Dawn Krueger, CSC Docket No. 2022-2301

BackgroundDawn Krueger appeals the decision of the Division of Agency Services (Agency Services) which found that her position with the Department of the Treasury is properly classified as Administrative Assistant 3. She seeks a Senior Management Assistant job classification in this proceeding.

The appellant was appointed to the Administrative Assistant 3 title on August 17, 2017. Subsequently, she requested a classification review of her position located in the Print Shop, Division of Administration, Department of the Treasury. The appellant reports to a Chief Central Reprographics and Printing Control and does not have supervisory responsibilities. A telephone audit was conducted by Agency Services with the appellant and her supervisor. This review found that the appellant’s assigned duties and responsibilities were commensurate with the title of Administrative Assistant 3. Accordingly, Agency Services determined the proper classification of the position was Administrative Assistant 3.

Appellant's argumentOn appeal, the appellant argues that she acts as a principal assistant on administrative matters to both Chiefs Central Reprographics and Printing Control that are in the unit. She states that she resolves payroll discrepancies and prepares memos for receiving parties, tracks staff absences, schedules and sets up interviews for personnel, ensures orders are accurate for proper billing and verifies shipping. The appellant also indicated that she acts as training coordinator and informs staff of applicable programs, gathers data reports, locates customer orders in the database, and finalizes work orders and UPS transactions. Additionally, she presents that she resolves order discrepancies and customer complaints, instructs clerical staff on order processing, maintains the database and produces reports from it, assists with staff work log sheets, made a recommendation regarding including insurance on UPS orders, and maintains employee, payroll, order and lateness report files.

CONCLUSION

RuleN.J.A.C. 4A:3-3.9(e) states that in classification appeals the appellant shall provide copies of all materials submitted, the determination received from the lower level, statements as to which if portions of the determination are being disputed, and the basis for appeal. Information and/or argument which was not presented at the prior level of appeal shall not be considered.

The definition section of the job specification for Administrative Assistant 3 states:

Assists the head of a Bureau or Service in a State department, institution, or agency by performing and coordinating administrative support services; does other related work.

The definition section of the job specification for Senior Management Assistant states:

Under direction of a supervisory official in a State department, institution, or agency, coordinates management or administrative activities of an assigned area or unit of work; does other related duties.

AnalysisA review of the duties of the appellant’s position indicates that they more closely match the job description for Administrative Assistant 3 than Senior Management Assistant. The outcome of position classification is not to provide a career path to the incumbents, but rather is to ensure that the position is classified in the most appropriate title available within the state’s classification plan. See In the Matter of Patricia Lightsey (MSB, decided June 8, 2005), aff’d on reconsideration (MSB, decided November 22, 2005). Further, volume of work or how well or efficiently an employee does his or her job, their length of service, and their qualifications have no effect on the classification of a position currently occupied, as positions, not employees, are classified. Also, the fact that some of an employee’s assigned duties may compare favorably with some examples of work found in a given job specification is not determinative for classification purposes, since, by nature, examples of work are utilized for illustrative purposes only. Moreover, it is not uncommon for an employee to perform some duties which are above or below the level of work which is ordinarily performed.

The Administrative Assistant series was created to classify positions responsible for performing a variety of duties to relieve the executive officer of administrative details relative to the internal operation of the unit, and coordinating support services to insure the availability and efficient use of resources needed to accomplish the goal of the unit. They are involved in providing technical information, liaising with other units, collecting data and information, verifying completeness of information, preparing requests and forms, researching information for projects, budget and accounting recordkeeping, chronicling and communicating policies, collecting personnel data and providing reports, investigating and making recommendations for solutions to administrative problems, coordinating fiscal procedures, services, and personnel activities, making sure that expenditures are in accordance with the allocation of funds, and coordinating movement (computerized and manual) of office operations such as office space and office equipment. This is not a super-clerical or paraprofessional title, but belongs in the professional class, and the incumbent acts as principal assistant to the executive on administrative matters.

