Job codes

Overview

Position job codes are required on positions. Job codes are organized as a tree, so you can build job code families, classifications, or other groupings that match your organization. Values such as default wage rates and adjustments can flow down the job code tree, allowing shared settings to apply to lower-level job codes.

You can use the job code tree to build your list of job code families, classifications, or organizational divisions. FTE Tree also lets you assign a position at any level of the tree. For example, if you have a job class called “Financial Analysts” with levels I, II, and III, but you are not sure which level to staff yet, add a default wage rate to “Financial Analysts” and allow positions to be assigned there. If users know the exact level, they can attach positions directly to that level.

When you first set up your organization, a default 'Organization Default' job code is created. This is the highest level of your job code tree, and every job code you create sits under it. For most organizations, one root job-code family works best, with every job class, level, or grouping underneath it. A single root keeps inherited defaults, adjustments, reporting filters, and descendant job-code selection easier to understand. You may make this job code unavailable for use, rename it, or modify it, but you may not delete it.

Important: Before configuring your job code tree, think through how job codes, default wages, adjustments, department mappings, and reporting filters should work together. Contact us if you need help choosing the right structure for your organization.

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General job code settings

There are two primary parts to configuring a job code. The first set includes general settings that apply to the job code across time.

Job code name

• The name of your job code is case sensitive and must be unique across your organization.
• Depending on how your job code tree is structured, the value entered here may be the name of a job class or family, or a department's worth of job codes.

Parent job code

• The parent job code is the job code under which this job code is placed. Parent changes are effective-dated, so calculations use the job code tree that applies on the calculation date.

• Keep job codes under one root unless you have a clear reason to separate the tree. This makes inherited job-code values, descendant filters, and reports easier to apply consistently.

• Mapped job codes and default adjustments will be inherited from the parent job code.

• FTE Tree prevents a job code from being placed under one of its own child job codes. If that would happen, the change is blocked with an error message.

Include in breadcrumb label

• This setting determines if this specific entry is included in the breadcrumb label for the job code. For example, if you have the family of "Financial Analysts" and a job code of "Sr. Financial Analyst", enabling the breadcrumb label for both of these will display it as "Financial Analysts / Sr. Financial Analyst". Disable the label for "Financial Analysts" and it will only be displayed as "Sr. Financial Analyst".

Historical job code details

These details are applied to the position at a point in time. This allows for changing the effective job code values over time. At least one entry is required. The entry with the earliest effective start date serves as the baseline value, or if left blank, the value is treated as always active (displayed as "Initial").

Effective start date

• Optionally enter the effective start date of the entry. If provided, this value will be used when calculating a position's job code values starting on that effective date. If left blank, the value is treated as always active.

Default wage rate

• A job code default wage rate can provide the compensation source for a position when your organization has made Position Base wage rate optional.

• Default wage rates are effective-dated. To satisfy active position readiness, the default wage rate must be approved and effective on or before the position's active date.

• Default wage rates can be inherited from parent job codes. For example, if a child job code does not have its own default wage rate, FTE Tree can use the nearest inherited default when calculating a position.

• If Position Base wage rate is required in position detail settings, a job code default wage rate does not replace the required position-level wage rate for approval readiness.

For direct and inherited job-code wage examples, including assigned-cost fallback cases, see Position cost math and examples.

Adjustments

• Enter adjustments to apply to this job code. The adjustments will apply to every position with this job code. Adjustments are also inherited from parent job codes further up the tree as of the calculation date. These inherited adjustments are displayed on the update form.

For examples of how position adjustments affect FTE, wage rate, and annualized cost, see Position cost math and examples.

Department mapping

Job codes can be mapped to specific departments, controlling which job codes are available in each department. This mapping ensures that job codes and their associated wage rates are only visible in the departments where they should be used. Job codes must be explicitly mapped 1:1 to a department; there is no hierarchy or cascading for department mappings.

Job code detail settings

Job code detail settings are configured separately from position detail settings. Use the Job code entries in Settings to manage job code built-in details, custom details, detail display, option sets, and labels. Use Settings > Audit events only when you need to configure required notes or reason choices for job-code changes.

Pay grades

Job-code historical details can reference pay grades, but pay grade setup is managed separately from the job code tree. Pay grades define effective-dated wage or salary ranges and support pay-range review for position or employee wage rates.

See Compensation settings for pay grade setup, range entries, and annual hours per FTE.