Job descriptions are not marketing copy — they are evidence. When an accommodation dispute asks what the job’s essential functions are, or a misclassification claim asks what the position actually does, the job description is the first document everyone reads. Vague or inflated descriptions lose those arguments.
This template is built around the fields that matter legally: a summary tied to measurable outcomes, explicit supervisory status, essential functions written as action verbs, physical demands, and a header block covering FLSA status, schedule, location, travel, and salary range. Write it accurately and it defends your classification; write it aspirationally and it becomes the plaintiff’s exhibit.
Who should use this template
- HR managers rewriting inherited, outdated job descriptions
- Employers defending exempt classifications with duty documentation
- Hiring managers drafting postings that must match reality
- Organizations preparing for pay-transparency posting requirements
What it helps prevent
- ADA disputes with no written record of essential functions
- Exempt classifications unsupported by documented duties
- ’May supervise’ ambiguity that muddies authority and exemption analysis
- Physical requirements discovered only after an injury or accommodation request
- Postings that promise a different job than the one being done
What’s inside
- Header block — reports-to, status, schedule, hours, FLSA status, location, travel, salary range
- Summary/objective section tied to how success is measured
- Explicit supervisory status statement
- Essential functions section with action-verb formatting guidance
- Physical demands and work environment fields
- Editable Word format with drafting instructions inline
Before you process payroll, terminate, classify, deduct, or respond to a claim, get the decision reviewed.
Faulkner HR Solutions helps Texas employers, nonprofits, municipalities, and growing businesses fix the people systems behind recurring workplace problems. If this resource raised a risk flag, do not guess your way through the next step.