ACAS-Compliant Job Description Template and Procedure

Standard Operating Procedure: ACAS-Compliant Job Description Architecture & Deployment

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1. Executive Summary & Purpose

This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) defines the institutional engineering framework for authoring, reviewing, and deploying job descriptions compliant with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) guidelines and relevant global employment legislation.

The objective is to establish an immutable, bias-free, and legally defensible standard for job profiles within Template Registry. This ensures operational transparency, accurate job evaluation, mitigates legal risk, and aligns internal resource allocation with strategic corporate deliverables.

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2. Scope & Prerequisites

2.1 Scope

This SOP applies to all People Operations personnel, Engineering Managers, Department Heads, and Hiring Managers responsible for creating, modifying, or retiring employment positions across all operating regions within Template Registry.

2.2 Prerequisites & Tooling

• Template Registry Repository: Access to the hr/job-descriptions/ version-controlled repository (Git).
• ACAS Compliance Checker: Internal deterministic verification script (acas-lint.py).
• HRIS Platform: BambooHR / Workday administrative write access.
• Job Evaluation Matrix: Template Registry proprietary Hay Guide Chart equivalent (TR-JEM-v4).

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3. Roles & Responsibilities (RACI Matrix)

(R = Responsible, A = Accountable, Consulted = C, Informed = I)

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4. Step-by-Step Procedure

Phase 1: Needs Analysis & Scoping

• 1.1 Conduct a structural workforce analysis to determine the necessity of the new or modified role against approved headcount budgets.
• 1.2 Identify core business drivers, departmental OKRs, and expected Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) associated with the position.
• 1.3 Determine the correct employment classification (Exempt/Non-Exempt, Permanent/Fixed-Term, Full-Time/Part-Time) in alignment with local labor laws.

Phase 2: Drafting via ACAS-Compliant Template

• 2.1 Pull the base Markdown template from the repository (template-registry/hr/job-descriptions/base-v2.md).
• 2.2 Draft the Job Title and Summary, ensuring it is objective, free of gendered or age-biased terminology, and clearly outlines the organizational placement.
• 2.3 Formulate the Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities using active verbs, limiting the list to 5–7 essential duties prioritized by impact.
• 2.4 Define Person Specifications (Essential vs. Desirable Criteria) strictly tied to operational requirements to prevent indirect discrimination under ACAS guidelines.
• 2.5 Specify standard working conditions, location policies (Remote, Hybrid, On-site), and physical or cognitive demands objectively.

Phase 3: Compliance & Quality Assurance

• 3.1 Execute the automated linter to scan for non-inclusive language and structural omissions: bash python3 scripts/acas-lint.py --file=drafts/new-role.md
• 3.2 Submit the drafted profile to the Legal & Compliance department for statutory review if operational modifications deviate from standard templates.
• 3.3 Validate salary benchmarking against market rates using the TR-JEM-v4 evaluation matrix to guarantee equitable compensation structures.

Phase 4: Deployment & Integration

• 4.1 Obtain formal sign-off from the Accountable executive via Pull Request (PR) approval.
• 4.2 Merge the validated job description markdown file into the production branch of the Template Registry repository.
• 4.3 Sync the approved payload via API to the HRIS platform and applicant tracking system (ATS) for immediate downstream recruitment utility.

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5. Quality Assurance & Pro-Tips

Best Practices

• Zero Ambiguity: Avoid subjective qualifiers (e.g., "rockstar," "ninja," "energetic"); replace with measurable behavioral competencies (e.g., "demonstrated ability to self-manage complex engineering tickets").
• Reasonable Adjustments: Explicitly state the organization's commitment to making reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities during the recruitment process, aligning with ACAS best practices.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Creep in Requirements: Listing "nice-to-have" qualifications as "essential," which disproportionately and unlawfully deters qualified diverse talent pools.
• Stale Specifications: Reusing legacy job descriptions without re-validating technological or procedural prerequisites.

Metric Thresholds

• Linter Compliance: 100% pass rate on acas-lint.py execution.
• Review Velocity: Maximum SLA of 48 business hours from initial draft submission to Legal/HR sign-off.

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6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What makes a job description strictly "ACAS-compliant"?
A: ACAS compliance requires that criteria used to select, recruit, and evaluate candidates are transparent, objective, and non-discriminatory. It must avoid assumptions regarding age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or disability, focusing entirely on the inherent requirements of the role.

Q2: How frequently must existing job descriptions be audited?
A: Under Template Registry governance, all production job descriptions must undergo an audit every 12 months or immediately upon any significant restructuring of the reporting line or core technology stack.

Q3: Can hiring managers alter approved templates ad-hoc during active recruitment?
A: No. Any modification to an active job description invalidates the current ATS payload and requires a new PR through the version-controlled hr/job-descriptions/ pipeline to maintain audit trails.