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Table of Contents

• Statement of Policy
• Reason for Policy
• Who Should Know This Policy
• Related Documents
• Contacts
• Procedures
• Responsibilities
• History
• Official Documentation

Statement of Policy

Human Resource Services classifies administrative, professional, clerical, and service positions to ensure compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and to provide for appropriate assignment of duties, pay, and benefits.

Reason for Policy

This policy defines the classifications used at Purdue University for exempt and non-exempt administrative and professional staff.

Who Should Know This Policy

Related Documents

Executive Memorandum C-13, "Benefits for Part-Time Faculty and Administrative and Professional Staff"

Contacts

Procedures

Staff Classifications

The following terms and definitions are used to identify the administrative and professional staff groups according to their duties and responsibilities.

The above classifications are used for positions not otherwise classified as Faculty, Instructional, Research, Extension, etc., or as Clerical and Service.

Management or Professional Staff

In this staff classification, there are two types of positions.

Management positions are those duties and responsibilities involved in the management of departments and organizational units. These duties include fiscal management, personnel administration, plant operation, student and public service, and/or related activities. Typical responsibilities which are found in these positions are:

• selecting, training, and supervising other exempt and non-exempt personnel;
• determining techniques and methods of operations;
• developing goals and controlling operations;
• determining materials and supplies;
• coordinating the work of one organizational unit with managerial staff in other units; and
• determining or assisting in the development of policies and procedures.

Excluded from this staff classification are positions with primary responsibility for the immediate supervision of the work force of an organizational unit (e.g., foreman, first line supervisor, etc.)

Professional positions are those with duties and responsibilities requiring knowledge of an advanced type in a field of science or learning acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction as distinguished from a general education. The work performed must require the consistent exercise of discretion and independent judgment and must be predominantly intellectual and varied in character. Positions that have duties and responsibilities requiring work that is original and creative in character in a recognized field of artistic endeavor, the result of which depends primarily on the invention, imagination, or talent of the employee are also classified as professional positions.

All Management and Professional positions must be exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Administrative and Supervisory Staff or Professional Assistant Staff

Positions in the Administrative and Supervisory staff classification are those with duties and responsibilities involving the performance of exempt staff administrative activities as defined in the Fair Labor Standards Act, and/or the direct supervision of the work force of a recognized unit, The primary duties and responsibilities of the staff administrative positions consist of carrying out the non-manual work that is of substantial importance to the management or operation of the unit. These positions require exercise of discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance.

Supervisory positions involve the direct supervision of the work force of a recognized unit including:

• directing the work of at least two full-time employees or their equivalent;
• assigning and apportioning work among these employees; and
• hiring, firing, and otherwise affecting the status of employees (or making recommendations in these matters which are given particular weight).

Typical duties and responsibilities of supervisory positions include interviewing and selecting employees; adjusting rates of pay and hours of work in accordance with University policies and procedures; maintaining records pertinent to the supervisory activities; training or causing the training of employees in the organizational unit; planning and assigning work; controlling material, supplies, and machinery; and providing for the safety of employees and property.

Professional Assistant positions have duties and responsibilities involving specialized or technical work requiring specific education, experience, and knowledge in professional, semi-professional, or technical fields; or in work that requires invention, imagination, originality, or talent in a recognized field of artistic or creative endeavor.

Persons in these positions must exercise discretion and independent judgment in carrying out the operations and activities of Instructional, Research, or Management staff. All positions in the Administrative and Supervisory and the Professional Assistant classifications must be exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Operations Assistant Staff or Technical Assistant Staff

In this non-exempt staff classification, there are two types of positions.

Operations Assistant positions may perform some of the duties and responsibilities outlined for the Administrative and Supervisory Staff or Professional Assistant Staff, but the primary focus is on the same, similar, and/or related duties of other non-supervisory, non-administrative, and non-managerial employees in the unit. In some instances, the Operations Assistant may exercise functional supervision over non-exempt individuals in a specified part of a recognized unit without the full authority of a supervisor.

Technical Assistant staff positions are generally associated with professional or research work but do not qualify for exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act because:

• the work is not original or creative in character in a recognized field of artistic endeavor;
• the work does not require knowledge of an advanced type in a field of science or learning customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction and study; and/or
• the primary focus of the position involves performing "non-exempt" work, rather than exempt work.

These staff classifications are for non-exempt positions which contain a higher portion of exempt duties than clerical and service positions, but which do not meet the requirements for exempt status as defined by the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Staff Benefits

Management Staff or Professional Staff

(To be administered according to provisions outlined in Executive Memorandum C-13)

Administrative and Supervisory Staff or Professional Assistant Staff

(To be administered according to provisions outlined in Executive Memorandum C-13)

Operations Assistant Staff or Technical Assistant Staff

(To be administered according to provisions outlined in Executive Memorandum C-13)

Responsibilities

Human Resource Services has the responsibility to determine exemption status and therefore to determine the appropriate classification of positions.

History

Modification of Titles:
Amended:
Supersedes: Business Office Memorandum No. 133

Official Documentation

The Fair Labor Standards Act