• They outline the basics for a given position–the job duties and responsibilities, the necessary qualifications, and the reporting structure.
• They give your employees a written blueprint for success on the job.
• They set clear expectations for what you need from your workers.

On the other hand, job descriptions are also the first place plaintiffs’ lawyers look when they’re trying to build a case against your organization. In today’s economy, they can quickly become outdated and give workers an inaccurate picture of what’s required on the job (especially if you’ve gone through recent layoffs or reductions in force).

If your job descriptions don’t match the ways you’ve classified employees for overtime purposes, you could face big fines and penalties. And, even minor disagreements over the wording in these descriptions could lead to confusion over issues such as promotions and seniority.

Order this practical audio conference recording, where you’ll learn:

• The basic do’s and don’ts for preparing effective job descriptions that won’t cause legal issues down the road
• A checklist of the elements that should be included in every job description
• How to conduct a top-to-bottom review of your existing job descriptions (using job analysis techniques and other tools), and how often you should repeat this process
• Why you should review job descriptions now if you’ve recently laid off, furloughed, or terminated employees
• The steps you should take, from start to finish, when you create new job descriptions from scratch
• The red flags in job descriptions that could cost you big in a lawsuit
• Why your current job descriptions may not match the way you’re treating employees in terms of overtime pay and benefits–and what you need to do to fix this immediately
• The most common errors employers make with creating and maintaining job descriptions–and how to avoid them

Joseph L. Beachboard, Esq., is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, PC, one of America’s largest labor and employment law firms. A longtime employment and labor relations attorney, he speaks regularly before human resource, personnel, and employer groups on cutting-edge employment law topics. He is a founding member and the executive director of the Management Employment Law Roundtable, a nationwide, invitation-only organization of management labor and employment attorneys. He earned his law degree at Vanderbilt University School of Law.

Approved for Recertification Credit

This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org.

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