D. Duties and Responsibilities

In order of importance, describe the principal responsibilities. Include the percentage of time devoted to each responsibility. The total percentage must equal 100 percent. The described duties must correlate with the other sections of the description, i.e., Job Summary, Salary, Zone Definition Factors, Minimum Qualification Requirements and Physical Requirements.

  • Write in a consistent format.
  • Use clear and concise language.
  • Use present tense, action verbs to begin each item.
  • Avoid gender-based language.
  • Avoid unnecessary words.
    Example: “Transports inter-office mail to locations throughout facility.”

To meet the legal requirements of ADA, identify essential functions of the job. ADA defines essential functions as:

  1. the reason the job exists,
  2. a limited number of employees available to distribute work, or
  3. functions are highly specialized and require expertise.

As a general guideline, any single duty/task that occupies 20 percent or more of the incumbent's time is considered essential. Place an asterisk “*” next to all duties considered to be essential.