Job descriptions play a role in regulatory compliance both for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and for the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA):

• ADA: Under the ADA, a disabled individual must still be able to perform the “essential functions” of the job – with or without reasonable accommodations – to be protected. Employers who use job descriptions have the opportunity to set forth those essential job functions in writing – before a controversy ever arises. But, for the job description to be of value, it must accurately describe or list those essential job functions.
• FLSA: Under the FLSA, job descriptions play a key role in “exempt” versus “non-exempt” status. A job description can help support companies in determining whether or not jobs are exempt or non-exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act [overtime provisions].

Besides regulatory compliance, job descriptions are also very practical for internal program support:

• They allow employees and applicants to know the general nature of the work, responsibilities and duties.
• They allow both employees and supervisors to connect duties with outcomes and accountabilities during performance evaluations.
• They can be a tool to understand career development and progression, which also supports the talent management and succession planning processes.

Job Descriptions
Administration