the meaning of reporting line

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Does dotted line reporting work? 9 pros and cons of blurring the line

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I’ve been in a dotted line relationship. You might know it as being “ matrixed .”

It’s a delicate type of relationship, one that needs quite a bit of care and attention. And truth be told, dotted line reporting is for every person or organization.  

In typical line reporting relationships, employees report into a solid line. This means their direct manager is their only manager. In org chart speak, this means the employee has a solid line up to their leader. With a dotted line manager, an employee has a solid line reporting to their direct manager. But they also have a dotted line into another team. 

But as we know, organizations are complicated. Some organizations use matrix organizational structures to improve visibility, alignment, and collaboration. Others might use it when headcount might be limited and budgets are tight.

Either way, companies are looking to maximize the potential of their workforce. So, some might be exploring the idea of a dotted line reporting structure for some of their employees. 

Leaders have an incredible influence over the employee experience . Good leadership can translate into better employee engagement , increased productivity , a deep sense of belonging, and better business outcomes.

So, complicated reporting structures — including secondary managers — add a layered nuance to leadership. Hybrid work just adds a little more complexity, especially if one manager is physically present with the employee more often than the other.

As a management structure, dotted line reporting can be as fragile as it sounds. Let’s talk about what dotted line reporting looks like. We’ll also outline some pros and cons of dotted line reporting — and ways you can make sure it’s working efficiently in your organization. 

What is dotted line reporting? 

First, let’s understand what we mean by dotted line reporting. 

What is dotted line reporting?

Dotted line reporting is a type of reporting structure. With dotted line reporting, an employee has a solid line manager. But in addition to a solid line manager, the employee also indirectly reports to a secondary manager.  

The organizational structure starts to look more like a web instead of a flow chart with dotted line reporting. Let’s say that Julia is a marketing director with three direct reports. She’s hiring for a new role, a content marketer. This open position is 75% content marketing. But Andrew, another marketing director and peer to Julia, has asked for a part-time contractor for graphic design. 

The company doesn’t have the budget to fund two separate roles, so Julia and Andrew decide that this person will directly report to Julia. But this person will have a dotted line back to Andrew for all graphic design-related duties. 

9 pros and cons of dotted line reporting 

Like most leadership tactics, dotted line reporting comes with its pros and cons. Let’s talk about some of the pros and cons for the employee, manager, and organization. 

The pros 

Before we tout the pros of dotted line reporting, it’s important to recognize that these aren't guaranteed. The pros will only come if this leadership tactic has been nurtured and developed well. Here are four pros of dotted line reporting. 

• Efficient use of resources. Every company has experienced lean teams. When budgets are tight and headcount shrinking , dotted line reporting can be an efficient way to do more with less. With employees split across teams to get things done, dotted line reporting can be efficient (when done right). 
• Increases delegation and collaboration. A direct reporting relationship is just that: direct. But if teams are cross-functionally collaborating, it might make sense to pool resources in a dotted line relationship. For managers, this might even help break down silos between teams. When done right, it can increase delegation and collaboration . 
• Offers upskilling and reskilling opportunities. Sometimes, dotted line reporting structures give employees a chance to learn new things. Employees might be able to upskill and reskill, which can open the door for more opportunities. 
• Helps with career mobility and developmen t. One of the biggest pros that I’ve personally experienced from a dotted line reporting relationship was career mobility . Because I had a dotted line into a different manager, when a full-time role opened up on a team that I was interested in, I was able to go for it. That manager also had a sampling of what my work was like. Because they had served as a secondary manager to me, they already knew my quality of work, work ethic, and how I delivered on projects. In the end, it helped me land a new job (and a promotion) in a previous company. 

The cons 

As someone who’s been a direct report in a dotted line relationship, it’s a tricky matrix organization to navigate . We’ve outlined five cons for dotted line reporting. 

• Confusion and miscommunication. Dotted line reporting can be really confusing. A lot of the time, the employee is managing multiple workstreams from two different managers, one direct and one secondary manager. Sometimes, the two managers aren’t communicating well, which can cause confusion for the employee. Especially when things move fast (as they typically do in the workplace), it risks gaps in communication that lead to confusion. 
• Decreased productivity and efficiency. When employees are balancing different workstreams from different managers, it can be difficult. Without the right support systems in place, that confusion and frustration can cause a decrease in productivity . In the end, it could result in missed deliverables or missed initiatives. 
• Tug of war over resources. As solid line managers or dotted line managers, you both have things that need to get done. But when you have a laundry list of things to do and one employee split across that list, it can start to feel like a game of tug of war. It requires alignment on priorities, time management , bandwidth, and workloads. That way, you're not tugging the employee in two different directions.  
• Damaging to the employee experience. Understanding the risks and cons of dotted line reporting, this structure has inherent consequences for the employee experience. If employees are in the middle of two managers vying for their time, it can be stressful and frustrating. If employees are confused about what priorities they should be working on, you risk losing their engagement. Providing an exceptional employee experience is integral to unlocking your employees’ full potential. 
• Frustration and burnout . For employees, it can be difficult to manage expectations and set boundaries . Let’s go back to that game of tug of war. If the employee is managing two different manager relationships, it can become messy. Without alignment from the managers, it puts the employee in a difficult position. The employee needs to be really sharp on managing expectations and boundaries to navigate the reporting structure well.  

10 tips for working in a dotted line environment 

We’ve outlined ten tips to make sure your dotted line relationship delivers the leverage and visibility the org needs and the positive growth experience your employees want. 

For the manager  

Whether you’re a solid line or dotted line manager, there are things you need to keep in mind. Here are seven tips for sharing a direct report with someone else. 

• Don’t put the employee in a game of tug of war. Putting your employee in the middle makes for a bad employee experience. If you’re playing a game of tug of war with the other manager over the employee’s time, it’s already negatively impacting your employee. Disagreements or misalignments on priorities should be dealt with manager to manager in a dotted line relationship, not manager to employee. Your employee(s) — and your team’s performance — will thank you later. 
• Communicate often with the other manager. Your employee is responsible for workstreams from two different supervisors. If you don’t know what sort of work the other manager is giving, that’s a problem. Communicate clearly and often with the manager. You might consider setting up regular one-on-one meetings to make sure you’re discussing key priorities, workload, and other performance management things with the other manager. Lean on human resources for help, too. 
• Align on priorities, time spent, and expectations from the beginning. Agree from the get-go on what the employee should work on, the expectations you have for them, and the allotted time. It’s easier than you think for the employee to be overburdened with work from both sides. Make sure you reach alignment on key priorities from the beginning — and stick to them. 
• Consider things like service level agreements (SLAs). Eventually, my solid line manager helped me to put together an SLA to help manage one-off requests. I wish I had put together this sort of working agreement from the beginning. It clearly outlined delivery dates, time spent on certain tasks, expectations, and priorities. 
• Align on performance evaluations. Performance reviews will likely be conducted by the solid line manager. But sometimes, this will include input from the dotted line manager. Get clear on input for performance evaluations and what contributions will look like. 
• Assemble your support system, too. Leadership isn’t easy. There’s a reason why it takes intention, effort, training, and practice to become a successful leader.  In many ways, it’s an ongoing learning journey that requires ongoing support. Think of how BetterUp can help equip your leaders with the support they need to navigate all the complexities that leadership brings. Investing in leadership development can be the difference between a thriving and flailing workforce. 

For the employee 

• Get a good understanding of your priorities, time, and expectations. As someone who has managed the tricky dotted line reporting before, it is not an easy thing to do. Make sure you get extreme clarity on your priorities. This includes understanding the amount of time you should be spending on certain projects over others. It also might include setting expectations with each of your managers (your solid and dotted) to communicate priorities. But remember that priorities are dynamic. They shift and change often, which means you need to get good at continual clarifying, refining, and renegotiating. Build this renegotiating, clarification, and refining habit into part of your day-to-day. If there’s a mismatch in expectations, ask your managers to connect. It’s important that your leaders work together to ensure alignment on how your time is best spent. This requires refining your time management skills to make sure you’re delivering on your priorities. 
• Set clear boundaries. At a previous company, I was working in a fast-paced communications role. My dotted line manager often came to me with one-off, time-sensitive requests. These requests had hard deadlines that essentially forced me to drop my other priorities in order to meet the deadline. My other work — the majority of my job — suffered because of it. Eventually, I set up a system where if I received a one-off request, I would complete the request in two business days. I had the backing of my solid line manager, which helped to reinforce this boundary. And eventually, it changed some behaviors . Over time, my dotted line manager gave me more time and more heads up. But it was really bumpy and caused tension between the three of us. At the time, I wish I had a coach to help guide me through this situation. With a coach, I would’ve felt better equipped to promptly address these incidents and better set boundaries from the beginning. 
• Communicate clearly and directly. Having a secondary supervisor adds layers of complexity to the manager and employee relationship. It requires intentional, direct, and clear communication among all team members. For example, think about what objectives and metrics each of your managers care about. Get a good understanding of those objectives — but then good get at communicating frequently with updates. Good communication can proactively deter problems from arising. It also helps to make sure your managers know what roadblocks need clearing. Especially with virtual teams , communication can fall through the cracks. Get really good at clearly communicating what you’re working on and what you’re prioritizing. You also have to communicate expectations, boundaries, and commitments well. If you don’t do so, you could risk damaging your relationships. 
• Assemble your support system. As mentioned earlier, I wish I had the support of a coach while I was in a dotted line relationship. A coach could’ve helped guide me through tricky conversations, setting expectations, managing boundaries , and more. Your direct line manager should be your foundation. Make sure you’re getting clarity on who is performing your performance review. If that’s your solid line manager, they are your key stakeholder. Keep that solid line relationship strong and lean on your manager for guidance, too. 

Make unlocking the full potential of your workforce a priority 

Dotted line reporting isn’t for everyone. It’s a tricky management relationship that comes with all sorts of nuances and complexities to navigate. And in order to make sure it’s working well, it requires the right resources and support. 

How are you equipping your employees with the right tools to succeed? In what ways are you investing in your leaders to become the best versions of themselves? How are you making your people a priority? 

Consider how BetterUp can help guide your people through their leadership and employee development journeys. With BetterUp, you can build a mentally fit workforce that’s one step closer to reaching its full potential. 

