Federal Wage System Job Grading Standard for Leader WL/NL

Leader WL/NL TS-39 January 1980

Federal Wage System

Job Grading Standard for Leader WL/NL

Table of Contents

WORK COVERED........................................................................................................................................2

PART I - WORKING LEADERS ...................................................................................................................2

WORKING LEADER DUTIES..................................................................................................................3

WORK NOT COVERED ...........................................................................................................................4

TITLES AND CODES...............................................................................................................................5

JOB GRADING CRITERIA.......................................................................................................................5

WORKING LEADER GRADING TABLE .................................................................................................7

PART II - TRAINING LEADERS...................................................................................................................8

TRAINING LEADER DUTIES...................................................................................................................8

WORK NOT COVERED ...........................................................................................................................9

TITLES AND CODES.............................................................................................................................10

JOB GRADING CRITERIA.....................................................................................................................11

TRAINING LEADER TYPE A.................................................................................................................12

TRAINING LEADER TYPE B.................................................................................................................13

TRAINING LEADER GRADING TABLE................................................................................................14

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WORK COVERED

This standard is used to grade the jobs of leaders who as a regular and recurring part of their

jobs, and on a substantially full time and continuing basis, lead three or more workers to (a)

accomplish trades and labor work or (b) train them in the nonsupervisory work of a trades and

laboring occupation.

Both types of leaders are responsible to their supervisors for assuring that the work or training

assignments of the group led are carried out.

It should be noted that sometimes working and training leader duties are assigned in a manner

that does not meet the requirements for coverage under this standard. Examples of such duties

which are not covered by the standard are those performed only in the absence of the regular

working or training leader, to "assist" working or training leaders to meet emergency workloads,

on a rotating basis with other employees, or for training purposes to gain qualifying experience

for a higher grade position. Duties such as these do not meet the requirement that they be

performed as a regular and recurring part of the job, and on a substantially full time and

continuing basis. (When such a situation occurs, the position involved is graded under the

regular nonsupervisory grading structure and not under the leader structure.)

In other situations, employees have leader type responsibility on a regular but periodic or

intermittent basis (e.g., for one day in every five day work week or for one week in every

month). Although such employees have leader responsibility as a regular and recurring part of

their jobs, in such situations the leader responsibility is not exercised on a substantially full time

and continuing basis as required for coverage under this standard. (When such a situation

occurs, the position is graded under the regular nonsupervisory grading structure and not under

the leader structure.)

Part I of this standard contains additional information, instructions, and the criteria to be used in

grading the jobs of working leaders.

Part II of this standard contains additional information, instructions, and the criteria to be used in

grading the jobs of training leaders

PART I - WORKING LEADERS

Working leaders must have the ability to lead three or more other workers to accomplish trades

and labor work, including as a paramount requirement, sufficient skill in and knowledge of the

trades and labor work performed by the group led to effectively carry out the duties of working

leaders outlined below. Working leaders also perform regular nonsupervisory (i.e., non-leader)

work that is usually of the same kind and level as that done by the group led.

Thus, working leaders in positions covered by this standard are nonsupervisory workers who, in

addition to the exercise of leader responsibility, perform regular nonsupervisory (i.e., non-leader)

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trades and labor work as members of the work crews or groups they lead. Typically, working

leader tasks, such as these listed in this standard are performed by leaders at various times

throughout the work day (or work shift) as needed or as otherwise appropriate. Thus, the

working "leader" tasks are mingled with the accomplishment of other regular nonsupervisory

(non-leader) work. The amount of time spent by working leaders in accomplishing leader tasks,

as distinct from regular non-supervisory work, varies with work situations and operating needs.

However, the leader responsibility assigned to a position remains in effect and continues to be

exercised even when, as discussed above, the leader is personally engaged at various times

during the workday (or shift) in non-leader work. Therefore, the percentage of time during a

work day (or shift) spent in the performance of "leader" tasks should not in itself be considered

in determining whether positions meet the criteria for coverage as leader under this standard.

