Generalist Consolidation Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, all classifications identified on the Board Item to be reallocated by Board resolution into the new series will be abolished, effective January 1, 2026, or once all incumbents have been reallocated. In addition, the following classifications were approved by SPB to be abolished effective August 11, 2025: Retirement Program Specialist II (Supervisor) (5201), Supervising Communicable Disease Representative (9050), Communicable Disease Manager I (8430), Communicable Disease Representative (9052), and Administrator I, Fair Employment and Housing (9542). The Administrator II, Fair Employment and Housing (9510) classification will be designated Footnote 24 to be abolished upon vacancy. Departments should not make any new appointments to this classification.

This is a transition issue with the website. The information is still cacheable by direct search in the search box. The listing can be found by visiting the Abolished Classification Listing webpage or by typing “Abolished Classification Listing” in the search box.

The new classification titles are effective on January 1, 2026, and will be available in ECOS for advertising on January 1, 2026.

Departments may continue recruitments that began in 2025 under the pre-consolidation classification titles without having to cancel and repost the recruitment under the new consolidation class titles. The Board’s resolution anticipates a short transition period, and the title changes alone do not invalidate the recruitments.

Departments may include both classification titles in the announcement, such as “Staff Services Analyst / Analyst I – Title change effective January 1, 2026,” to make the transition clear to applicants. If the appointment is made on or after January 1, 2026, the official appointment documents must reflect the new class titles.

Updated 511Bs can be found on the Grapevine website on January 1, 2026.

In accordance with board resolution, existing employment lists, other than reemployment lists established for the pre-consolidation classes, shall be used to certify and to fill vacancies in the post-consolidation classes until such lists are abolished, exhausted, or superseded by lists for the post-consolidation classes, and persons on any existing reemployment lists for the pre-consolidation classes shall also be placed on reemployment lists for the post-consolidation classes until expiration of their eligibility on the reemployment lists for the pre-consolidation classes.

The Board’s resolution authorizes departments to continue using existing eligibility lists to make appointments to the new Generalist classifications once those classes take effect on January 1, 2026. Although the class titles on the certification list and the new classification will differ, the appointment remains lawful because the Board formally linked the pre-consolidation and post-consolidation classes in the August 11, 2025 resolution. Departments will not be cited in a compliance review if they can show that the certification was drawn from an eligible list covered by that resolution. This authority remains in place until the new examinations and eligibility lists are established, which CalHR anticipates will occur within 180 days of the Board’s adoption, or approximately February 7, 2026. After that time, certifications should be drawn from the new lists reflecting the Generalist titles.

The AGPA and SSM I, II, and III eligible lists will be abolished on December 23, 2025.

Candidates on the AGPA and SSM I, II, and III lists must take the new examinations. Candidates who have eligibility on the Staff Services Analyst (SSA) list will be merged on the new Analyst l list.

Yes. Candidates will receive a notification by midnight on December 31, 2025, informing them that the current eligible list(s) have been abolished. The notification will also include instructions on how to reestablish eligibility by taking the new examination(s).

Eligible lists for the new Generalist classifications will be available beginning January 1, 2026. However, departments are encouraged to allow an additional 2 to 5 days to ensure a sufficient candidate pool has formed before requesting a certification list.

The Generalist series examinations will establish eligible lists with three ranks.

Yes. The certification list remains valid for 180 days. However, departments must ensure that candidates meet the minimum qualifications under both the current and the revised classification specifications.

Candidates should be appointed to the AGPA and SSM I, II, and III classifications prior to January 1, 2026. On or after January 1, 2026, all appointments must be made using the new Generalist classifications.

No changes will be made to the SSA (retitled Analyst I) examination. The examination will be temporarily unavailable from December 22, 2025, through December 31, 2025, to allow for the export of information. For all other classifications within the Generalist series, the new examinations will be available on January 1, 2026

The AGPA and SSM I/II/II will be discontinued on December 22, 2025.

No, current employees in the classifications that are being reallocated via board resolution into the new series do not need to take an examination in order to be reallocated into the new consolidation classification.

Per the board resolution language, each person with civil service status in the pre-consolidation classes on January 1, 2026, will be reallocated to and be granted the same civil service status without further examination in the post-consolidation classifications. Therefore, employees in the SSM I (class code 4800) and SSM II (class code 4801) classifications will have a title change, will retain their class codes and will not be required to examine to be reallocated.