Madeline Miles

Madeline is a writer, communicator, and storyteller who is passionate about using words to help drive positive change. She holds a bachelor's in English Creative Writing and Communication Studies and lives in Denver, Colorado. In her spare time, she's usually somewhere outside (preferably in the mountains) — and enjoys poetry and fiction.

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Organizational Structure

What Does a Typical Reporting Structure Look Like?

Last updated: Feb 15, 2023

Table of contents

What is a company reporting structure?

What is a typical reporting structure, what are the different types of reporting structures, hierarchical, how to choose the right reporting structure.

A reporting structure—sometimes known as employee structure—is how a company organizes and distributes responsibilities, including employee supervision. Every company is different, but let's break down the most common structure used at startups.

When you look at a company’s organizational chart, you are also looking at that company’s reporting structure. How a company organizes its people and distributes responsibility is a defining factor for its success.

Without the right structure, organizations can suffer from miscommunication, reduced productivity and inefficient workflows.

While it may seem pretty straightforward, there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to internal reporting structures. Finding the one that executes your business strategy and matches your company culture is an important step in building a business.

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A reporting structure—sometimes known as employee structure—is how a company organizes and distributes responsibilities, including employee supervision. The goal of a good reporting structure is to create a workflow that helps a company execute its business strategy and reach its goals.

A reporting structure can also help guide employees on who to turn to if they have questions, ideas or face challenges. Think of it as a roadmap to people and relationships inside your organization.

The most typical reporting structure is the hierarchical org chart. It’s the one that looks like a pyramid, and the one you are probably most familiar with.

In this structure, the person with the most responsibility (usually the CEO) sits at the top. Their direct reports make up the C-suite, and each C-suite executive runs their own chain of command.

Hierarchical structures are the most common because they are the easiest to visualize and are familiar to almost all employees. There are also different kinds of hierarchical structures that are more flexible and can adapt to a growing company.

The five most common types of company reporting structures are:

• Hierarchical or vertical
• Flat or horizontal

Let’s break down the different types and go through how they might be a good fit for your organization.

A traditional hierarchical structure looks like a pyramid with the CEO at the top, followed by C-level executives. These C-level executives are the ones who report to the CEO in this organizational structure. Each executive has their own direct reports, and the chain of command goes down from there. This is also known as a traditional vertical structure.

• Clear definition of levels and authority
• Each person knows who they report to and who they can talk to about specific projects
• Motivates employees with clear career paths and chances for promotion
• Creates a sense of community with employees in the same department
• Long chains of command increases bureaucracy and slows down innovation
• Slow speed of information can inhibit leadership’s ability to make quick decisions
• Lower level employees can’t easily express ideas and contribute to the whole company
• Employees can act in interest of their department rather than the whole company

Similar to hierarchical, a functional reporting structure organizes employees into departments based on their functions or skills. Common functions include marketing, sales, operations, human resources and legal.

For example, a Vice President could have authority over the marketing, sales and business development teams.

• Encourages specialization
• Easy to scale in a company of any size
• Allows employees to have greater focus in their tasks
• Can create silos within organization
• Inhibits interdepartmental communication
• Obscures processes and strategies for different products or services within an organization

Divisional org structures are separated by “divisions” which can include different markets, products or locations. This works particularly well for large companies (such as Walmart ) that might want to separate its consumer goods from its logistics division.

These structures work differently from the others on this list because each division can have their own functional teams. For example, one market division may have their own marketing, sales or IT team that is separate from another division.

• Divisions help large companies stay flexible
• Quicker responses within individual markets or to customer needs
• Promotes autonomy and independence within the divisions
• Much easier to duplicate resources or costs
• Higher chance of miscommunication between divisions and the main company
• Can result in a company competing with itself

Here are three examples of divisional reporting structures.

• Market-based

Divisions split by markets are common in companies who have multiple brands or target markets for their products.

• Product-based

Product-based divisions are created to focus on different products. This is common in companies whose products require substantial research and development.

• Geographically based

Geographically based divisions are created based on different geographic regions. This can be global, such as the United States, Europe and South America, or can be national or local regions.

Also known as “horizontal” or “flatarchy,” flat reporting structures have little to no middle management positions, creating little distance between employees and company leaders.

• Employees have much more responsibility and autonomy
• More open communication
• Faster speed of ideas and innovations
• Easy to understand
• Don’t adjust well to growth
• Can produce employees with more generalized skills
• Can create confusion among employees without a clear supervisor to report to

READ MORE: What are Flat Organizational Structures and How Do They Work

One of the most complex structures is a matrix org chart. Companies that follow a matrix structure involve two different reporting relationships for employees: one with product development and the other with their business function. Employees then report to a product manager and a business manager.

• Encourages collaboration across teams
• Allows supervisors to easily choose employees based on the need for a project
• Confusing lines of reporting
• Work can easily be duplicated or costly
• Can lead to conflict between two managers or employees

A holacracy is a decentralized reporting structure. It has self-managing teams that are responsible and accountable for their actions and decisions.

This is not a common structure as it can require radical changes. Zappos is one of the handful of companies that has shifted to this type of structure. They have adopted this structure to allow for a more distributed decision-making process. People can also work in departments where their talents are most useful.

Reporting to the CEO in a holacracy does not follow a structure. Instead, information is open, accessible and discussed during meetings. Small to medium-sized organizations can benefit from this type of company reporting structure.

In smaller startups, the reporting structure may seem obvious as everyone reports directly to the CEO or founder. But as a company starts to scale and more employees are hired, installing a framework of responsibility will become useful.

Consider the following before deciding on one or the other.

• Examine company goals and strategies

It’s always imperative to look at what you have now before you set something up for the future. Ask yourself what is your business strategy and what your workforce currently looks like. Carve out long term business goals and key business metrics. Think about what function of the business is most vital to reaching those long term goals.

• Consider how the company might grow

What's your company’s growth plan? How much will you realistically scale to in the next year, two years or five years? Consider a structure that will easily allow you to add new members and new responsibilities as you grow.

• Craft a transition plan

Once you’ve settled on a structure that fits your startup’s business strategies, visions and goals, it’s time to make a transition plan. Things to consider for a transition plan are:

• An accurate timeline of when you expect the new roles to start
• Expectations for supervisors and employees
• Handoff meetings between former supervisors and new supervisors
• Explanation of how the reporting structure is aligned with the business strategy and how it works best for the company
• Clear communication plan to the rest of the company. This should include a space for employees to ask questions

If you are working within a larger company, switching to a new reporting structure is an example of a reorganization—which includes a few extra things to keep in mind.

The easiest way to understand a reporting structure is to visualize it. Creating an org chart will give you a bird’s-eye view of exactly how your company is structured—and how it could be improved.

Just click here , and we’ll guide you through the process of setting up your very own org chart today.

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Which Org Structure Fits You?

Matrix organizational structure, flat organizational structure, functional organizational structure.

Understanding Reporting Lines and Chain of Command to Close the Sale

In previous posts in the Small Fish, Big Fish series, we’ve talked about the fact that there is almost always more than one buyer inside a large or enterprise organization.

Even if your prospect is champing at the bit to buy your product, they likely still must get the purchase approved by people upstream (their boss, their boss’s boss, and so on).

These chains of command are often called “reporting lines.”

This was some advice given to me early in my career and as a small business trying to sell to a large organization, it benefits you to understand the unique reporting lines within your prospect’s organization and how purchasing works with them.

Even if you have the good fortune to make the first sale without getting into the weeds of the prospect’s org chart, I encourage you to take the time to learn more about the reporting lines. Figure out who all the key players are in the organization and how they fit together. It really will benefit you as your relationship develops with this big new client. Here’s why…

3 Ways Understanding Your Prospect’s Reporting Lines Helps You Connect with the Decision Makers

There are three major benefits to taking the time to understand your prospect’s reporting lines.

Reporting Lines can inform your sales cycle & purchase process

First, this information will give you insight into how long it may take to get the purchase signed off on, and how quickly you might be able to proceed with the work.

Remember from our first article in this series , enterprise companies are like big ships. They have scale , and things happen more slowly than they do within the small-business world. Add to that more complex reporting lines, and you have a recipe for a much slower purchase process.

Your champion within the organization won’t make a buying decision on their own — and there are few rewards for making quick decisions inside an enterprise organization. So as you’re submitting your proposal or quote, don’t be surprised if it’s several days or weeks before you hear back about whether things are proceeding.

Understanding the chain of command helps you build your timeline

Second, understanding reporting lines (and the added time they bring to the purchasing equation) will enable you to factor this extra time into your quotes. As a general rule (though there are exceptions), the more people are involved on the client side, the more time you’ll spend on the work. Think of it like cooks in a kitchen. The more cooks, the more opinions and feedback on the food, and the longer it takes to decide what they’re cooking.

Knowing who reports to whom helps you build relationships within the company

Third, understanding reporting lines gives you the opportunity to build more relationships over time. As your relationship with the company progresses, it’s helpful to build individual relationships with as many people in the organization as you can. Not only does this give you more “ins” within the company, but you’ll better understand the opinions and preferences of those people — and factor them into your work for better results and happier customers.

It’s Okay to Ask About the Org Chart

The first time I stepped into an enterprise sales meeting, I was overwhelmed.

I had never been the employee of such a large organization. The whole experience felt foreign to me. I felt like I was jumping right into the deep end with this global telecommunications company.

First, it took me a while to get my head around their products. Then I was baffled by the dozens of different departments. There were so many roles and responsibilities to understand — so many reporting lines to piece together. There were VPs, directors, managers…and even some separate business-unit CEOs.

I was too embarrassed to ask for clarification. I didn’t want to look like a dummy.

So instead I spent several hours on LinkedIn trying to piece all these people together.

Since then, I’ve realized that it’s totally fine to ask for clarification. Enterprise companies rarely expect you to know their org charts right out of the gate. In fact, asking more questions about reporting lines and decision-making processes can paint you as a supplier who cares.

Now, some sales pros can just come out and ask a prospect directly what their reporting lines are, or even “Do you have the authority to make this decision on your own?” And while I admire anyone who has the cahoonas to be so head-on about gathering this information, I prefer a softer approach.

I’ll typically ask who else the prospect would like to discuss the idea with, and when a good time would be to follow up with that person. The answers to those questions usually give me all the information I need.