Rather, in addition to all other criteria, users of the standard must consider whether leader

responsibility has been assigned officially by competent management authority as a regular and

recurring part of the job and is (or, in the case of a vacant position, will be) exercised on a

substantially full time and continuing basis.

WORKING LEADER DUTIES

Typical duties of a working leader are:

- Passing on to other workers the instructions received from supervisors and getting work

started, e.g., by assigning the immediate tasks to be performed by individual members of the

group led;

- Working along with other workers and setting the pace;

- Demonstrating proper work methods;

- Seeing to it that needed plans, blueprints, materials, and tools are available, and that needed

stock is obtained from supply locations;

- Obtaining needed information or decisions from supervisors on problems that come up

during the work;

- Maintaining a current knowledge, and answering questions of other workers on procedures,

policies, written instructions, and other directives (for example, technical orders);

- Seeing to it that there is enough work to keep everyone in the work crew busy;

- Checking work while in progress and when finished to see whether the supervisor's

instructions on work sequence, procedures, methods, and deadlines have been met;

- Urging or advising other workers to follow instructions received from supervisors, and to

meet deadlines;

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- Assuring that safety and housekeeping rules are followed (for example, assuring that limits

of safe machine operation are not exceeded and that all tools are used properly);

- Reporting to supervisors on status and progress of work, and causes of work delays; and

- Answering questions of supervisors on overall work operations and problems (for example,

concerning, additional on-the-job training requirements for individual employees).

WORK NOT COVERED

The jobs of the following kinds of employees should not be graded as working leaders under this

standard:

- Employees who are accountable as supervisors for planning, scheduling, and directing work

operations, evaluating work performance, and taking necessary action to assure that the work

of subordinate employees meets standards of quantity and quality. (A separate grading

standard is provided for supervisors.)

- Employees who have "shift" responsibility in utility operations, but do not lead three or more

other workers. (On night shifts and during weekends, one employee may be in charge of

work operations when a supervisor is not available for technical advice and guidance. This

may require the performance of additional and more responsible duties in locating problems,

determining and taking actions necessary to maintain operations, and relaying instructions to

the person in charge of the next shift, including problems encountered and actions taken.)

The position of such an employee is graded under the nonsupervisory grading structure.

- Employees who in performing their own work are assisted by helpers, laborers, or other

lower-level workers.

- Employees who have "project" responsibility but do not lead other workers. In some work

situations, employees are responsible for projects where some of the work needed to

complete the projects is done ("farmed-out") by other employees. Where the other

employees do such work under the immediate direction of their regular supervisor, the job of

the employees with "project" responsibility is considered to be nonsupervisory (i.e.,

non-leader) in nature.

- Employees who are responsible for work assignments, requiring only one or two other

workers. The jobs of such employees have as their primary responsibility personal work

accomplishment. Responsibility for work assignments involving one or two other persons is

not sufficient to warrant being graded as a leader. Such jobs are graded under the

appropriate nonsupervisory grading standards.

In some situations, work may be done by persons other than civilian Federal employees, such as

patients or inmates of institutions, military personnel, and others. In determining whether an

employee is a working leader, such persons should be counted if the employee is responsible for

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their work assignments on a substantially full-time and continuing basis, as a regular and

recurring part of the job.

TITLES AND CODES

Jobs covered by this standard which involve leading other workers to accomplish trades and

labor work are identified by adding the word "Leader" to the job title of the occupation in which

the working leader is qualified and which reflects the nonsupervisory work performed by the

leader. For example:

CARPENTER LEADER

PAINTER LEADER

ELECTRICIAN LEADER

The occupational code of a working leader job is the same as the code for the occupation

reflected in the title.

JOB GRADING CRITERIA

Under this standard, working leader jobs are graded on the basis of the highest level of

nonsupervisory work led. The resulting leader grade reflects the relative worth of the working

leader job being graded in comparison with other working leaders, and its direct pay relationship

to the employees led.

A minimum of three workers led is required for coverage under this standard. However, except

for this minimum requirement, the number of workers led and the variety of occupations in

which they perform work does not affect the grade of a working leader job.

