The right to appeal classification and job grading decisions to OPM is codified at 5 U.S.C. §§ 5112(b) and 5346(c) and implemented at 5 C.F.R. pts. 511 and 532. OPM administers the adjudication of classification appeals under 5 U.S.C. chs. 51 and 53 and 5 C.F.R. pts. 511 and 532. These authorities establish the classification system for Federal positions and outline the processes and procedures for filing classification appeals and establish OPM's authority to issue final, binding decisions.

The OPM Position Classification Standards define the criteria used to determine occupational series, titles, grade levels, and job responsibilities.

OPM's position classification and job grading appeal decisions are legally binding on agencies, helping to ensure government-wide consistency in position classification and job grading.

1. A classification appeal is a request by a General Schedule (GS) employee.
2. A job grading appeal is a request by a Federal Wage System (FWS) employee or an agency for OPM to review the classification of a position.

Appellants are encouraged to file classification or job grading appeals, in writing. See Filing Instructions (see Filing Instructions tab).

Caveats

This site explains the position classification appeals process available to current employees of the United States Government. Former employees of the United States Government may not file a classification appeal.

The Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations, published by the National Archives and Records Administration, remain the official sources for regulations published by OPM. OPM's regulations for classification appeals for General Schedule (GS) employees are in subpart F of part 511 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations. Regulations for job grading appeals for Federal Wage System (FWS) employees are in subpart G of part 532 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations.

Questions

For general questions about the OPM classification appeal and decision process, please contact OPM at Adjudications@opm.gov or (202) 606-7948.

We cannot respond to specific questions about individual cases. Specific questions about your position should be addressed to your agency's human resources office.

Representatives

You may have a representative to help you prepare and submit your appeal case, but the representative cannot be someone with management or classification authority over your position. In addition, the representative must be designated in writing. It must be supported by a duly executed power of attorney or other documentary evidence of the representative's right to act for the claimant.

See appendix 4, part G, section 6 of the Introduction to Position Classification Standards for more information on employee representatives.

Submission Requirements

If you decide to submit a classification appeal to OPM, it should contain the following information:

• Your name, email address, mailing address, and commercial office telephone number;
• The names, email addresses, mailing addresses, and commercial office telephone number of your representatives, if applicable;
• The present classification of your position and the requested classification;
• The name of the department or agency and the office in which you work;
• The name, mailing and email address, and telephone number of the servicing Human Resources representative having classification authority over the appealed position;
• The city where you are employed and the installation's mailing address;
• A copy of your official position description and either a statement affirming that it is accurate or a detailed explanation of the inaccuracies and an explanation of the efforts made to correct the position description;
• Any additional information about the position that will aid in understanding it; and
• Arguments supporting the requested classification by referencing the appropriate classification standards.

Federal Wage System (FWS) Employees

If you are a FWS employee, you must first appeal to your agency. If you are dissatisfied with your agency's determination, you may then appeal to OPM.

Your appeal to OPM must be filed within 15 calendar days of the date you receive your agency's decision. You must specify the part of your agency's decision with which you disagree. OPM may extend the time limit for filing if circumstances beyond your control prevented you from filing within 15 days, or if you were not notified of, or were otherwise unaware of, the 15-day time limit.

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OPM Fact Finding

Our appeal decision is based on information supplied by you and your agency. OPM does not conduct appeal hearings.

As part of our fact-finding, OPM may contact and interview you, your supervisor, and may contact other people (e.g., others in supervision, other peers, and other subject matter experts in and outside your organization) to verify or clarify information relevant to your appeal.

When OPM conducts fact-finding, it is important that you explain your major duties and responsibilities and how your position supports your organization’s mission. Major duties and responsibilities include your current regular and recurring duties, responsibilities, and authorities you are assigned and actually perform. Be accurate and complete when describing your work.

Effective Dates and Back Pay

A retroactive effective date may be required only if the employee is wrongfully demoted. Retroactivity may be based only on duties and responsibilities existing, at the time of demotion, and cannot be based on duties and responsibilities assigned later.

For the decision to be made retroactive, the employee is required to appeal the classification to either the agency or OPM, within 15 calendar days after the effective date of the reclassification action. Exceptions to the time limit are noted in 5 C.F.R. § 511.703(d).

Caveats

This site explains the position classification appeals process available to current employees of the United States Government. Former employees of the United States Government may not file a classification appeal.

The Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations, published by the National Archives and Records Administration, remain the official sources for regulations published by OPM. OPM’s regulations for classification appeals for General Schedule (GS) employees are in subpart F of part 511 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations. Regulations for job grading appeals for Federal Wage System (FWS) employees are in subpart G of part 532 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations.

The decisions posted on OPM.gov provide useful occupational information, classification analysis, factor level accreditation patterns, and interpretations of the governing criteria. As a classification or job grading standard or guide is updated, classification appeal decisions issued using the old standard or guide may be deleted.

• Federal Wage System Decisions
• Pay System – Post 2012
• Pay System – Pre-2012

The decisions in the General Schedule, Federal Wage System, and Pay System tables are listed in numerical order by occupational series and within series by grade.

How to Use Our Classification Appeal Decisions

The classification appeal decisions posted on this website should be considered as contextual examples on how OPM applies current guidelines. OPM decisions can be used by agencies to help understand classification guidance and how to appropriately apply them to like, same, or similar duties, responsibilities, and authorities.

These decisions are provided with the following caveats:

• Although OPM's classification appeal decisions offer useful insight into how current standards and guides have been applied, they do not replace official position classification or job grading standards or guides, and they are not "case law" or intended to serve as the sole basis for other classification decisions. Section 5107 of title 5, United States Code, also prohibits the classification of positions based on position-to-position comparisons. In addition, decisions may not include sufficient information for direct application to other positions.
• The decisions posted on this site are provided without full context. Neither the actual position description nor the appeal case file is provided to supplement the decision.
• Each decision relates to a specific position and may not provide an appropriate basis to draw conclusions for other positions.
• Each decision reflects an interpretation of the applicable classification standards and guides in effect at the time the case was decided and appropriate for the circumstances of the position in question. That interpretation may not be appropriate for other positions, given the different ways similar work may be performed, alternative interpretations of the flexibilities allowed in the standards, and the specific conditions associated with the work of other positions.

OPM Decision Numbers

An OPM decision number uniquely identifies a classification appeal and is different from the appellant's assigned case number.

The 12-character decision number consists of:

• "C" for classification appeal;
• Four digits for the OPM-certified occupational series;
• Two digits for the OPM-certified grade; and
• Two digits identifying the sequence number of the decision for that series and grade.

For example, the decision number C-0802-11-02 identifies a classification appeal decision for a position in the 0802 Engineering Technician occupational series at the GS-11 level and is the second decision issued for that series and grade.

If the grade is 00 or the series is 0000, that indicates the decision concerns only the series or the pay system; that is, whether the position should be in the Federal Wage System or the General Schedule.

Outcome Entries

The following entries describe classification appeal decisions. If the OPM-certified pay system, occupational series, or grade differs from the pay system, occupational series, or grade assigned to the position by the agency, the difference is noted.

• No Change: The OPM-certified pay system, occupational series, and grade match the pay system, occupational series, and grade assigned to the position by the agency.
• New Pay System: The OPM-certified pay system differs from the pay system assigned to the position by the agency.
• New Series: The OPM-certified series differs from the series assigned to the position assigned by the agency.
• Upgraded: The OPM-certified grade is higher than the grade assigned to the position by the agency.
• Downgraded: The OPM-certified grade is lower than the grade assigned to the position by the agency.