Here’s another little “trick” I do in meetings to facilitate this information-gathering. I’ll start drawing out (on a piece of paper, my tablet, or a whiteboard) the pieces of the org chart that I’m already familiar with. The prospect usually happily fills in the blanks — and they often admire my effort to understand their organization better.

Reporting Lines Affect Your Prospect, Too

When it comes to dealing with reporting lines, you and your prospect are in the same boat. Your prospect has to figure out how to navigate the chain of command, too.

The most important thing you can do is make sure your prospect has enough information about you and enough enthusiasm for your offering that they can easily (and credibly) bring it to their boss. The last thing your prospect wants to do is embarrass themselves.

Put yourself in their shoes for a moment. Making your mark and establishing your reputation as an employee inside a large organization is tricky business. In some cases, your prospect is staking their own reputation, even their own career development, on the success of your work together.

They’re taking a chance with you.

So try hard to show just how much you care about your work, the quality of your offering, and delivering on your promises. Empower your prospect to make the case to their higher-ups by understanding the reporting lines involved and what they will need to feel confident buying from you.

Read the next article in the Small Fish, Big Fish series: Mastering the Scariest Conversation of All: The Price Discussion

Read past articles in the Small Fish, Big Fish series:

• What's the big deal about working with big companies?
• 3 Steps to Choose and Qualify Your Large and Enterprise Leads
• How to Land the First Meeting With Your Enterprise Lead
• What to Expect in Your First Sales Meeting With a Big Lead (Surprise! It’s Not a Sale)
• The New Sales Pro Dress Code
• How to Run a Meeting That Impresses the Pants off a Big Prospect
• Words of Wisdom: What to Say (and NOT Say) in an Enterprise Sales Meeting

Get the whole series in my free ebook: Small Fish, Big Fish: A small-business guide to selling to large and enterprise companies.

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Reporting Lines: The Strategy and Business Objectives

The organization establishes an operating structure and designs reporting lines to carry out the strategy and business objectives. The organization must clearly define reporting lines in the form of an organogram. The reporting lines are indicative of the ownership of different departments and functions. Reporting lines segregate the business functions with the operations, and according to the reporting lines, the regulatory requirements are disseminated.

Compliance involves identifying the right stakeholders, clarified from the defined reporting lines. Different operating structures and reporting lines may result in different perspectives of compliance risk, affecting compliance risk management practices. For example, assessing compliance risk within a decentralized reporting structure may indicate few risks. In contrast, the view within a centralized model may indicate a concentration of compliance risk relating to certain customer types or foreign exchange exposure.

Factors To Consider Regarding the Reporting Lines

The following includes the factors to consider when establishing and evaluating reporting lines:

• Entity’s strategy and business objectives
• Nature, size, and geographic distribution of the entity’s business
• Risks related to the entity’s strategy and business objectives
• The assignment of authority, accountability, and responsibility to all levels of the entity
• Type of communication channels and reporting lines, such as direct reporting or solid line versus secondary reporting
• Financial, tax, regulatory, and other reporting requirements

The organization considers these and other factors when deciding what reporting lines to adopt. For example, the board of directors determines which management roles have at least a dotted line to the board to allow for open communication of significant compliance breaches and issues. Similarly, direct reporting and informational reporting lines are defined at all levels of the organization, which must be considered when assessing the compliance risks and corporate compliance.

The management plans to organize and carry out the strategy and business objectives following its mission, vision, and core values. Consequently, management needs information on how compliance risk associated with the strategy occurs across the entity. One example of a commonly used method of gathering such information is to delegate the responsibility to a compliance committee. The compliance committee members are typically executives, or senior leaders appointed or elected by management, and each contributes individual skills, knowledge, and experience towards regulatory compliance. 

Entities with complex structures may have several committees, each with different but overlapping management membership. This multi-committee structure is then aligned with the operating structure and reporting lines, which allows management to make business decisions as needed, with a full understanding of the risks embedded in those decisions.

Regardless of the particular management committee structure established, it is common to state the authority of the committee clearly, the management members who are a part of the committee, the frequency of meetings, and the specific responsibilities and operating principles. In some small entities, enterprise risk management oversight may be less formal, with management being much more involved in day-to-day decisions.

Final Thoughts

Reporting lines are organizational structures that define the manner in which employees report to one another. When applying for positions in a new company, it’s critical to understand the layout of reporting lines because it tells you who reports to you and who reports to you. Reporting lines hold employees accountable and ensure that all employees have someone to talk to if they need support, guidance, or assistance. 

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Dotted line reporting: guidelines, tips, and tools for teams.

January 24, 2024

Who doesn’t like a neat organizational map? Clear roles and responsibilities, orderly teams, and well-defined hierarchies are supposed to be at the heart of successful organizations, aren’t they? But teamwork and collaboration are often more complex than that. 

Sometimes, you may have situations where traditional managerial hierarchies and solid reporting structures just don’t work. For instance, you may have a manager leading a cross-functional team. Or you may have one employee reporting to multiple functional managers.  

These situations may look confusing but they are great for channeling productive collaboration across teams and departments. 

As companies redefine the way they deal with responsibilities, visionary leaders are motivated to explore innovative methods. 

One such corporate strategy is dotted line reporting —a method where the same human resources are shared among different teams.

However, cracking this approach can be tough.

Employees often deal with conflicting priorities, trying to please two bosses with different expectations and working styles . 

So, we’ve compiled a handy guide to help you reap the benefits of dotted line reporting without succumbing to its challenges. Let’s dive straight in!

What is solid line reporting, and how is it different from dotted line reporting

When to use dotted line reporting, 1. confusing roles and miscommunication, 2. balancing priorities, 3. managing time, 4. resolving conflicts, 5. losing productivity and accountability, tips for successful dotted line reporting, simplify dotted line reporting with clickup, common faqs.

What Is Dotted Line Reporting?

Dotted line reporting refers to a management structure where an employee has two reporting relationships—one with a primary boss and another with a secondary boss.

The employee’s primary boss is their direct supervisor or manager. Meanwhile, the secondary boss is a different manager, usually from another department. So, with dotted line management, the company structure seems more like a web than a flowchart.

For example, suppose a marketing director needs a content strategist, and another marketing director needs a part-time graphic designer on a tight budget. In that case, they may hire a content strategist who would officially report to the former director but also work under the latter for graphic design.

The main manager usually handles things like day-to-day supervision, performance reviews, and overall employee guidance, while the secondary manager oversees only a particular set of goals.

This way, the org stays within the budget, while making sure no department suffers from a lack of staff.

In a solid line reporting relationship, an employee has a direct and formal reporting relationship with only one supervisor or manager. 

Solid line reporting is more traditional than dotted line reporting, with a clear chain of command. 

Org charts use solid lines to indicate relationships with immediate supervisors and dotted lines to signify secondary managers, hence the names.

The decision to use dotted line reporting depends on your company’s specific needs and dynamics. However, there are some scenarios where it can be a great fit:

• Cross-departmental collaboration: Dotted line reporting encourages smooth communication and team collaboration across diverse functional silos. Because employees work with other teams while maintaining a clear reporting structure within their home department, dotted line reporting makes cross-departmental collaboration simpler
• Matrix organizations: In a matrix organizational structure , dotted line reporting enhances flexibility and collaboration. Maintaining a dual connection allows employees to contribute to multiple projects without solely reporting to the project manager
• Shared resources and tight budgets: When two departments share a tight budget, a dotted line allows an employee to contribute to both without needing two separate roles. It’s a smart move to work around budget limits while making sure your resources are shared efficiently across teams
• Remote and multinational organizations: Employees can maintain a solid line relationship with local managers while establishing a dotted line of reporting to global or cross-regional teams. It allows operations in diverse geographic locations, enhances coordination, and maintains consistent communication among team members across the globe
• Mentoring opportunities: A dotted line role lets employees get guidance not only from their immediate team but also from mentors in other areas, helping them build a broader skillset

The Challenges of Dotted Line Reporting

While dotted line reporting enhances flexibility and collaboration, it also presents several challenges:

Roles can get confusing in a dotted line reporting structure. With dual reporting connections and different expectations from dotted line managers, employees might not know what aspects or jobs to focus on, and when.

Things become worse when there’s a lack of communication between the managers themselves. Such a situation can blur authority boundaries and confuse employees even more. They might struggle to follow instructions from both managers, affecting how well they understand and carry out tasks.

To fix these problems, it’s essential to communicate clearly and ensure everyone knows exactly what they’re responsible for in both reporting relationships.

ClickUp’s Communications RACI Chart Template can be a savior in such cases. It specifically reduces confusion by helping you clarify who is responsible for a task, who needs to be held accountable for it, who needs to be consulted with, and who should be informed of it. 

It has custom features to create a straightforward workflow chart, significantly improving project transparency . It also has collaboration tools like comments, file attachments, and mentions to ensure everyone stays on track.

You can choose to view all relevant information the way you like, with three views: the RACI Matrix, the Project Team, and the Matrix.

In dotted line reporting, employees juggle tasks from their direct line manager and extra duties assigned by their dotted line manager. Plus, with dotted line relationships, there is often less central coordination between managers, who may end up competing for the employee’s time and resources. As a result, priority management by the employees becomes crucial.

For instance, a content marketer whose primary responsibility is content creation and distribution may end up acting as a project coordinator with a dotted line to a project team working on a website revamp for a brand. They will need to split their time to effectively handle different demands, aligning marketing goals with the project aims.

Handling these two sets of priorities needs good time management, communication, and teamwork skills. It’s important to do both sets of tasks well without hampering the overall productivity.

How can you help your dotted line employees prioritize tasks?

With ClickUp! Setting priority levels has never been simpler than with ClickUp Task Priorities . Tag your tasks with four color-coded flags: a red ‘urgent’ flag for tasks that need to be done right away, a yellow ‘high’ flag for tasks that need to be completed soon, a blue ‘normal’ flag for tasks that are on low priority, and a grey ‘low’ flag for tasks that your employees can do once everything else is done.

You can also add filters and dependencies to each task and help your employees plan their workday accordingly.

Balancing time in dotted line reporting is tricky as employees handle tasks from their main and secondary supervisors. But at the same time, doing so is essential to avoid conflicts, missed deadlines, and overwhelm.

If a marketing specialist has a dotted line to a project team, they must divide time wisely between regular marketing work and project tasks. This means deciding what’s most important, talking about deadlines, and coordinating with both supervisors to keep a good balance.