Because of the limited nature of leader responsibility, these factors do not significantly affect the

difficulty and responsibility involved in performing the duties of a leader. Thus, where the

employees of the group led perform work at the same grade in a variety of occupations, an extra

grade could not be added because of that variety to the level on nonsupervisory work used in

grading the working leader job. However, where the number of workers led is more than 12, the

job should be carefully reviewed to determine whether it is really that of a working leader

covered by this standard rather than that of a supervisor.

In applying the grading table to working leader jobs, the grade to be used usually is the grade of

the highest level nonsupervisory employee in the group led (other than the leader). However,

care should be taken to assure that this grade reflects the level of the nonsupervisory work

actually led. For example:

- The grades of employees assigned to a work crew from a "pool" may reflect the level of their

other work assignments rather than the work they do when they serve as members of the

work crew.

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- The highest level employee assigned to the group led may do work in an occupation in which

the working leader is not fully qualified. The level of such work should be used to grade the

working leader job only where the leader, although not fully qualified, has enough

knowledge of the occupation to lead the work involved (for example, pass on instructions

from the supervisor, assign immediate tasks to be performed, demonstrate work methods,

check work, and report to the supervisor on work status or cause of work delays).

- The highest level employee, although assigned to the group, may receive little or no

leadership from the working leader in performing his work (for example, where the

employees are "experts" in their work, or perform above the normal journey worker level of

their occupation). In this case, the grade of the highest level employee does not reflect the

level of the nonsupervisory work actually led, and should not be used to grade the working

leader job.

Thus, in grading working leader jobs, consider only work where the leader performs all or most

of the working leader duties described in this standard under

WORK COVERED.

Where the nonsupervisory (non-leader work personally done by a working leader is at a higher

grade than the work done by the employees led, the nonsupervisory (non-leader) work and the

working leader duties first, are graded separately. The final grade of such a job is then

determined by selecting the working leader grade or regular nonsupervisory grade which results

in the highest pay rate for the employee. (Note: Where the final grade of such a job is based on

its non supervisory- non-leader) work, the job is titled, coded and graded as a regular

non-supervisory job, and not as a working leader job. However, the fact that such an employee

performs working leader duties can be shown by adding in parenthesis the word "Leader" to the

basic nonsupervisory title, for example, Carpenter (Leader) NA or 4607-9.

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WORKING LEADER GRADING TABLE

After determining the highest level of nonsupervisory work led, use the grade determination

chart below to arrive at the grade level for the working leader job.

GRADE DETERMINATION CHART

Level of Highest Grade

Work

Led by the Working Leader

Grade

WL/NL Grade

1 1

2 2

3 3

4 4

5 5

6 6

7 7

8 8

9 9

10 10

11 11

12 12

13 13

14 14

15 15

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PART II - TRAINING LEADERS

Training leaders must have the ability to lead 3 or more workers in performing trades and labor

training assignments, including as a paramount requirement sufficient skill in and knowledge of

the trades and labor occupation or work in which training is given to effectively carry out the

duties of training leaders outlined below. Training leaders also must have, as a second

requirement, practical knowledge of the methods and techniques of instruction.

TRAINING LEADER DUTIES

Typical duties of a training leader are:

- Conducting training sessions designed to update, improve, or upgrade the knowledge and

skills of others;

- Selecting, modifying, and using various instructional methods and techniques;

- Obtaining textbooks, magazines, bulletins, charts, educational and instructional media,

directives, and other training materials for use during training sessions, and developing

training materials as needed;

- Showing others proper trade techniques and practices, and explaining safety precautions to

be followed in setting up machinery and equipment, and giving instruction in the use of

layout techniques, power tools, materials, measuring devices, precision instruments, and

safety devices;

- Making class and outside work assignments consistent with daily lesson plans, scheduling

practical exercises to accommodate time limitations, and monitoring class work to ascertain

progress;

- Encouraging good class attendance and conduct, and motivating other workers to achieve

training objectives;

- Offering counsel and guidance to those striving to improve performance in the training

course;

- Evaluating the progress of workers in terms of such factors as interest, cooperation,

assimilation of basic fundamentals and theory, and practical application of work methods;

- Developing and administering informal examinations of workers to test their progress in the

training;

- Maintaining individual progress charts showing type of work and equipment worked on, and

performance rating for each type of work; and

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- Discussing with shop supervision and training personnel, problems and other issues

concerning the training of workers.