Yes, candidates who obtained eligibility before its discontinuation on the SSA Transfer Exam list can continue to use their existing transfer eligibility to be appointed to the retitled Analyst I classification. There will not be any new transfer examinations given.

This is dependent on the Job Analysis. CalHR, in partnership with several departments, are currently working on the service-wide Job Analysis for the Analyst II (AGPA), Supervisor I (SSM I), Supervisor II (SSM II) (Supervisory), Manager I (SSM II) (Managerial), and Manager II (SSM III). If it is determined there are differences, there will be new examinations with new questions. The Analyst I (SSA) examination will remain the same.

Prior to the new certification lists being available on January 1, 2026, departments may use existing certification lists as an appropriate list for recruitments to the post-consolidation classifications. If utilizing an existing list as an appropriate list, candidates are required to meet the MQs for both the pre-consolidation and post-consolidation classifications, in accordance with CCR 250.

If a new certification list for a post-consolidation classification is pulled on or after January 1, 2026, candidates will only need to meet the MQs of the post-consolidation classification and departments may follow the standard recruitment process.

No, if positions are appropriately allocated according to the classification specification, exceptional allocations are not required, and departments do not need to follow the 625 exceptional allocation process for allocating to the Analyst III and IV classifications.

Yes, the Generalist Consolidation team is working on the development of an Allocation Guide for the Analyst and Supervisor/Managerial series. Our goal is to have the Allocation Guide available January 1, 2026.

It is not the intent of the Generalist Class Consolidation to reallocate current/filled SSM I/II (Specialist) incumbents into the rank-and-file Analyst Series. Departments will need to evaluate the duties and responsibilities to make this determination. If the primary duties are non-supervisory in nature, departments must reclassify positions into the Analyst series, through attrition. Keep in mind, reallocating positions from the supervisory or managerial levels to the Analyst Series results in a loss of status rights and benefits to the existing employee.

As a reminder, Analyst IV allocation is meant to be rare and limited to only the most critical departmental positions.

Yes, delegated departments will continue to report any existing exceptionally allocated positions in accordance with their department’s Position Allocation Delegation Agreement. As positions are reallocated into the Analyst Series, through attrition, the number of exceptional allocations will naturally reduce. For any remaining SSM I/II Specialist exceptional allocations, departments will need to ensure the duties and responsibilities are appropriately justified. Please contact your PMD consultant to discuss options in those limited instances.

Proper position allocation must be based on the duties to be performed. Therefore, if the duties are non-supervisory, departments are required to allocate to the rank-and-file Analytical Series. The intent of the Supervisor I/II classifications are supervision. Rare positions exist wherein a permanent exceptional allocation of a Supervisor I position in a specialist capacity (e.g. EEO officers in small shops) would be more appropriate than using the Analyst series due to other standards associated with the specific position. Contact your PMD consultant to discuss any other new exceptional allocations to the Supervisor I/II classifications. In all other circumstances, when a department can justify that a high-level specialist is needed but the position does not meet the intent of the supervisory or managerial designation, the Analyst Series must be utilized.

No. The MCRs have become obsolete since 2013 when delegation was implemented. Please refer to your Position Allocation Delegation Agreement for more information.

The SSM I/II classification (4800/4801) will be retitled to Supervisor I/II and maintain the classification code 4800 and 4801 respectively. Incumbents who are working in classification code 4800 or 4801, both as Supervisors and as Specialist, will have a classification title change to Supervisor I/IIs. Departments will need to ensure employees who are non-supervisory have the correct E48 designation to indicate that they are performing in a non-supervisory capacity. In addition, departments are encouraged to utilize working titles to distinguish between supervisors and specialists’ positions.

CalHR encourages departments to explore use of the Analyst Series which will be established with excluded ranges.

Yes, CalHR has confirmed with SPB’s Compliance Review Unit that SPB will continue to recognize the Supervisor I (4800) classification as being considered “managerial level” for purposes of the EEO Officer role per Government Code 19795.

The Analyst I will continue to be the only deep class of the series. The revised ARC 069 will apply only to the Analyst I classification.

If a department has positions that are currently designated confidential, these confidential designations will carry over, a new request is not required.

