JUST CALL ME QUEEN OF THE UNIVERSE

I've been called plenty of things in my life. Many of which are not printable here. But I can tell you that, in my publishing career, my business cards have read Editorial Assistant, Associate Editor, Assistant Editor, Editor, and Senior Editor. Personally, I'd prefer a title along the lines of Queen Of The Universe.

But seriously, what's in a job title? Most people would say nothing, that they're just words. On most levels, that's true. However, there are plenty of stories out there on job titles as a motivational tool — and a source of litigation.

First, the good. Can you find a sales clerk at your favorite retail store anymore? No, you'll probably find sales associates. The switch in terminology had already been made by the time I started working retail during college. Along those lines, nowadays companies seem more apt to call their staff members consultants or specialists (e.g., Diversity Consultant, Payroll Specialist). And when raises are small or non-existent, but the work is still being piled on, sticking "Executive" or "Senior" at the beginning of a worker's title won't affect your budget (or lack thereof).

Does a loftier-sounding job title really make a difference in employee morale? It could. In employee surveys, workers have admitted that acknowledgment of a job well done is sometimes more satisfying than more money; a prestigious, fitting job title is just one way to pat hard workers on the back.

Depending on the corporate culture, a prestigious title is coveted. In other workplaces, a title is not tied to esteem issues. Some organizations use creative titles to convey a fun corporate culture. For example, a Recruiter is known as the Talent Finder. An HR exec is the Chief People Officer. The President or CEO is the Head Honcho. An HR Generalist is known as Everything But The Kitchen Sink.

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How much thought does your organization put into job titles? Is there a prestige factor? Fun factor? Or are they purely functional? Click here and tell us about your titles.
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Now the bad. Playing with titles is not all fun and games! Job titles have also played a role in employee lawsuits. Most commonly, employers misclassify employees with managerial or supervisory titles as exempt from overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). While their titles may call out exempt, their actual job duties scream non-exempt. For FLSA purposes, it really doesn't matter whether a worker's job title is "manager" or "supervisor"; the Department of Labor will look for the performance of actual management duties.

Recently, a similar issue arose in a Title VII sexual harassment case. For sexual harassment liability purposes, there is a difference between harassment by a supervisor and harassment at the hands of a co-worker: Employers may be held vicariously liable for supervisory sexual harassment that results in a tangible employment action — even if the employer knew nothing about it.

Most courts have limited "supervisors" to those who have an economic authority over workers (i.e., the ability to hire, fire, demote, promote, transfer, or discipline).

But in this recent ruling, a federal appeals court held that the accused employee — who had no authority to hire, fire, promote, or significantly change benefits — was a supervisor because he had a "special dominance" over the rest of the staff. The official supervisor was rarely there, so he was the senior employee on-site who directed the particulars of each of the employees' workdays, including work assignments.

By all means, have fun with job titles. Use them to recognize good workers. But use them wisely. Make sure the accompanying job descriptions are complete and accurate.

Good luck, stay legal, and call me Queen!


Gloria Ju
Senior Editor