When employees manage time well, they can handle both sets of tasks without sacrificing the quality and timeliness of their work.

One way to do so is through ClickUp’s Time Estimates . Set clear timelines, distribute tasks among team members, and even break down time estimates with this feature. This also makes comparing actual time with predictions and the total time needed for better project planning easier.

Additionally, you can see your team’s daily capacity in the Workload view, schedule estimates in the Calendar view, and monitor task progress in the Box view. Stay on top of your team’s availability, track your goals, and quickly export time estimate data for your reports.

In dotted line reporting, conflicts can occur when bosses have different expectations. This can make work challenging for employees, causing loyalty issues and power struggles.

To handle these conflicts, everyone needs to talk openly. Sometimes, higher-ups can help mediate and make clear rules about who decides what. Encouraging managers to work together and resolve issues more effectively is also crucial.

Resolving conflicts well ensures everyone works in a peaceful, psychologically safe environment that boosts productivity. 

An excellent tool for this is the ClickUp Corrective Action Plan Template . The template details improvement areas, issues, root causes, possible solutions, and success metrics for situations of disagreements and conflict. 

By recording this information, you can ensure employees understand what corrective actions are needed and can track progress over time.

You already know that balancing two roles can quickly become confusing and affect task completion. Without a clear set of rules, employees may struggle to prioritize, impacting efficiency.

The split reporting structure might even dilute accountability and make employees feel less responsible for outcomes in their secondary role.

To fix this, it’s crucial to set clear expectations, encourage communication, and define roles as transparently as possible. Let ClickUp and its arsenal of tools help you achieve that.

ClickUp has everything to set you up for success in a dotted line reporting structure.

ClickUp Dashboards use charts and graphs to give you complete visibility into the status of your project, team effort, and pending tasks.

Set your team goals using ClickUp Goals ; manage, assign, and prioritize tasks with ClickUp Tasks ; and enhance accountability through ClickUp Time Tracking . With ClickUp your dotted line employees never have to compromise on accountability or productivity. 

Using dotted line reporting can be tricky, but if you do it right, your company can progress even within a limited budget. Here are some tips to make dotted line relationships work well:

• Establish crystal-clear communication between managers and employees: Encourage managers to have regular one-on-one meetings with employees and share timely updates to keep expectations and responsibilities aligned
• Align on time, priorities, and expectations: Set clear priorities and time commitments to avoid overloading your employees. As priorities change, keep clarifying and renegotiating expectations. This ongoing adjustment can improve daily operations significantly
• Encourage employees to set boundaries and limitations initially: An employee needs to be able to discuss concerns about urgent requests that disrupt their priorities, without giving way to conflicts. They can create a system with their main manager’s support to establish healthy boundaries—like completing critical tasks in two days instead of immediately. 
• Have a support system employees can rely on : A support system helps leaders handle challenges. It’s essential to have a coach who can assist employees with dotted line challenges, guiding communication, expectations, and limits
• Establish a feedback mechanism: Dotted line reporting works well when employees gather 360° feedback from everyone involved to understand performance better. Feedback from secondary managers adds different viewpoints to the employee’s review, boosting growth. This approach improves relationships and coordination between different reporting lines, elevating the quality of the work environment

At a glance, dotted line reporting can seem like a beacon of confusion and chaos.

But with proper planning and tools, it can greatly boost teamwork and project efficiency in your company. It helps you stay within budget without compromising on the quality of work and deliverables.

An all-rounder tool like ClickUp makes managing tasks, priorities, and goals easy. You can easily manage accountability, track progress, and resolve issues that get in the way of a smooth dual-reporting structure. ClickUp also makes your employees’ work easier and keeps them engaged and motivated to do their best.

Don’t let the challenges of a dotted line reporting relationship scare you! Get started with ClickUp today for free, and navigate dotted line reporting confidently.

Need more answers on dotted line reporting? These FAQs should help.

1. What does a dotted line mean in an org chart?

In an org chart, a dotted line signifies an indirect or secondary reporting relationship.  

It means the employee does not directly report to the manager connected by the dotted line but still receives some direction or guidance from that manager. The employee primarily reports to the main manager, with whom they are connected by a solid line. 

So, a dotted line shows an additional level of guidance and direction but the solid line manager retains primary oversight.

2. How does dotted line reporting affect communication?

If implemented correctly, dotted line reporting can positively impact communication within a company.

• Promotes collaboration: It encourages teams from different departments to work together
• Encourages flow of information: Employees share information more freely across reporting lines
• Makes communication flexible: It allows for a more flexible exchange of ideas and updates
• Strengthens relationships: Employees build relationships with colleagues beyond their immediate teams
• Facilitates cross-functional understanding: Teams gain a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of colleagues in other areas

However, if it isn’t implemented well, then dotted line reporting can invite more challenges than solutions.

3. What are the potential challenges of dotted line reporting?

Dotted line reporting is a tricky structure. If you’re not careful and well-planned, it might pose the following challenges:

• Confusion with priorities: Employees may feel confused about their priorities and responsibilities with two managers
• Ambiguous roles: The dual reporting structure can lead to uncertainty about which manager’s instructions to follow
• Communication gaps: Without clear communication, there might be gaps or misunderstandings that hamper successful outcomes
• Overload from poor time management: Employees could face challenges completing tasks assigned by two managers, leading to potential overload and poor time management
• Conflicts due to tension: Tension between managers and employees may give rise to conflicts

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Dotted Line Reporting

The definition of a matrix organization structure is where people report formally to more than one manager. These reporting lines can take the form of what is known as a solid line or a dotted line reporting relationship. The weight of the line is meant to represent the level of power and influence of the different managers.

In a solid and dotted line reporting structure;

• The solid line reporting relationship is similar to a traditional line management role. The solid line manager tends to look after the objective setting and performance evaluation processes and in the event of a dispute is the manager to whom the individual will tend to defer.
• The dotted line reporting relationship is a weaker relationship. The dotted line manager still has a formal right to some part of the individual’s time and attention and will usually set some of goals. But it is not a strong relationship as a solid line.

The solid line role is often given to either the functional manager or a manager who is geographically close to the individual. This is to give them easier oversight.

The dotted line role is often given to an “activity” or project manager who is responsible for delivering some tasks or other activities but who does not need to get involved in the on-going development of the individual or the administrative processes around them.

In an environment where individuals have both a solid and a dotted line reporting relationship they always have the chance to default to the solid line boss so there are relatively few advantages to having a dotted line over perhaps having an informal virtual team relationship.

Organizations often use the dotted line reporting as a first step towards a matrix organization structure. They tried to get things done through ad hoc or virtual teams and found that these activities were not getting sufficient priority because of the strength of the solid line reporting (often the functional reporting line). In an attempt to balance the power more in favour of the virtual team leader organizations introduce a dotted line reporting relationship. However the power is still an imbalanced relative to the traditional line management role and in the case of disputes the solid line normally wins. Dotted lines do not really balance the power of the traditional functional silos.

If the “horizontal” activity that cuts across the vertical silos of function and geography is really important then organizations eventually migrate to dual solid line reporting. In some cases individuals may report to more than two people with direct solid lines.

Typical responsibilities of the solid line manager include objective setting, running the appraisal and performance evaluation process, professional development, functional or local communication etc.

The dotted line reporting manager tends to focus on delivering specific activities projects although they may have an input to objective setting and performance evaluation.

The management style that is effective in a dotted line relationship may be different than that in a solid line relationship. Dotted line managers have to exercise more influence without authority and get things done despite not having formal control over the resources.

There is some informal evidence from climate surveys within organizations that use these forms of reporting lines that people have a mild preference for their virtual, dotted line, bosses as they exercise a wider range of influence and have to be more persuasive rather than relying on traditional hierarchy and control to get things done.

The use of both solid and dotted line reporting tends to equate with a focus on structure to get things done. In complex organizations, structure solves nothing. Once you have dual reporting lines, then you can’t usually solve issues by recourse to the lines themselves. Individuals with dual reporting lines need to have high levels of autonomy and skill to make decisions and manage trade-offs, otherwise they will be constantly escalating to their bosses who may only understand half of their role.

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What Is a Company Reporting Structure?

Why it’s important to have the right reporting structure.

• To increase employee engagement and satisfaction . The right reporting structure prevents employees from feeling confused about who to report to or what their responsibilities are.
• To help execute your business strategy . Companies must have the right reporting structure for their business strategy. If not, it may feel like an uphill battle to complete projects on time, innovate, and compete.
• To avoid delays in production . The wrong reporting structure can lead to delays in production by causing confusion amongst employees, gaps in management, or other issues.
• To prevent overspending on labor . Companies often go through a growth period without adjusting their company reporting structure. This can lead to overspending on labor because you’re working with an old structure but a new business strategy.

8 Types of Reporting Structures to Consider

Divisional organizational structure, geographically-based.

• Can account for cultural or regional differences in the market
• Autonomy within regions creates practical efficiencies
• Improves logistics
• Autonomy can lead to a lack of communication
• Regions may compete for resources
• Branding can become inconsistent
• Amazon (hybrid structure)

Market-Based

• Divisions can specialize in individual target markets with their branding
• Company will be able to adjust quickly to changes in the market
• Lack of communication can lead to competing brands
• Employees may create duplicative work
• Volkswagen Group

Product-Based

• Improves overall product quality
• Can shorten product development and launch timelines
• May lead to incompatibility between products
• Products that should target the same market may not

Flat Organizational Structure

• Easy to understand
• Facilitates quick decision-making
• Employees can specialize in their respective roles
• Flat structures don’t adjust well to growth
• Lack of communication can lead to inconsistent decision-making
• Squarespace

Functional Organizational Structure

• Clearly defined lines of reporting and authority
• Facilitates mentorship and career development
• Easily adjusts to growth
• Communication between functions can be limited
• Does not facilitate innovation
• Decision-making can become overly bureaucratic
• Southwest Airlines

Matrix Organizational Structure

• Encourages collaboration
• Matrix structures are flexible
• Confusing lines of reporting
• Work can be duplicative and costly
• Can lead to conflict between managers or employees
• Caterpillar
• Texas Instruments

Network Structure

• It’s cost-efficient
• Provides autonomy for certain functions
• Dependence on outside resources
• Heightened potential for logistical delays
• Limited communication can lead to inconsistencies and conflict

Team-Based Structure

• Facilitates innovation
• Can improve collaboration and teamwork
• Teams can create conflict between employees
• Ad hoc or temporary teams can lead to drops in productivity
• Difficult to measure performance

How to Choose the Reporting Structure That is Right for Your Company

Step 1: analyze your business strategy and workforce, step 2: consider how the company might grow, step 3: create a transition plan.

