10. A job description can be helpful if a company has a non-performing employee.
An accurate job description can be the basis of performance documentation and add credence to terminating an employee who is not meeting his or her essential job functions. This can be particularly beneficial if the terminated employee tries to bring a discrimination or wrongful termination case to court. The employer then has documentation supported by the job description showing that the employee had not been meeting the essential job functions clearly stated in the employee’s job description.
For example, perhaps a customer service representative does not report problem areas and simply ignores them. Since “reports problem areas via phone, email, mail or social media” has been described as an essential job function in the job description, this customer service representative’s manager can develop the documentation that will support disciplinary action or termination of that employee. If the terminated employee fights the termination, the employer can point to the job description in asserting why that employee was fired, and provide the written documentation.
