HR's Job Descriptions - Should Employees be able to see them?

My company used to allow all employees access to their job descriptions on a lotus notes database. This has now been restricted to HR personnel and myself as the Management Rep. The job description includes a list of duties and responsibilities, required skills and a section that lists what Quality Systems Procedures apply to the position. By restricting access to these job descriptions, am I in danger of being noncompliant to any clauses in 4.1, 4.9 or 4.18? I am not even sure if HR will give an employee a copy of their job description upon request.

[Marc]

It is not necessary for you to give an employee an HR job description.

The point is for you to have a method/system to ensure each employee knows his/her job duties and responsibilities. How is this communicated? It seems rather pitiful to restrict the actual job description but some folks see enemies everywhere.

Often companies have 2 job descriptions. One for HR for hiring with stuff like education preferred or required etc., and another in the area where the employee works. Know that it is not unusual for HR to 'work alone'. Like IS people they take themselves to be mystics and like police they are big into confidentiality (and for good reason).

Want to hear more?

We have recently hired an HR Manager and are starting to write job descriptions for our company. We had not had any documented until now. We are a small steel fabrication shop, (Less than 100 employees).

I am very interested in this topic. Any info or direction would be beneficial to us. I have looked in the forums that I am aware of for information, and have tried to piece together what I have found. There is some info in the Cayman Archives, but it takes awhile to search it out.
Thanks for any help.

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Restricting viewing access to job descriptions is not in "violation" of any of the ISO clauses you mentioned. I feel (and this has been contested)that job descriptions should be controlled documents, and the ability to revise them should be controlled.

Even in a union shop where there has been a history of mistrust between management and union members (where I work), I feel people have the right to see their job descriptions. "Hiding" job descriptions has led to mistrust between management and union workers. A "What are they trying to hide..." mentality has broken out. In this case if your job descriptions are accurate, why should you restrict access. If they are not, then you have bigger problems.

[Marc]

A Blast from the Past - Your comments?

[Randy]

California Labor Code and some other state labor codes require that employees make job descriptions available for the employees. How else can an employer hold an employee accountable for poor or non-performance of duties without the duties having been 1st defined?

The "DUH" factor starts kicking in on this one.

[Cari Spears]

I can't think of a good reason to NOT show someone their job description.

Anyone?

[db]

Originally Posted by Cari Spears

I can't think of a good reason to NOT show someone their job description.

Anyone?

Okay, I'll bite.

"I've got a job description for you, but I can't let you see it. If I did, then you would know what your job entailed. Then, you might be able to perform accordingly, and I would have a harder time firing you."