• A realistic timeline with incremental goals
• Team meetings to explain the new company structure and how it aligns with the business’s strategy
• Hand-off meetings between former and future supervisors and employees
• Opportunities to ask questions

Step 4: Communicate Changes to Your Employees

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What Is a Dashed or Dotted Line on an Organizational Chart?

by Fred Decker

Published on 28 May 2019

One of the first things you'll see when you're onboarding at a new employer, or perhaps even at the interview stage, is an organizational chart. Those charts serve a number of purposes, and one of them is to show who you'll report to and what the relationships are between individuals, teams and managers. The lines on the chart explain how those relationships are prioritized.

Org Charts Explain Structure and Relationships

Fundamentally, organizational charts are just a way to explain a company's structure and internal relationships through a graphic image. It's what computer programmers would call a "data visualization tool."

The actual appearance of the chart will vary, depending on whether it describes a traditional top-down bureaucracy, a more complicated matrix of interrelated teams or a relatively flat organizational structure. In each case, though, the chart identifies the important relationships that make up the company.

The chart tells you at a glance which employees belong to the same teams, and which managers they report to. Those teams make up larger departments, which report to higher-ranking managers, and so on. A CEO or potential investor might study an org chart to identify inefficiencies, for example, and refine the company's structure. If you're an employee, the immediate benefit of a good chart is that it tells you who you report to .

Lines of Authority

The boxes on an organizational chart might represent individual employees, ad-hoc working groups or formal teams or departments, but the lines always represent the reporting path for anyone in a given box. In a simple hierarchy, the lines run vertically from employees to managers and ultimately the CEO or proprietor. In a flat or a matrix structure, you're likely to see a mix of horizontal and vertical lines because managing authority – and therefore, your reporting – are more distributed.

No matter how your company and its org chart are structured, a solid line indicates who you report to directly . That's usually a single manager, though in some cases you may report to more than one. You may also see a dotted line on the org chart, and that's where things get interesting.

Dotted Line Reporting Definition

The broken line's meaning in an organizational chart is a less formal reporting relationship. The person at the end of that line isn't your immediate and permanent manager, but someone else. For example, your department or you personally might be assigned to do some work for a team or a manager in some other part of the company. You'll still have a solid line connecting you to your full-time manager, but now you'll also have a dotted or broken line connecting you to whoever's in charge of the other project.

This particular relationship is often referred to as "dotted line reporting." In theory, it means that these reporting relationships are secondary , but in practice, that's not always the case. It depends on the relative importance and urgency of your projects, and in some cases, to the strength of a given manager's position in the company's internal politics.

Reporting and Priorities Can Get Complicated

Juggling the requirements of multiple projects and the demands of multiple managers can potentially be a maddening scenario. In an ideal world, each manager would know exactly how much of your time is available, and how each of your separate projects ranks in importance. In practice that's rarely the case, and more commonly managers are focused on their own needs and priorities – that's what they're evaluated on – and won't understand how yours are divided. In a worst-case scenario, you might find yourself reporting to managers with conflicting priorities, or perhaps who even actively seek to undermine each other.

This doesn't have to be a nightmare situation, because managing your managers – proactively explaining the demands on your time and negotiating those conflicting priorities – can ease a lot of the tension. Your managers will have clarity about what they can and can't ask of you, and you'll have a better understanding of how to allocate your time and resources.

The multiple-boss scenario can even work to your direct advantage , if you approach it intelligently. You can't negotiate priorities with your bosses until you understand how their projects fit into the bigger picture of the company's operations, and you can't do it without building some kind of relationship with the managers themselves. Having a better grasp of the company's workings and effective working relationships with a number of your superiors can give you an edge when advancement opportunities arise.

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The Dotted Line on Your Organizational Chart

What is "dotted line" reporting?

The term refers to the use of a dotted line on an organizational chart . A solid line shows the relationship between an employee and their immediate supervisor or manager. When you add a dotted line, this is a person the employee reports to on specific projects or a secondary supervisor.

This can sound confusing, and you might wonder why there would be a need for a dotted line.

In cases where multiple departments might need to work on specific projects together, a dotted line reporting option keeps things organized. This allows you to keep everything in order in instances where staff from various departments work together on set projects or in a permanent capacity.

Organizational charts are developed as a visual way to see the lines of communication in a company. They also show the hierarchy.

A chart should be clearly drawn so that any member of staff can quickly see who oversees specific functions, and which employees are working in that capacity.

The lines on the chart show which employees work in a supervisory capacity. This eliminates any confusion for employees and supervisors. Management can clearly see which employees they oversee and vice versa.

Functionly has the ability to represent solid and dotted-line reports. In the interactive template above, you can see the HR Business Partner roles show both a solid line reporting structure to the HR Director, and also dotted line reporting structure to individual Heads of Business Units. By hovering over one of the dotted line roles, a line will indicate where the persons who holds that dotted line role is in the org structure.

Dotted Line vs Solid Line Reporting

What is the difference between a dotted line relationship and a solid line relationship in reporting?

You need to know which is appropriate to create your organizational chart effectively. Let’s lay out the main differences.

Solid Line Reporting

On the organizational chart, a solid line indicates a more traditional management relationship. The person at the head of the solid line is the permanent supervisory role for the employees underneath.

The authority of that role is determined by the company. In some cases, that supervisor has hiring and firing rights, and oversees daily responsibilities.

In other cases, the direct supervisor may not oversee termination, that’s dependent on the company. Usually, the supervisor in this role would be responsible for the performance and productivity of the employee. This may include performance reviews and recommendations for promotion, etc.

Dotted Line Reporting

The supervisor in a dotted line reporting situation is not the permanent supervisor. This can be used in several scenarios.

In some companies, you may use dotted line reporting to note a secondary supervisor. This might be a supervisor the employee should go to in the event their regular supervisor is unavailable.

More and more frequently this reporting option is used when cross-training occurs or if employees from one department also work on projects with another department. That employee may have a regular supervisor, but the dotted line supervisor would be the person in charge of their secondary projects.

Possible Drawbacks to Dotted Line Reporting

Dotted line reporting options do have some inherent obstacles. If you use dotted line reporting too frequently, you run the risk of confusing employees and management.

You need clear protocols to indicate when and why to use dotted line reporting. In other words, you need set standards to determine when secondary management roles are appropriate. You also need to make certain that communication among these separate supervisors is good.

For employees, having too many supervisors may be confusing. You run the risk of having too much work placed on a single employee because the individual supervisors may not be aware of each other’s workflow.

If the supervisors don’t work well together, they may not manage to make deliverable deadlines comfortable for the employee.

You also run the risk that two managers both task an employee with responsibilities that, when combined, are not reasonable. For the employee, this can be extremely stressful. They wouldn’t want to fail in their responsibilities for either supervisor.

If you have excellent communication and a firm policy in place to dictate when to use dotted line reporting, the option can work well.

When to Use Dotted Line Reporting

There are a few situations where dotted line reporting can be advantageous for the company and the employees. In some structures, you would have several people in management positions with teams of employees underneath each of them.

You may have a secondary manager assigned to each employee who only needs to fulfill that management duty when the regular manager is unavailable.

This scheme can work well if the managers are in good communication. It gives employees a structure so that they always know where to take issues and how to facilitate productivity at all times.

Another reason to use dotted line reporting is for special projects. You can facilitate team building with employees from several departments on the same project. In these cases, the dotted line would lead to the project manager.

The project manager does not supersede that employee’s regular manager. But they have the authority to oversee work for that specific project alone.

Best Practices for Dotted Line Reporting

Dotted line reporting should be used sparingly.

If employees have too many managers, it can become confusing for everyone involved. Here are some best practices to help develop a good organizational chart using dotted line reporting.

• Develop Guidelines . The company should mandate guidelines to determine when secondary managers are appropriate and how to facilitate the communication in all concerned relationships. You might develop a protocol where secondary managers also 'cc' primary managers on deliverables so that all managers are in the loop and can see the employee’s complete workflow, so they don’t become overwhelmed.
• Be Clear About Authority. Every company has its own rules in place on the authority of its managers. Employees and managers need to be clear on which manager works in the capacity to oversee their performance reviews and who to discuss time off with, etc. Secondary managers don’t usually work with performance reviews.
• Set Dates Clearly. For projects, the dotted line feature is a temporary relationship that would end when the project is completed. These situations work well but it’s important to be clear on the length of time for each project.

Dotted line reporting is only beneficial when it improves communication.

It gives the staff and management direction to oversee every aspect of the workflow. It should not be a reporting option that confuses or hinders progress.

Dotted line managers often need some support to help facilitate engagement. The dotted line supervisors don’t usually oversee performance reviews, bonuses, or other incentives that the solid line management usually oversees.

You would hope that employees on projects would do an outstanding job because they have pride in their work. And this may be the case. But it still helps to have some incentive and to recognize the great work your employees are producing.

In all cases, communication should be addressed. Human Resources can assess dotted line reporting relationships to see where problems may occur and develop or edit protocols to help both management and staff use this option to the best benefit of the company.

Free Trial Offer of Functionly

We have created an intelligent org chart design tool for you to use. And you can get started for free. In fact, we have a free version that you can use forever. Or you can start with a free trial, and see where it takes you.

As you get deeper into it, you'll see all the advantages of having an overview of your organization, where your people are best placed, and how to maximize your growth potential. You can also put in dotted lines.

Sign up for Functionly today with a free trial offer to get started.

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reporting line noun

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What does the noun reporting line mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun reporting line . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

How common is the noun reporting line ?

Where does the noun reporting line come from.

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the noun reporting line is in the 1950s.

OED's earliest evidence for reporting line is from 1957, in Management Surv. Depart. Nat. Resources .

reporting line is formed within English, by compounding.