WORK NOT COVERED

The jobs of the following kinds of employees should not be graded as training leaders under this

standard:

- Employees in positions that primarily involve advising on and promoting apprenticeship

training for workers in industry. (See the

Apprenticeship and Training Series, GS-0243.)

- Employees in positions that involve staff assistance to agency management in the job

orientation, training, and planned development of employees within the Federal Government,

when the key requirement is a knowledge of the objectives, methods, and organization of

personnel management, in addition to training knowledge. (See the

Human Resources

Management Series, GS-0201.)

- Employees in positions that require the application of full professional knowledge of the

theories, principles, and techniques of instruction. (See

Education and Vocational Training

Series, GS-1710.)

- Employees in positions that require practical but less than full professional knowledge of the

methods and techniques of instruction when such positions do not have as their paramount

requirement (a full knowledge and experience at the target level in the trade or craft for

which personnel are being trained or (b) trade experience and knowledge of sufficient depth

and range at the level of the trade at which they are giving training to permit them to extend

and improve the skills of others. For example, in some situations, trade or trade related

courses such as electricity, surveying, air conditioning and refrigeration controls, industrial

and commercial heating, electronics, teletype maintenance, aircraft fundamentals, and flight

engineering are taught from textbooks, manuals, and other reference material in a classroom

and laboratory setting. Various instructional techniques are used such as lecturing,

discussion, and demonstrations. Also utilized are training aids such as movies, slides, flip

charts, video tape, transparencies, and laboratory models for demonstrating the practical

application of theory. No on-the-job training is provided. This instruction is conducted in

the traditional classroom or laboratory/workshop situation and is designed to provide the

student with the fundamentals and rudimentary skills of a trade or craft. The courses are

typically highly structured, short, and repetitive.

Although in such situations instructors may be required to have some trade background,

knowledge and experience in a trade, craft, or laboring occupation is not a paramount

requirement. (See the

Training Instruction Series, GS-1712.)

- Employees in positions which have as their paramount requirement knowledge of the

principles and techniques of recreation. Such positions may include instructional work such

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as personally providing instruction in specialized arts and handicrafts or in trades such as

automobile repair and carpentry. Although the personal instruction in "blue collar" trades

provided by these positions occasionally may exceed the elementary skill level, the positions

do not have as their paramount requirement experience and knowledge of the involved trade.

(See the

Recreation Specialist Series, GS-0188.)

- Employees in positions in which some knowledge of various trades and manual laboring

procedures is desirable or even required, but do not have as their paramount requirement

knowledge and experience in performing the work of a specific trade and laboring

occupation. For example, courses such as industrial safety, mechanical drawing, oral

communications, and industrial organization are excluded when their contents apply alike to

various occupations, and do not necessitate knowledge and skill in a particular trade on the

part of the person giving the training.

In any trade, higher level workers may, as a normal part of their duties, be required to direct or

guide lower grade workers who have been assigned to assist in accomplishing the same work

project. Experienced workers in a trade may also be required to demonstrate or explain

particular work methods and procedures to personnel receiving on-the-job training in the trade.

Such responsibilities do not warrant extra grade consideration. In other situations, employees

may be selected to receive special training such as in new techniques and methods, or in the

operation and maintenance of new equipment, and then be required to demonstrate what was

learned to other workers. These demonstrations are informal and require few special

instructional techniques or communicative skills of the demonstrator. Nor is the demonstrator

responsible for the degree to which others learn from the demonstrations. In situations such as

these, the demonstrator's position is not graded under this standard.