Excluded ranges will be attached to the entire series. Departments should continue to designate confidential positions in accordance with HR Manual Policy Statement 2002 - Confidential Designations.

It is possible. While ARC 069 is not changing significantly, the minimum qualifications of the Analyst I (5157) classification are being broadened to accept a wider range of experience. Therefore, employees may meet the ARC sooner and may request to have their ARC re-evaluated for accelerated movement. We recommend departments assess these on a case-by-case basis as they do for any alternate range placement, to determine if the employee satisfactorily meets the requirements of the ARC. For guidance on specific scenarios, reach out to your PMD Consultant.

No. Departments may utilize the resources provided on the Generalist Class Consolidation webpage to develop a communication plan specific to your own department’s needs. For guidance on specific employee impact, departments should work with their departmental Labor Relations Office.

The recording and presentation slides are available on the Generalist Class Consolidation webpage.

There are no compaction issues. There is an approximate 7.4-percent salary differential between both the Analyst III and Supervisor I, and the Analyst IV to Supervisor II and Manager I levels. If departments identify a compaction issue, they are to reach out to the Consolidation inbox or their assigned PMD Consultant.

While that would be ideal, departments are not expected to update existing duty statements that reference pre-consolidation classification titles if they were created prior to January 1, 2026.

Per SPB’s Compliance Review Division, departments will not be cited for this. However, hiring documents should be consistent with the classifications in effect at the time of appointment. This means duty statements used for recruitments or appointments on or after January 1, 2026, should reflect the new classification titles.

Departments will need to update remaining documents over time through normal recruitment and personnel file maintenance.

Incumbents appointed via the LEAP mechanism to generalist classes will be consolidated and have their titles changed like all other generalist positions.

The consolidation does not sever an employees’ mandatory right of return. The Board’s resolution authorizes individuals with mandatory reinstatement rights for the pre-consolidation classes to retain those rights for the comparable post-consolidation classes. Employees will maintain their mandatory right of return to their former position pursuant to Government Code Section 18522 and Sections 19140-19140.5. In this scenario, the employee would have a mandatory right of return to their former position which means a position in the class code 4800, which is retitled to Supervisor I effective January 1, 2026.

The consolidation does not sever an employees’ mandatory right of return. The Board’s resolution authorizes individuals with mandatory reinstatement rights for the pre-consolidation classes to retain those rights for the comparable post-consolidation classes. Employees will maintain their mandatory right of return to their former position pursuant to Government Code 18522 and Sections 19140-19140.5. In situations where the employee’s previous classification has been reallocated, such as an Administrative Assistant I, they will maintain a mandatory right of return to the Analyst I classification, since class code 5361 is being abolished, and reallocated to 5157.

The consolidation does not sever employee’s permissive reinstatement eligibility. All underlying laws and rules surrounding permissive reinstatement remain effective and will continue to apply. Departments are encouraged to evaluate permissive reinstatement eligibility on a case-by-case basis. If you have questions on minimum qualification evaluation, you may reach out to the MQAssistance inbox, or your assigned PMD Consultant.

The applicable pay differentials will be updated by January 2026.

If your department previously had SSA/AGPA positions established with the Department of Finance as interchangeable, those positions will continue to be interchangeable as Analyst I/II.

The Analyst III/IV will not be interchangeable.

After consulting with the State Personnel Board, it was determined that the Michaels decision is narrow in scope and does not apply to probationary periods. Therefore, any appointments made to the Analyst II (formerly AGPA) classification on or after January 1, 2026, will serve a 12 month probationary period. Appointments refer to the agreed upon effective date of the job.

Departments will continue to assess their allocation needs based on the HR Manual Policy Statement 1208 – Promotions in Place. If you have specific questions, you may consult with your assigned PMD Consultant. As a reminder, departments must use proper position allocation in order to maintain the integrity of classification plan.

Refer to HR Manual Policy Statement 1208 – Promotions in Place to determine if PIP meets the criteria and is acceptable. For specific situations, departments may reach out to their assigned PMD Consultant.

A promotional relationship does not currently exist between the SSM II (Supervisory) and SSM II (Managerial) classifications. This same concept is carried over into the new classifications as they are primarily being retitled with minimal revisions to the new structure.