Etymons: reporting n. , line n. 2

Nearby entries

• reported speech, n. 1846–
• reporter, n. 1400–
• reporterage, n. a1936–
• reporter gene, n. 1984–
• reporterize, v. 1891
• reporterized, adj. 1888–
• reportership, n. 1844–
• reporting, n. ?a1439–
• reporting, adj. 1573–
• reporting company, n. 1968–
• reporting line, n. 1957–
• reportingly, adv. 1600–
• reporting verb, n. 1867–
• reportless, adj. c1865–84
• reportorial, adj. 1848–
• reportorially, adv. 1862–
• reportory, n. 1534–1625
• reportship, n. 1912–
• report stage, n. 1870–
• reporture, n. c1475–1534
• reposado, n. 1982–

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Meaning & use

Entry history for reporting line, n..

Originally published as part of the entry for reporting, n.

reporting line, n. was first published in December 2019.

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AT&T says a data breach leaked millions of customers’ information online. Were you affected?

FILE - The sign in front of an AT&T retail store is seen in Miami, July 18, 2019. The theft of sensitive information belonging to millions of AT&T’s current and former customers has been recently discovered online, the telecommunications giant said Saturday, March 30, 2024. In an announcement addressing the data breach, AT&T said that a dataset found on the dark web contains information including some Social Security numbers and passcodes for about 7.6 million current account holders and 65.4 million former account holders. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

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NEW YORK (AP) — The theft of sensitive information belonging to millions of AT&T’s current and former customers has been recently discovered online, the telecommunications giant said this weekend.

In a Saturday announcement addressing the data breach, AT&T said that a dataset found on the “dark web” contains information including some Social Security numbers and passcodes for about 7.6 million current account holders and 65.4 million former account holders.

Whether the data “originated from AT&T or one of its vendors” is still unknown, the Dallas-based company noted — adding that it had launched an investigation into the incident. AT&T has also begun notifying customers whose personal information was compromised.

Here’s what you need to know.

WHAT INFORMATION WAS COMPROMISED IN THIS BREACH?

Although varying by each customer and account, AT&T says that information involved in this breach included Social Security numbers and passcodes — which, unlike passwords, are numerical PINS that are typically four digits long.

Full names, email addresses, mailing address, phone numbers, dates of birth and AT&T account numbers may have also been compromised. The impacted data is from 2019 or earlier and does not appear to include financial information or call history, the company said.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I WAS AFFECTED?

Consumers impacted by this breach should be receiving an email or letter directly from AT&T about the incident. The email notices began going out on Saturday, an AT&T spokesperson confirmed to The Associated Press.

WHAT ACTION HAS AT&T TAKEN?

Beyond these notifications, AT&T said that it had already reset the passcodes of current users. The company added that it would pay for credit monitoring services where applicable.

AT&T also said that it “launched a robust investigation” with internal and external cybersecurity experts to investigate the situation further.

HAS AT&T SEEN DATA BREACHES LIKE THIS BEFORE?

AT&T has seen several data breaches that range in size and impact over the years .

While the company says the data in this latest breach surfaced on a hacking forum nearly two weeks ago, it closely resembles a similar breach that surfaced in 2021 but which AT&T never acknowledged, cybersecurity researcher Troy Hunt told the AP Saturday.

“If they assess this and they made the wrong call on it, and we’ve had a course of years pass without them being able to notify impacted customers,” then it’s likely the company will soon face class action lawsuits, said Hunt, founder of an Australia-based website that warns people when their personal information has been exposed.

A spokesperson for AT&T declined to comment further when asked about these similarities Sunday.

HOW CAN I PROTECT MYSELF GOING FORWARD?

Avoiding data breaches entirely can be tricky in our ever-digitized world, but consumers can take some steps to help protect themselves going forward.

The basics include creating hard-to-guess passwords and using multifactor authentication when possible. If you receive a notice about a breach, it’s good idea to change your password and monitor account activity for any suspicious transactions. You’ll also want to visit a company’s official website for reliable contact information — as scammers sometimes try to take advantage of news like data breaches to gain your trust through look-alike phishing emails or phone calls.

In addition, the Federal Trade Commission notes that nationwide credit bureaus — such as Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — offer free credit freezes and fraud alerts that consumers can set up to help protect themselves from identity theft and other malicious activity.

AP Reporter Matt O’Brien contributed to this report from Providence, Rhode Island.

Did the eclipse path change? New map reveals Hoosiers could see less of the solar eclipse

A rare total solar eclipse  will cut a 115-mile-wide path April 8 across North America, but less than a week before it happens, new research suggests fewer Hoosiers could experience the totality because previous 2024 eclipse maps are wrong — though not by much.

Despite these findings, NASA told IndyStar in an email that  its predictions  for the eclipse have not changed — and, added Butler University Physics & Astronomy professor Brian Murphy, the new map won't make a huge difference for the millions of Hoosiers watching the eclipse.

"The path of totality might have narrowed, maybe by a mile total, but we're talking about going from 115 miles to 114 miles wide," Murphy said. "If you're near the edge of that path, go a few miles further into the center at the very least to ensure you see the totality."

Here's what we know about the new eclipse path and why it matters.

The eclipse is one week away! What to know on solar glasses, time, Indiana path of totality

Has the 2024 solar eclipse path changed?

Several media reports Tuesday and Wednesday have called into question the forecast for the 2024 solar eclipse path, or where the moon's shadow will pass over the Earth when the moon partially blocks out the Sun. The projected path might be off by as much as a mile, according to John Irwin.

Irwin, who calculates solar eclipse data for the blogsite Besselian Elements , released a newly updated forecast for the eclipse path. As first reported by Forbes , Irwin's findings show hundreds of towns and cities across Mexico, North America, and Canada have lost their solar eclipse.

Indiana cities affected by Irwin's findings include Kokomo, Frankfort and parts of Crawfordsville.

Why did the eclipse map change?

In short, the map changed because of how Irwin and others have calculated the size of the Sun, which might be slightly larger than what scientists thought.

Alex Young  of NASA's Goddard Spaceflight Center recently told Astronomy publication EarthSky that he and other researchers spotted differences between the actual and predicted path of the total solar eclipse that crossed North America in 2017, prompting a change in creating a new eclipse map for 2024.

The updated solar eclipse map by Irwin and Besselian Elements, according to Forbes, factors in the exact topography of both the moon and the Earth to create "a more accurate eclipse map" using new information about the Sun.

How accurate in the new eclipse map?

The members of Besselian Elements on their official Facebook page describe themselves as "a team of dedicated amateur astronomers, passionate about solar eclipses." Their findings, according to a recent article on Space.com , have yet to be peer-reviewed, so take them with a grain of salt.

What does this mean for Indiana?

NASA told IndyStar the new eclipse map will affect cities on the very edge of the path of totality, where predicting how long the eclipse will last is difficult no matter what. A difference of a few city blocks one way or the other, NASA said, could mean 20, 10, or 0 seconds of totality.

Experts are urging people living along the edge of the eclipse path to play it safe if they want to watch the total eclipse by moving closer to the center of the totality, which Murphy echoed to IndyStar.

"Don't stay right at the edge," Murphy said. "Get a few miles in to guarantee at least 10 to 30 seconds of the totality," which the new eclipse map shows has shifted further away from Indiana cities like Kokomo, Frankfort, Crawfordsville and Fort Wayne.

Solar eclipse map: Updated path of totality for Indiana

How to interpret the updated 2024 solar eclipse map.

The yellow line of the map is the center of the totality, which for Indiana, means the eclipse will now pass almost directly over Vincennes, Bloomington, Bloomfield and Franklin.

The red line is the original eclipse path while the three orange lines, according to Irwin, show the outer limits of where Hoosiers can expect to find 100% darkness. Those wanting to experience that 100% darkness should view the eclipse from somewhere within the innermost orange lines.

New map shows eclipse path shifts further away from Kokomo

Much of frankfort loses out on path of total solar eclipse, some indiana state parks might be affected by the new eclipse map.

Many Hoosiers are expected to flock Monday to Indiana State Parks, which have hundreds of campsites across  DNR properties to enjoy the total solar eclipse. The updated map means some of these parks could see less of the totality, such as Turkey Run State Park southwest of Crawfordsville. Nonetheless, many of the facilities at Turkey Run — its nature center, playground and picnic areas — are still within the path of totality even with the shift in the map.

What time does solar eclipse 2024 viewing start in Indiana

What time will the partial solar eclipse 2024 start in indianapolis.

The solar eclipse's partial phase will begin at approximately 1:50 p.m. ET, April 8 in Indianapolis, according to  eclipse2024.org , with the full totality beginning at 3:06 p.m. and lasting for nearly 4 minutes.

Others are reading: The dinosaurs at Indy's Children's Museum have solar glasses. Do you? How to get them

John Tufts covers trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at  [email protected] . Follow him on X at  @JTuftsReports .

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to add harmonies to a tune

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Pay what you owe using an online payment option and check the box that you are paying as part of filing for an extension. You don’t have to file a separate extension form and you’ll receive a confirmation number of your extension for your records.

Use Free File (no income limit for extensions)

Use IRS Free File to electronically request an automatic tax-filing extension. 

Request an extension by mail

1. File Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return . You can file by mail, online with an IRS e-filing partner or through a tax professional. 2. Estimate how much tax you owe for the year on the extension form: Subtract the taxes you already paid for the filing year.

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Earthquake, aftershocks rattle NYC and beyond: "One of the largest" East Coast quakes in the last century

By Jesse Zanger

Updated on: April 6, 2024 / 11:47 AM EDT / CBS New York

NEW YORK - New York City and its surrounding area were hit by a significant earthquake and multiple aftershocks Friday.

A 3.8 magnitude aftershock hit 37 miles west of New York City near Gladstone, New Jersey, around 6 p.m. Friday. It struck 9.7 kilometers deep and was felt as far away as Long Island, where there were reports of houses shaking.

It was initially reported to be 4.0 magnitude, but was later confirmed to be 3.8. Seismologists said aftershocks could  continue for a week . 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said there were no immediate reports of significant damage after that aftershock, which came on the heels of Friday morning's 4.8 magnitude earthquake - one of the largest quakes to hit the region in a century. 

The quake hit at approximately 10:23 a.m., startling everyone. It struck 4.7 kilometers below the surface and  was centered in Readington Township, N.J. , about 40 miles west of New York City, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. 

Walls rattled and shelves shook throughout the area. Videos captured  various views of the moment the earthquake hit . 

