These pages summarize the Federal position classification appeals process. Throughout these pages, "you" refers to a current Federal employee, "we" or "us" refers to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and "classification appeal" refers to classification appeals by General Schedule (GS) employees and job grading appeals by Federal Wage System (FWS) employees.
The decisions posted on these pages provide useful occupational information, classification analysis, factor level accreditation patterns, and interpretations of the governing criteria. As a classification or job grading standard or guide is updated, classification appeal decisions issued using the old standard or guide may be deleted.
You must file a classification or job grading appeal in writing.
Earlier Decisions
Earlier classification appeal decisions (pre-1997) are not available electronically. Paper copies of decisions still in our system of records may be obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. Submit the request to: Classification and Pay Claims Program Manager, Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street, NW, Room 6484, Washington, DC 20415-6000. The request should state that it is a Freedom of Information Act request and describe the requested decisions by occupational series and grade(s), the time period, and if applicable, the agency. For example, "All decisions for GS-0318 positions at grades 6 and 7 in the Department of Agriculture from 1995 to the present."
How to Use Our Classification Appeals Decisions
The classification appeal decisions posted on these pages do not substitute for or add to position classification or job grading standards and guides and are not "case law." Further, these decisions should not be used as the basis for other classification determinations for two reasons. First, section 5107 of title 5, United States Code, prohibits the classification of positions on the basis of position-to-position comparisons. Second, these decisions do not provide enough information for direct application in the classification of other positions.
Cautions
These decisions are provided with the following cautionary notes:
You must keep in mind that the decisions are taken out of context. Neither the actual position description nor the appeal case file is provided to supplement the decision.
Each decision relates to a specific position and may not provide an appropriate basis for extrapolation to other positions.
Each decision provides an interpretation of classification standards and guides in force at the time the case was decided appropriate for the circumstances of the position in question. This interpretation may not be appropriate for other positions given the different ways similar work may be accomplished, alternative interpretations of the flexibilities that may be allowed in the classification standards and guides, and the specific conditions associated with the work of the position being considered.
Deleted Information
Some information in these classification appeal decisions, such as the appellant's name and organizational information that might identify the appellant, has been deleted under exemption 6 of the Freedom of Information Act (section 552(b)(6) of title 5, United States Code). Exemption 6 allows information in personnel and medical files to be withheld if disclosing the information would be a "clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy." Text in brackets indicates where information has been withheld under this exemption, for example [appellant's name] or [appellant's supervisor].
OPM Decision Numbers
An OPM decision number identifies decisions. The 12-character decision number is made up of C (for classification appeal), 4 digits for the OPM-certified occupational series of the position, 2 digits for the OPM-certified grade of the position, and 2 digits for the number of the decision for that particular series and grade.
For example, the decision number C-0802-11-02 indicates that it is a classification appeal decision for a position in the 0802 Engineering Technician occupational series at the grade 11 level and is the second decision issued with that series and grade determination.
If the grade is 00 or the series is 0000, that indicates we made a determination on only the series or the pay system; that is, whether the position should be in the Federal Wage System or the General Schedule.
The Order of Decisions
The decisions in the General Schedule, Federal Wage System and Pay System tables are listed in numerical order by occupational series and within series by grade.
Outcome Entries
The following entries describe our classification appeal decision. If the OPM-certified pay system or occupational series or grade differs from the pay system or occupational series or grade assigned to the position by the agency, we note only what the difference is.
- No Change
- The OPM-certified pay system, occupational series, and grade matches the pay system, occupational series, and grade assigned to the position by the agency.
- New Pay System
- The OPM-certified pay system differs from the pay system assigned to the position by the agency.
- New Series
- The OPM-certified series differs from the series assigned to the position assigned by the agency.
- Upgraded
- The OPM-certified grade is higher than the grade assigned to the position by the agency.
- Downgraded
- The OPM-certified grade is lower than the grade assigned to the position by the agency.
About Grade Changes
Although the OPM-certified grade may be higher or lower than the grade assigned by the agency, this does not necessarily mean the grade of the employee in the position will automatically go up or down. An agency has a number of options available to it when complying with an OPM classification decision. Regardless of our decision, the employee's agency still has full control over the assignment of duties to a position and who performs those duties. Any personnel action affecting an employee resulting from our classification appeal decision will be taken by the employee's agency.
Questions
Because of the detailed information required and the fact finding and analysis work we must do in a classification appeal case, we cannot respond to specific questions about your individual situation. Specific questions about your own position should be addressed to your agency's human resources office. If you have general questions about a particular classification appeal decision, please contact the OPM office serving your area. This highlighted link will take you to the addresses, telephone numbers, and service areas of our offices that provide classification appeal information and accept classification appeals.
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