Pinning down physical and environmental requirements for job descriptions is annoying—but it means reduced hassles in hiring, and reduced appearances in court. Even though they seem obvious to you, (and maybe you think they should be obvious to anyone), the requirements need to be in writing on the job description.
Deal with the issue up front, and you won’t end up with people in jobs they can’t do (e.g., can’t lift what they need to lift) or can’t stand (e.g., can’t be in the cold or the heat). Once people have a job they can’t do, you’re faced with a certain percentage that will turn into administrative and legal hassles.
Mental Requirements
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General Intelligence (typical requirement for machine operators, office staff, etc.) |
Does the employee have the ability to learn and comprehend basic instructions and orientation to the job? |
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Motor Coordination Skills (typical for a hand assembler, automobile mechanic, computer repair technician) |
Is the employee able to coordinate eyes, hands, and fingers rapidly and accurately and handle precise movements? |
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Coordination of Eyes, Hands, and Feet (typical for a tractor trailer driver, foot-press operator) |
Does the employee have the ability to coordinate the eyes, hands, and feet with each other in response to visual stimuli? |
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Verbal Intelligence (typical for a sales clerk, production supervisor) |
Does the employee have the ability to understand the meanings of words and respond effectively? |
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Numerical Intelligence (typical for an accounting clerk, shipping checker) |
Does the employee have the ability to perform basic arithmetic accurately and quickly? |
Workplace Environmental Conditions
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Noise Conditions (typical environmental condition for a manufacturing plant worker) |
Is the employee exposed during a shift to constant or intermittent sounds at a level sufficient to cause hearing loss or fatigue? |
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Heat (typical for a furnace operator or heat treater) |
Is the employee subject to high temperatures that result in significant body discomfort? |
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Cold (typical for an outdoor worker in cold climates or a freezer operator) |
Is the employee exposed to low temperatures that result in significant body discomfort? |
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Injury Exposures (typical for electricians, forklift truck operators, tractor trailer drivers) |
Is the employee exposed to workplace hazards more frequently than normal? To potential injuries? |
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Atmospheric Exposures (typical for welders, solvent handlers) |
Is the employee exposed to dusts, fumes, vapors, or mists that could affect the health of the employee? |
Set that keyboard aside! Your job descriptions are already written. Click here to see why thousands of managers have a permanent place in their offices for BLR’s classic Job Descriptions Encyclopedia.
Physical Requirements
| Sitting (a typical requirement for the job of assembler) |
Is the employee required to sit for extended periods of time without being able to leave the work area? |
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Standing (typical for supermarket cashier) |
Is the employee required to remain on his or her feet in an upright position for continuous periods of time without being able to leave the work area? |
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Climbing (typical for millwright) |
Is the employee required to climb ladders or scaffolding? To climb and work in overhead areas, as when repairing warehouse fans? |
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Walking (typical for messenger) |
Is the employee required to walk considerable distances in the facility during the course of his or her work? (Excludes walking to and from work area, cafeteria, etc.) |
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Lifting (typical for construction laborer) |
Is the employee required to raise or lower objects from one level to another regularly during the shift? |
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Pulling and/or Pushing (typical for material handler) |
Does the job require exerting force up to ___ pounds on a regular basis so that the object is moved to or away from the employee? |
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Carrying (typical for nurse of material handler) |
Is the employee required, on a regular basis, to carry objects in his or her arms or on the shoulder(s)? |
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Grasping (typical for assembler) |
Does the job require that the employee regularly pick up objects with fingers? |
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Reaching (typical for stock picker in warehouse or store) |
Is the employee regularly required to use the hands and arms to reach for objects? |
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Stooping and Crouching (typical for motor vehicle mechanic) |
Is the employee regularly required to bend forward by bending at the waist or by bending legs and spine? |
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Crawling (typical for mechanics, welders, those working in confined spaces) |
Is the employee required to work in a confined space? To crawl and move about on his or her hands and knees? |
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Color Determination (typical for a printing press operator) |
Does the job require color determination vision (no color blindness)? |
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Near Acuity (typical for electronics assemblers) |
Does the job require clarity of vision at 20 feet or more, with or without corrective lenses? |
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Speaking (typical for a salesperson) |
Does the job require expressing ideas by the spoken word? |
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Listening (typical for a customer service representative) |
Does the job require the perception of speech or the nature of sounds in the air? |
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Tasting or Smelling (typical for a fragrance tester or food sample tester) |
Does the job require the ability to distinguish differences in quality of flavors and/or odors, using tongue and/or nose? |
How about your company’s job descriptions? Up to date? Complete with all essential functions clearly delineated? Mental, physical, and environmental requirements all there?
If not—or if you’ve never even written them—you’re not alone. Thousands of companies fall short in this area.
It’s easy to understand why. Job descriptions are not simple to do—what with updating and management and legal review, especially given the ADA requirement of a split-off of essential functions from other functions in the description. Wouldn’t it be great if your job descriptions were available and already written?
Actually, they are. We have more than 700, ready to go, covering every common position in any organization, from receptionist right up to president. They are in an extremely popular BLR® program called the Job Descriptions Encyclopedia.
First created in the 1980s, the “JDE” has been continually refined and updated over time, with descriptions revised or added each time the law, technology—or the way we do business—changes.
Prewritten job descriptions in the Job Descriptions Encyclopedia now come with pay grades already attached. Click here to try the program at no cost.
Revised for the ADA, Pay Grades Updated
There was a major revision, for example, following the passage of the ADA. In fact, BLR editors reviewed every one of those 700 descriptions to ensure they were ADA-compliant.
Another enhancement was the updating of pay grades for each job. According to our customers, this is an enormous time-saver, enabling them to make compensation decisions even as they define the position. You can see a sample job description from the program by clicking here. (Yes, it is the one for HR Manager—Pay grade: 38.)
The BLR Job Descriptions Encyclopedia also includes an extensive tutorial on setting up a complete job descriptions program, and how to encourage participation from all parts of the organization. That includes top management, the employees, and any union or other collective bargaining entity.
Quarterly Updates, No Additional Cost
Very important these days, quarterly updates are included in the program as a standard feature—key at a time of constantly changing laws and emerging technologies. We’ll send you new or revised descriptions every 90 days. And the cost is extremely reasonable, averaging less than 43 cents per job description … already written, legally reviewed, and ready to adapt or use as is.
You can evaluate BLR’s Job Descriptions Encyclopedia at no cost in your office for up to 30 days. Get more information or order the Job Descriptions Encyclopedia.
Download product sample
Download list of job descriptions included