The impact was felt throughout the Tri-State Area, as well as in  Philadelphia  and as far away as  Baltimore . The USGS said the impact was felt all the way from Maine to Washington, D.C.

There were multiple aftershocks after the earthquake hit. Before Friday evening's 3.8, there were several earlier in the day. An hour after the initial impact, a 2.0 aftershock struck west of Bedminster, N.J. At around 12:30 p.m., there was a 1.8 magnitude aftershock, another 2.0 aftershock at 1:14 p.m., and another 2.0 aftershock shortly before 3 p.m. 

"Aftershocks of these sizes are normal and are not expected to cause further damage," Hochul wrote on X. 

"One of the largest earthquakes on the East Coast in the last century" 

"We're taking this extremely seriously and here's why. There's always the possibility of aftershocks. We have not felt a magnitude of this earthquake since about 2011 ," Hochul said. "This is one of the largest earthquakes on the East Coast to occur in the last century." 

Hochul said she has started a damage assessment across the state , and spoke with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, since the quake's epicenter was located in the Garden State. 

"It's been an unsettling day, to say the least," Hochul said. 

Murphy, who was at a conference out of state when the quake hit, touted the response locally . 

"The reaction was swift and very impressive by the likes of the Port Authority, our State Police opening up its emergency operations center, local and county officials," Murphy said. 

He said the top infrastructure concern is the Hudson River tunnels, though so far there were no reports of major damage. 

"The rail tunnels were built in, finished in 1911, which is why we're building two new ones," Murphy said. 

NYC Mayor Adams: "New Yorkers should go about their normal day"

New York City officials said there have been no reports of major impacts across the city. 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said though there's always a concern about aftershocks , "New Yorkers should go about their normal day. First responders are working to make sure the city's safe." 

In the event of an aftershock, Adams said people should "drop to the floor, cover your head and neck, and take cover under a solid piece of furniture next to an interior wall, or in a doorway." 

Adams also said he's been in touch with the White House. 

"Earthquakes don't happen every day in New York, so this can be extremely traumatic - the number of texts, calls and inquiries that people sent out not only to our administration, but to family members. Check in on them. We know how this can impact you," Adams said. 

"We activated our protocols for this earthquake. We immediately started coordinating with all city, state, federal and our utility partners. Public notifications were sent out both by Notify NYC and our wireless emergency alert system," New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zachary Iscol said. 

"We are putting on additional construction and engineering professionals from this point on over the weekend, so if reports do come in, we will be ready to respond," Department of Buildings Commissioner James Oddo said. 

City officials say if people sees cracks in their home or business as a result of the earthquake , they should call 311. 

New York City public schools were told to continue operations and hold dismissal as normal.

"Parents do not need to pick up their child early as a result of today's earthquake. Additionally, all after-school programs will continue as planned," New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks said. " All of our students across the school system are safe . All of our staff are safe. We have no reports of any structural damage to any of our school facilities, while many schools in fact felt some tremors from the earthquake." 

Adams said he was at a Youth Gun Summit at Gracie Mansion and did not feel the quake himself. 

"I would encourage all New Yorkers to use this as a wakeup call to make sure that they are prepared for future seismic activity. Know what to do - know not to evacuate outside your building. Know if you are outside to stay away from power lines or things that can collapse. Make sure you have emergency supplies on hand. Make sure you have a plan for your family," Iscol said. 

Traffic, transit and airport impacts of the quake

The quake caused temporary ground stops at John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty airports. There were delays as well at LaGuardia as crews checked for damage to the airports and runways

The MTA said it is inspecting all New York City-area bridges and tunnels . Officials also said subway tunnels were checked. 

"Initial inspections show there was not damage to any MTA infrastructure, but we will continue to monitor the situation closely," the MTA posted on X. 

Amtrak and MTA service remained on their full schedule, Hochul said. 

New Yorkers, area residents shaken up by unusual earthquake

The experience was more than enough to rattle some New Yorkers . 

"I was laying in my bed, and my whole apartment building started shaking. I started freaking out," one New York City resident told CBS New York's Elijah Westbrook. 

"My class was scared. So my friends, they went next to me and gave me a hug," 6-year-old Trinity Morales told CBS New York's Jennifer Bisram. 

"I was sound asleep. I got home late last night, had a little bit of water in the basement, so I was up until like 4:30. I was sound asleep at 10:23. This thing rattled me up," CBS New York's Lonnie Quinn said. "I initially thought it was wind, because my windows were rattling and shaking. Looked outside, the trees were not blowing. I thought, what is that?" 

Cracks in walls were visible in an apartment in Berkeley Heights, N.J. 

The Empire State Building had bit of fun after the quake . 

"I AM FINE," the building posted on X. 

More history of earthquakes in New York

It's not the first time the East Coast and New York City have been hit with a quake. A 5.0 quake was measured in New York City in 1884. 

By way of comparison, a 4.0 earthquake is the equivalent of 33,000 pounds of explosive going off at any one time. A 5.0 earthquake is the equivalent of a million pounds of explosives. The record for New Jersey is a 5.3.   

There's a major fault line in New Jersey called the Ramapo Fault, which stems from the Appalachian mountains, and there are at least five smaller fault lines under Manhattan island. 

The quake comes just a few months after the USGS warned nearly 75% of the United States could face damaging quakes in the next 100 years . 

In 2011, a 5.8 quake struck in Virginia and rattled the entire East Coast .   

Jesse Zanger is the managing editor of CBSNewYork.com.

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Exclusive: Thai PM says central bank should cut rates to help economic revival

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said the central bank should cut its key interest rate by at least a quarter point this week to support government efforts to revive Southeast Asia's second-largest economy.

4.8 magnitude earthquake rattles NYC, New Jersey: Live updates

NEW YORK – A 4.8 magnitude earthquake recorded in New Jersey that shook residents in surrounding states and New York City on Friday morning was one of the strongest in state history.

The temblor was reported about 5 miles north of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, at about 10:23 a.m. Friday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The epicenter was about 45 miles from New York City, where residents reported shaking furniture and floors.

“Earthquakes in this region are uncommon but not unexpected. It’s likely people near the epicenter are going to feel aftershocks for this earthquake in the magnitude 2-3 range, and there’s a small chance there can be an earthquake as large or larger, following an earthquake like this,” Paul Earle, a seismologist at the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program told reporters. “In terms of our operations, this is a routine earthquake … Immediately we knew this would be of high interest and important to people who don’t feel earthquakes a lot.”

People reported feeling the shaking as far north as Maine and as far south as Norfolk, Virginia, following the quake, according to USGS. Scientists said those in the affected area should listen to local emergency officials and be prepared to seek cover if aftershocks occur.

“If you feel shaking, drop, cover and hold,” Earle said.

No major disruptions or damage have been reported in New Jersey or New York.

"We have activated our State Emergency Operations Center. Please do not call 911 unless you have an actual emergency," said New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.

President Joe Biden spoke with Murphy about the earthquake and the White House is monitoring the situation.

“He thinks everything's under control,” Biden told reporters before leaving the White House for a trip to Baltimore. “He’s not too concerned about it, the governor of New Jersey, so things are all right.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the quake was felt throughout New York, and officials are assessing impacts and any potential damage.

In Yonkers, New York, Mayor Mike Spano said City Hall shook but no injuries were reported.

"A few moments ago our entire house shook for about 25 seconds or so here in Mendham, New Jersey," former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said.

USGS is still investigating the exact fault line at the center of Friday’s quake and said it occurred in a region with dozens of fault lines that were more active millions of years ago.

4.0 magnitude aftershock strikes hours after earthquake

Officials in New York and New Jersey alerted residents to an aftershock Monday evening, nearly eight hours after the earthquake.

A 4.0 magnitude aftershock slammed New Jersey at around 6 p.m., with an epicenter about four miles southwest of Gladstone, according to the USGS. New York City’s emergency notification system alerted residents to the aftershock minutes later, urging people to remain indoors and call 911 if injured.

Hochul said there were no reports of serious damage after the aftershock, and officials were continuing to assess critical infrastructure.

The aftershock Monday evening was at least the third that USGS recorded after the quake struck.

As of Friday afternoon, the USGS aftershock forecast predicted a 36% chance of aftershocks at a 3.0 magnitude or higher, an 8% chance of aftershocks at a 4.0 magnitude or higher, and a 1% chance for aftershocks at a magnitude of 5.0 or higher over the next week.

USGS scientists said informal observations can be a big help in understanding earthquakes, especially in a region where they’re less common.

“We encourage people to fill out the ‘Did You Feel It?’ reports on our website,” said Sara McBride, a scientist with the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. “This citizen science project is critical in terms of building our knowledge around earthquakes.”

By midafternoon on Friday, the agency said it had received more than 161,000 reports, and extrapolated that the quake had been felt by millions of people. McBride acknowledged that earthquakes can be nerve-wracking for people who don’t live in seismologically active regions, and said knowledge is power in combatting that discomfort.

“The best thing you can do to relieve any unsettling feelings you might have is to learn how to protect yourself during shaking and how to prepare for earthquakes in the future,” she said.

Man getting vasectomy during earthquake recounts experience

One Horsham, Pennsylvania, man shared his unusual earthquake experience, saying the tremors hit when he was in the middle of receiving a vasectomy.

"The surgeon sort of froze and all of us kind of seemed a bit confused," Justin Allen told USA TODAY . "Even when the surgeon said 'that’s gotta be an earthquake,' I thought he was joking."

Luckily, Allen's doctor was able to resume the procedure after a brief pause, and the rest went off without a hitch. Now recovering at home, Allen said it's an experience no one involved will forget, especially because his social media post about the incident has since gone viral.

"My wife says that 'this is a clear and obvious sign that we should not have any more kids,'" Allen said.

New Jersey resident thought sound from earthquake was an explosion

Madeline Nafus had just finished feeding her 7-week-old baby when, simultaneously, she was thrown off balance and the loudest sound she’d ever heard rang out.

“I thought it was either an explosion or a bombing because of how loud it was,” said Nafus, who lives in Long Valley, New Jersey, a few miles from the earthquake's epicenter. “It was just terrifying.”