All Promotion in Place laws and rules that are in place currently will remain in place come January 1, 2026. Departments should follow the HR Manual Policy Statement 1208 - Promotion in Place to assess whether the criteria is met to determine if the PIP is appropriate and feasible. If the PIP meets the criteria and is appropriate, it may be processed prior to the consolidation.

There are no incumbents in the AA I, Range B classification. If an employee exercises their mandatory right of return to the AA I, Range B classification, departments should reach out to the assigned PMD Consultant regarding placement in the Analyst I, Range C and the possibility of a Red Circle Rate.

Currently, this is an inappropriate reporting relationship and will continue to be an inappropriate reporting relationship.

In keeping with delegation, departments are still required to submit annual organizational charts by January 1, 2026. However, CalHR will accept annual organizational charts with the old class titles for 2026, provided they continue to be accurate.

The Analyst IV may be supervised by either the Supervisor II, or Manager I level or higher.

The two-year limit remains in place for a T&D assignment from the original start date and does not reset with the reallocation into the new generalist classification.

For example, an individual started a T&D assignment for an Associate Risk Analyst (4658) on June 1, 2025. On January 1, 2026, the employee is reallocated to an Analyst II pursuant to the class consolidation. At that point in time, the employee will have completed approximately 7 months and 2 days of the T&D assignment and has 1 year, 4 months and 28 days left out of the two-year limit. The clock does not re-start on January 1, 2026. The employee may complete the remainder 1 year, 4 months and 28 days in the reallocated generalist classification. As a best practice, you may provide the employee with updated documents with the new class titles.

If the OOC assignment is to a true vacancy, and the department has determined the primary duties are non-supervisory in nature, the assignment must end on or before December 31, 2025.

As of January 1, 2026, the Analyst III classification will be the most appropriate classification for the OOC assignment for any new high-level non-supervisory specialist position.

The Generalist Class Consolidation and the Board’s action do not terminate a proper and active Training and Development Assignment (T&D) that is in progress. A T&D assignment to the SSM I/II (Specialist) that began prior to January 1, 2026, may continue uninterrupted in the newly retitled Supervisor I/II classification. This only applies to T&D assignments initiated before January 1, 2026, into positions a department had already allocated as SSM I/II (Specialist) and filled through a competitive merit process.

For these employees, no additional allocation justification is required after consolidation on January 1, 2026. These T&D assignments may be treated as "in-flight" appointments and grandfathered into the Supervisor I/II classification, with a CBID of E48, consistent with how existing incumbents in SSM I/II Specialist positions are being treated. Eligibility for permanent appointment must be based on successful performance on the Supervisor I/II examination. Once the position becomes vacant through attrition, the department may re-evaluate it for proper position allocation.

Keep in mind, departments still maintain discretion. Even where no further justification is needed, a department is not required to convert a T&D assignment into a permanent appointment.

Yes. The Analyst III classification is Work Week Group 2 and is subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act. Therefore, the Analyst III incumbents are eligible to earn overtime.

Classification Consolidation is an ongoing effort and CalHR has contemplated further phases, but timing and scope has not yet been solidified.

SCO will process via mass updates the retitling of the Generalist Classifications and all A20 reallocation of employees.

Yes, the retitling of the SSA, AGPA, SSM I, SSM II (S), SSM II (M), and SSM III will be done via mass PayScale table updates. This will include all alternate range movements.

No, Departments may submit one 607 to the State Controller’s Office (SCO) with an attachment showing all of the reallocations and new position numbers. A separate 607 must be filed out for each agency code. The 607 should include a listing of all classifications to be reallocated including filled and vacant positions. The 607 related to this reallocation is not to be sent to the Department of Finance.

No. Departments will have to manually reallocate vacant positions.

Yes. SCO will release a Personnel Letter with specific instructions, including deadlines and 607 due dates. Additionally, SCO will provide specific guidance at the Transactions Supervisors Forum and Specialist Forum.

TBD

Yes, an A20 reallocation transaction will be processed for each employee impacted by the Generalist Classification Consolidation regardless if their classification will be retitled or reallocated to a new class code.

Please refer to section C 407 of the Payroll and Procedures Manual (PPM) for guidance.

SCO’s Position Control will receive an error report within 2 days after 607s are keyed. The SCO will then research and correct the errors if possible. SCO may need to contact the sender or send the document back if more information is needed. SCO’s Position Control can only key updates on Tuesdays and Thursdays.