the Position-Classification Standards.)