Worksheet_Job Requirements

In plain language: Names the job title, department, location, employment type, and position control number so the role is unambiguously identified in the organization's records.

Common mistake: Using a working title that differs from the payroll system title — this creates classification mismatches in HRIS records and complicates EEOC reporting.

In plain language: A two-to-four sentence overview of the role's primary purpose and the organizational context in which it operates.

Common mistake: Writing the position summary as a marketing pitch rather than a functional description — language like 'exciting opportunity' has no legal or operational value in this document.

In plain language: An itemized list of the core tasks the employee must perform, each expressed as a duty statement with an approximate percentage of time, establishing the legal basis for accommodation analysis.

Common mistake: Listing every conceivable task without distinguishing essential from non-essential duties. This undermines ADA/accommodation analysis and exposes the organization to discrimination claims.

In plain language: Secondary tasks that support the role but could be reassigned as a reasonable accommodation without compromising core performance.

Common mistake: Omitting this section entirely. Without a documented non-essential functions list, every listed duty is presumed essential by default, narrowing accommodation options unnecessarily.

In plain language: Separates the non-negotiable education, experience, certifications, and skills from the preferred attributes that differentiate candidates — each requirement tied to a business necessity rationale.

Common mistake: Setting degree requirements for roles where the actual work does not require a degree — courts and regulators have found blanket degree requirements to have disparate impact on protected classes without supporting business necessity.

In plain language: Identifies the direct supervisor title, any dotted-line reporting relationships, and the number and titles of any direct reports to establish chain of command.

Common mistake: Listing a person's name rather than a title. When the incumbent changes, the document becomes inaccurate and must be re-executed.

In plain language: States the FLSA (or equivalent) exemption status, the pay type (salary or hourly), and the approved compensation band — establishing budget authorization and equal-pay compliance documentation.

Common mistake: Marking a role as exempt without verifying it meets the applicable salary threshold and duties test. Misclassification under FLSA triggers back pay, liquidated damages, and civil penalties.

In plain language: Documents the physical requirements of the role — lifting, sitting, standing, travel — and any environmental conditions (noise, temperature, outdoor work) relevant to safety and accommodation planning.

Common mistake: Inflating physical requirements to discourage disabled applicants. Requirements must reflect what the job genuinely demands; overstating them is an ADA/disability-discrimination risk.

In plain language: Records the signatures and dates of the hiring manager, HR representative, and where required, a finance or legal approver — confirming the requirements have been reviewed and authorized before recruiting begins.

Common mistake: Beginning recruitment before all required sign-offs are obtained. An unauthorized job posting that later requires revision mid-search creates candidate-expectation liability and wastes sourcing spend.

A job requirements worksheet is a formal internal document that defines every material element of a position before recruiting begins — including essential duties, required qualifications, reporting structure, compensation band, FLSA classification, and physical demands. It serves as the authoritative reference for job postings, employment contracts, performance evaluations, and accommodation analysis under disability laws. Unlike a public-facing job description, it is an internal compliance and operational document requiring management authorization.

No federal or provincial law mandates a specific job requirements worksheet format, but having one is strongly advisable for legal defensibility. The ADA, Title VII, and equivalent statutes require employers to demonstrate that hiring criteria are tied to genuine business necessity. A completed, authorized worksheet provides that documentation. Without it, employers defending a hiring decision or accommodation denial must reconstruct their rationale after the fact — a much weaker legal position.

A job requirements worksheet is an internal planning and compliance document completed before recruiting begins. It includes FLSA classification, compensation band, physical demands analysis, and the essential/non-essential duty distinction — all fields an employer needs for legal defensibility but would not publish externally. A job description is the outward-facing document derived from the worksheet and posted to job boards or given to candidates. The worksheet drives the description, not the other way around.

At minimum, the hiring manager and an HR representative should sign before recruiting begins. Organizations with formal headcount approval processes typically also require a finance or department-head sign-off to confirm the position is budgeted. For roles with significant compliance exposure — healthcare, financial services, roles with physical demands — a legal or compliance reviewer should also authorize the document before posting. All signatures should be dated.

The ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities unless doing so causes undue hardship. A qualified individual is one who can perform the essential functions of the job with or without accommodation. A completed worksheet that clearly distinguishes essential from non-essential functions gives HR and legal a documented baseline for evaluating accommodation requests — making it far easier to demonstrate that a specific task is truly essential and cannot be reassigned.

Yes — and it should be. Many organizations only create worksheets for new roles and neglect existing positions. Completing or refreshing a worksheet when a vacancy opens is a best practice: it forces the organization to confirm whether the prior role description still reflects current duties, whether qualifications need updating, and whether the compensation band remains competitive. Courts have found that outdated job requirements documents weaken an employer's defense in discrimination claims.

The FLSA recognizes several white-collar exemption categories: executive, administrative, professional (learned and creative), outside sales, and computer employee. Each has a specific duties test plus the current salary-level threshold (updated periodically by the DOL). A role must satisfy both the salary test and the applicable duties test to be classified as exempt. Roles that meet only one test — for example, high pay but administrative duties not meeting the exemption criteria — must be classified as non-exempt.

Specific enough to support an accommodation analysis and a genuine assessment of whether a candidate can perform the role. Use standardized frequency terms (never, occasionally up to 33%, frequently 34–66%, continuously 67–100%) and measured values (lift up to 30 lbs from floor to waist). Vague language like 'must be physically fit' is both legally meaningless and a potential discrimination trigger. A good practice is to have a current incumbent or direct supervisor validate the physical demands before the document is finalized.

EEOC regulations require employers to retain personnel and employment records for at least one year from the date of the personnel action. For positions involving federal contracts, the retention period may extend to three years under OFCCP requirements. As a practical matter, many employment lawyers recommend retaining the worksheet for the duration of the employee's tenure plus at least two to three years after separation, as discrimination and wage-hour claims can be filed years after the hiring decision.