General Provisions
Reallocation or Reclassification to a Different Salary Group and Job Classification

Background

Each biennium, the State Classification Office of the State Auditor’s office reviews the job descriptions and job titles in the Position Classification Act (PCA) and the salary schedule in the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Based on this review, the State Classification Office makes recommendations to the Legislature that may result in changes to the PCA and/or salary schedule. These changes can result in reallocations and/or reclassifications.

Reallocations

Reallocations are determined each biennium by the Legislature, based on recommendations from the State Classification Office of the State Auditor’s office.

As the Legislature adopts the listing of the classified positions for the biennium, it creates reallocations when it assigns existing classified job classifications to different salary groups (either higher or lower). If the job classification is reallocated, the action is generally effective Sept. 1 of the first year of the new biennium.

Reallocation to a higher salary group

If the reallocation is to a higher salary group, those employees whose job classifications are reallocated will be moved to the higher salary group at the salary rate they would have had if there had not been a reallocation, unless the agency chooses to give additional salary to maintain desirable salary relationships.

In the case of allowing extra pay, the salary may be increased by not more than 6.8 percent more than the previous salary, if the previous salary is in the new higher salary group. If the previous salary is below the new higher salary group, the salary must first go to the minimum of the new salary group and can then be increased by not more than an additional 6.8 percent.

Reallocation to a lower salary group

If the reallocation is to a lower salary group, the employee whose job classification is being reallocated will see their pay group go to a lower group but the salary will remain the same, unless the previous salary is above the maximum of the new lower salary group, in which case the employee’s salary will decrease to the maximum of the new lower salary group.

Reclassifications

Reclassifications are changes from one job classification to another that result from a review by the State Classification Team of the State Auditor’s Office or the agency. The purpose is to properly classify the position or assignment based on the actual work performed.

Reclassifications can result in a higher or lower salary group. They can be effective at any time during the biennium but are generally effective on the first of the month.

Reclassification to a higher salary group

If the reclassification is to a higher salary group, those employees whose job classifications are reclassified will be moved to the higher salary group at the salary rate they would have had if there had not been a reclassification, unless the agency chooses to give additional salary to maintain desirable salary relationships.

In the case of allowing extra pay, the salary may be increased by not more than 6.8 percent more than the previous salary, if the previous salary is in the new higher salary group. If the previous salary is below the new higher salary group, the salary must first go to the minimum of the new salary group and can then be increased by not more than an additional 6.8 percent.

Reclassification to a lower salary group

If the reclassification is to a lower salary group, the employee whose job classification is being reclassified will see their pay group go to a lower group but the salary will remain the same, unless the previous salary is above the maximum of the new lower salary group, in which case the employee’s salary will decrease to the maximum of the new lower salary group.

Exceptions

The Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) and the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) are exempt from the discussion of reallocations and reclassifications to the extent that either board of trustees determines an exemption is necessary to perform the fiduciary duties.

Institutions of higher education are not subject to the PCA and are therefore not affected by reallocations or reclassifications.

Sources

Texas Government Code, Sections 654 and 659.254.