The Senior Management Assistant acts as an assistant to a Manager, not in a supportive or secretarial function, but rather, relieve the Manager of detail-oriented and time-consuming professional tasks. At this point it is illustrative to indicate that managerial experience includes formulating the performance directives and implementing them, holding effective authority over people, budgets and equipment, and directing work towards specific goals and planned objectives. The Manager plans overall work operations, sets performance standards, establishes priorities for subordinates, devises and plans methods and procedures to be used, and establishes deadlines. A Manager prepares estimates needed for budgeting and for workforce planning, and supervises the activities of subordinates as well as performs supervisory duties of supervisors of supervisors.

The Senior Management Assistant performs work independently and has responsibility for insuring completion of work, or has responsibility for an entire program or activity, under the direction of a Manager. The Senior Management Assistant oversees workloads and work performance, recommends changes in assignments, procedures, equipment or practices, estimates future workloads, and makes recommendations for changes to assignments, procedures, equipment or practices. Work is typically assigned on a project basis and generally does not involve the recurring or repetitive review of information or data. The incumbent provides administrative services to more than one manager on a regular basis, and has a high degree of responsibility for making recommendations to management involving complex administrative procedural or operational problems or processes, and may be responsible for implementing those actions.

On the Position Classification Questionnaire she submitted to Agency Services, the appellant stated that for 25% of her time, she reviews completed orders for accuracy and completion, closes out orders in the database, and forwards them to billing; for 20% of her time, she instructs clerical staff in order processing and payments, provides advice to them, ensures requests are processed, searches the database for prior orders, compares requests, and alerts management of information needed or orders on file; for 15% of the time, she maintains the eCATS timekeeping system for the 22 person unit; for 10% of the time, she liaises with payroll and human resources, maintains personnel files, and provides guidance and advice to employees regarding personnel matters; for 10% of the time, she investigates and resolves customer complaints by comparing orders to completed work and notifying management; for 10% of the time, she performs database management for customer accounts, and summarizes information in reports; for 5% of the time, she tracks shipments; and for the remaining 5% of the time, she schedules and tracks the training of staff of the unit.

These duties do not rise to the level and scope of those required for a Senior Management Assistant. The appellant works for two Chiefs. According to the organizational chart, there is one Director of Administration, two Chiefs, Central Repographics and Printing Control, and the appellant and one Printing Machine Operator 1 report to these supervisors. The remaining staff in the unit consist of 17 individuals in the Printing Machine Operator and Printing Operations Technician title series. There is no other clerical support position reporting directly to either Chief, nor to the Director. As such, even though the position assists two Chiefs, the unit is small, and the position is not regularly assigned to special projects or responsible for complex administrative services in support of managers.

Additionally, the position has been classified based on a description of the primary focus, including a review of the most important and most frequent duties. Job specifications are not intended to be all inclusive or restrictive since job specifications are intended to be utilized throughout State and local service. They are not prepared with the intent to classify a singular position. The fact that a job description includes tasks not performed by an employee or the fact that the employee performs tasks not specifically listed in a job description is not, in itself, evidence of position misclassification. The Examples of Work on the job specification for Administrative Assistant 3 are not all-inclusive of the appellant’s duties, but the duties of the position are accurately described therein. The appellant primarily provides administrative support services consistent with that title.

The Senior Management Assistant has responsibility for insuring completion of work, or has responsibility for an entire program or activity as a primary function. The Senior Management Assistant oversees workloads, recommends changes in assignments, procedures, equipment or practices, and estimates the need for work. It is required to oversee work performance, make changes in assignments, estimate future workloads, or make recommendations for changes to assignments, procedures, equipment or practices. These aspects are not evident in the documentation provided. The position has no responsibility or accountability for budgets, purchases, accounts or other financial transactions. The work is not typically assigned on a project basis, and involves the recurring or repetitive review of information or data. Additionally, the appellant performs tasks and duties which are not at the level and scope of a Senior Management Assistant. For example, entering data in a tracking system, finding and disseminating information, collecting data, maintaining records and files, and tracking shipments, are not tasks assigned to a Senior Management Assistant. The appellant has not established that she performs professional level managerial assistant work.

Accordingly, a thorough review of the entire record fails to establish that Dawn Krueger has presented a sufficient basis to warrant a Senior Management Assistant classification of her position.

ORDER

Therefore, the position of Dawn Krueger is properly classified as an Administrative Assistant 3.

ClosingThis is the final administrative determination in this matter. Any further review should be pursued in a judicial forum.