Developing Job Descriptions

Overview

There are two good reasons why congressional offices should develop written job descriptions for every staff member:

  1. Job descriptions are indispensable in demonstrating compliance with the employee protection laws that apply to congressional staff.
  2. Job descriptions promote a range of managerial benefits that contribute to the development of an effective congressional office.

This management brief focuses on the second reason. It advises congressional managers on: 

  1. What information to include in the offices' job descriptions;
  2. Techniques for generating a list of job duties or tasks; and
  3. Guidance on how to write and format a job description.

For legal guidance on how to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), House staff should contact the Committee on House Administration and the Office of the House Employment Counsel. Senate staff should contact the Office of the Sergeant at Arms and the Senate Chief Counsel for Employment.

Additional Information

11 pages

Copyright Congressional Management Foundation

Download this management brief: pdfDeveloping Job Descriptions(112 KB)

Note: This management brief does not list sample descriptions for common staff positions. For examples that you can customize to meet your office goals, please visit this page of our site: Job Descriptions: House Office Sample