Nafus, 29, watched as her light fixtures swung and wine glasses, framed photos and a 6-foot elk head crashed onto the floor. Feeling as if her “house was going to crumble,” she picked up her baby boy, grabbed some blankets and headed outside. Meanwhile, her friend came running downstairs and picked up Nafus’ quivering dog, Olivia, a small golden doodle.

After about 15 seconds, the rumbling went away and only occasional, minor tremors could be felt. Nafus called her husband, who was teaching a golf lesson at the time, and then their 2-year-old’s day care.

“They said the children were all confused and asking a lot of questions but that they were OK,” she said.'

How common are East Coast quakes?

Earthquakes are less frequent in the eastern part of the country than in the west, but they have occurred in every state east of the Mississippi River, according to the USGS.

"Since colonial times people in the New York – Philadelphia – Wilmington urban corridor have felt small earthquakes and suffered damage from infrequent larger ones," according to the USGS. "Moderately damaging earthquakes strike somewhere in the urban corridor roughly twice a century, and smaller earthquakes are felt roughly every two to three years."

USGS officials also said that even smaller-magnitude quakes are more likely to be felt more widely on the East Coast than similar size quakes on the West Coast due to the rock properties of eastern soil, which can cause concern to East Coasters not used to the tremors.

Rocks in the eastern part of the country are much older than in the west, by up to millions of years. Those older rocks have been exposed to more extreme temperatures and pressure, and faults have had more time to heal. Seismic waves travel across the resulting harder and denser faults much more efficiently, so the effects of a quake are felt across a larger area. In the West, faults are newer and absorb more of the seismic wave energy without spreading as far.

Quake felt in Massachusetts

In Auburn, Massachusetts, more than 200 miles from the earthquake's epicenter, Jerry Steinhelper was on a video call for work when his house began to tremble. His dog Maize started barking, and books and trinkets fell from their shelves. He looked out the window and saw trees shaking.

“I thought at first it may be ice falling off the roof. But it kept going and the entire house was shaking,” he told USA TODAY. “Then I just knew it was an earthquake.”

Steinhelper, 55, lived in San Diego in the 1980s and experienced temblors there, but he’s never felt one in Massachusetts, where he’s been for over 25 years.

“It was an interesting 10 to 15 seconds,” he said.

'It felt like a plane crashed outside' near epicenter

Nicole Kravitz, 33, was baking muffins at the cafe she co-owns with her husband in New Jersey when the floor began to shake. She and the cooks looked at each other for a few moments, and then at some stacked plates and glasses that had started vibrating.

Their eatery, Branchburg's Best, is located in New Jersey's Somerset County, near the epicenter of Friday’s earthquake.

“It felt like a plane crashed outside,” she said. “No one knew what was happening.”

Some workers ran out the door to see if something had smashed into the building while she checked the basement for damage. Meanwhile, Patrick Tucker, her husband, who was picking up beef from a nearby farm, watched agitated chickens and cows run around in their pens, visibly shaken by the quake.

Kravitz said the intensity of the earthquake made her feel like she was back in Southern California, where she had lived for several years before she returned to her home state in 2016.

Quake was one of the strongest to ever impact New Jersey

Friday's earthquake was the most significant in New Jersey since 1884 , when an Aug. 10 earthquake somewhere near Jamaica Bay, New York, toppled chimneys and moved houses off their foundations as far as Rahway, New Jersey, 30 miles away.

Other than that quake, there were only  three earthquakes in modern history  that caused damage in the state: 1737 (New York City), 1783 (west of New York City) and 1927 (New Jersey coast near Asbury), according to New Jersey Office of Emergency Management records.

The Dec. 19, 1737 earthquake is believed by modern experts to have been a 5.2 magnitude quake. Charted as taking place in the greater New York City area, some accounts say its epicenter was near Weehawken. State records show it threw down chimneys. Chimneys were also hurled down during the Nov. 29, 1783 quake. Estimated at a 5.3 magnitude that originated in modern-day Rockaway Township, according to state records, it was felt from Pennsylvania to New England.

The Aug. 10, 1884 quake, estimated at a 5.2 magnitude was the last the state has seen of its significance and was felt from Virginia to Maine, according to state records.

  Read more about New Jersey's earthquake history.

– David M. Zimmer, NorthJersey.com

New Jersey business owner describes worst quake ever felt but went right back to work

It was a busy day for La Bella Salon & Spa in Lebanon, New Jersey, when an earthquake struck near the rural township.

About a dozen stylists and customers, some whom were getting their hair dyed while others got manicures and eyelash extensions, all froze as the building rattled for about 30 seconds.

“People started to feel the shaking, and it got worse and worse. We were like ‘Oh, my god, what is going on?’" said shop owner Rosanne Drechsel. “I thought a truck hit the building or something.”

After the tremor subsided, nearly everyone in the building started receiving texts and phone calls from friends and family, Drechsel, 61, said.

Nothing was damaged and no one was injured, but Drechsel, who was born and raised in New Jersey, said it was “by far the worst earthquake” she had ever felt.

“We all went back to work and finished the appointments,” she said. “Customers are calling now to see if we're still open and if they can still make their appointments later on today.”

'It was scary': Quake rattles shelves in Brooklyn bodega

In Brooklyn, residents said they felt their buildings shake and many went outdoors after the rumbling stopped to check in with neighbors.

Julio Melo, a deli worker, said he thought the sounds of the earthquake resembled those of a large truck going down the street. But when Melo, 32, looked around and saw beer bottles rattling on store shelves, and a potted plant shimmy down the counter, he thought it might be something bigger, he told USA TODAY.

“I looked at my employee and he had the same tragic face on as me, it was scary,” he said at Jenesis’ Grocery Corp. in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood.

– Claire Thornton

Where was the earthquake felt?

Residents and officials said the earthquake was felt throughout New York, as well as in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and elsewhere. It was also felt as far away as Cambridge, Massachusetts, about 250 miles away from the reported epicenter.

Charita Walcott, a 38-year-old resident in the Bronx borough of New York, said the quake felt "like a violent rumble that lasted about 30 seconds or so."

"It was kind of like being in a drum circle, that vibration," she said.

Earthquakes common in the region, but the size is unusual: Expert

Chuck Ver Straeten, a geologist and curator of sedimentary rocks at the New York State Museum, told USA TODAY it’s not surprising this earthquake happened where it did.

“New York, around New York City going into New Jersey, there’s a lot of earthquakes historically down there. Happens every year,” he said. But it’s less common for them to be of such a high magnitude. It’s not surprising that many people felt it, he said. Usually, earthquakes in the region are at a lower magnitude and less likely to be felt.

Ver Straeten said the real question now is if this is just a precursor to a larger quake.

“You never know what is the earthquake, what is a pre-earthquake, what is an earthquake happening after the main earthquake, you just have to see,” he said. “One slip along the rock fault, when one happens, it makes other areas around there more tense also and they start to slip and you slip again and slip again.”

But, he added, it would be unlikely for a larger quake to follow this one. In the Northeast, it’s more common for one large quake to be followed by smaller aftershocks, rather than a mounting series of tremors. 

What does magnitude mean in an earthquake?

Magnitude is a measurement of the strength of an earthquake . Officially it's called the Moment Magnitude Scale . It's a logarithmic scale , meaning each number is ten times as strong as the one before it. So a 5.2 earthquake is moderate while a 6.2 is strong.

The magnitude and effect of an earthquake, according to Michigan Technological University :

◾ Below 2.5: Generally not felt

◾ 2.5 to 5.4: Minor or no damage

◾ 5.5 to 6.0: Slight damage to buildings

◾ 6.1 to 6.9: Serious damage

◾ 8.0 or greater: Massive damage, can totally destroy communities

Intensity scales, measured in Roman numerals, are used to describe how strong the earthquake felt to people in the area.

According to the California Earthquake Authority , an intensity of I is typically felt only under especially favorable conditions. A IV, which leads to light shaking, is felt indoors by many, but not typically outdoors. It might awaken some people at night and lead to a sensation like a truck striking a building. A parked car would rock. Intensities VI and above would be strong, frightening and felt by all, with the damage increasing up to a X where the shaking would be violent. Some well-built wooden structures would be destroyed and most masonry and frame structures along with their foundations would be ruined.

While you might have heard the term " the Richter Scale " used to describe earthquakes, it is no longer commonly used because it was only valid for certain earthquake frequencies and distance ranges.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Contributing: Reuters

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Final Rule: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Phase 3

• 42 U.S.C. §7401 - 7671q
• 40 CFR Parts 86, 1036, 1037, 1039, 1054, 1065
• EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0985

On this page:

Rule summary, rule history, additional resources.

• Regulations for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Commercial Trucks & Buses
• Regulations for Smog, Soot, and Other Air Pollution from Commercial Trucks & Buses

Para información en español, haga clic aquí .

On March 29, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule, “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Phase 3,” that sets stronger standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty (HD) vehicles beginning in model year (MY) 2027. The new standards will be applicable to HD vocational vehicles (such as delivery trucks, refuse haulers, public utility trucks, transit, shuttle, school buses, etc.) and tractors (such as day cabs and sleeper cabs on tractor-trailer trucks).

The final “Phase 3” standards build on EPA’s Heavy-Duty Phase 2 program from 2016 and maintain that program’s flexible structure, which is designed to reflect the diverse nature of the heavy-duty vehicle industry. The standards are technology-neutral and performance-based, allowing each manufacturer to choose what set of emissions control technologies is best suited for them and the needs of their customers.

• Final Rule: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles -Phase 3 (pdf) (8.5 MB, pre-publication, signed March 2024)
• Proposed Rule: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Phase 3
• Fact Sheet: Final Standards to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Heavy-Duty Vehicles for Model Year 2027 and Beyond (pdf) (185.2 KB, March 2024, EPA-420-F-24-018)
• Fact sheet in Spanish: Normas finales para reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero de los vehículos pesados modelos del año 2027 y posteriores (pdf) (191.6 KB, March 2024, EPA-420-F-24-019)
• Regulatory Impact Analysis: Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards Regulatory Impact Analysis (pdf) (14.2 MB, March 2024, EPA-420-R-24-006)
• Response to Comments: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles: Phase 3 (pdf) (16 MB, March 2024, EPA-420-R-24-007)
• Redline Version of EPA’s Final Regulation for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles: Phase 3 (pdf) (6.5 MB, April 2024)
• Regulations for Emissions from Vehicles and Engines Home
• Greenhouse Gas