TITLES AND CODES

Jobs covered by this standard which involve leading other workers for the purpose of training

them in trades and labor work are identified by adding the words "Training Leader" to the job

title of the occupation in which the training leader is qualified to conduct training courses. For

example:

PIPEFITTER TRAINING LEADER

FORK LIFT OPERATOR TRAINING LEADER

WELDER TRAINING LEADER

The occupational code of a training leader job is the same as the code for the occupation

reflected in the title.

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JOB GRADING CRITERIA

Under this standard, training leader jobs are graded on the basis of (a) the grade level of trades

and labor work involved and (b) the type of training leader job discussed below.

GRADE LEVEL INVOLVED

For the purpose of grading training leader jobs, the "grade level involved" is either (a) the grade

level of the nonsupervisory work (target grade) for which the trainees qualify upon completion

of the training course, or, if no target grade can be identified, (b) the highest nonsupervisory

level of trade skill and knowledge required of the trainer. For example, if training in the

operation of fork lifts qualifies the trainees for grade 5 fork lift operator work, the training leader

job is graded on the basis of the grade 5 target grade. Similarly, if successful completion of a

training course qualifies the trainees for grade 6 fork lift operator work, the training leader job is

graded on the basis of the grade 6 target grade.

However, some training leaders conduct training courses which in themselves do not qualify

students for jobs at specific target levels. Examples of such courses are special safety procedures

and radiological controls. The class may consist of students at the same grade level or at various

grade levels of an occupation. In situations such as these, in which no target grade is

identifiable, the training leader job is graded on the basis of the highest nonsupervisory level of

trade skill and knowledge required of the trainer. For example, if the class consists of workers

some of whom are at grade 10 and others at grade 11, but the trade skill and knowledge required

of the trainer is at grade 10, then the training leader job is graded on the basis of the grade 10

level and not the grade 11 level.

A minimum of three workers led in the performance of training assignments is required for

coverage as a training leader under this standard. However, except for this minimum

requirement, the number of students in the training class, their occupation, and grade level do not

affect the grade of the training leader.

In making the above determinations, consider the full range of courses and subject matter areas

in which training is given by the training leader in question during the period of a full work

cycle. For example, in formal apprenticeship programs such work cycles may involve several

years.

TYPE OF TRAINING LEADER JOB INVOLVED

Before applying the grading table for training leaders, the type of training leader position being

graded also must be determined as indicated below.

Note that as used in this standard, a "formal organized training program" is defined as a program

of instruction which has been officially established by competent management authority to attain

a specified objective or goal within a pre-planned time frame. It sets forth the planned and

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scheduled training to be accomplished commencing with the initial session until the completion

of the course.

TRAINING LEADER TYPE A

Training leaders, Type A, conduct training sessions under formal organized training programs

designed to update, extend, or improve the skills of workers, or to cross train full performance

workers of one trade to an intermediate skill level of another trade. Type A training sessions

either (a) stress practical training involving little or no classroom type instruction, or (b) involve

training in limited, narrow, or specialized aspects of a particular trade, such as blueprint reading

or trade mathematics for machinists.

Training leaders, Type A, have as their paramount requirement experience in and knowledge of

sufficient depth and range at the level of the particular trade at which they are giving training to

permit them to conduct training sessions of this type. (As noted under the

WORK NOT

COVERED section of this standard, when the contents of the training sessions conducted are

applicable alike to various occupations, and do not necessitate as a paramount requirement

knowledge and experience in a particular trade, the positions of the persons conducting the

training are excluded from coverage and are not graded as those of training leaders under this

standard). In addition to the paramount requirement for trade experience and knowledge,

training leaders must also be able to communicate effectively with students, both by oral means

and by demonstrating work methods and techniques, particularly when utilizing on-the-job

training methods. They are skilled in observing and testing students to determine their progress

and performance.

Typical of this type of training are the following:

1. Updating or extending the skills of full performance workers in the methods, techniques,

practices, tools, and manual skills of their trade when these are modified by the special

requirements of reactor plant work, radiological controls, and special safety procedures.

2. Training full performance workers in the application of a special skill, such as silver brazing,

to their particular trade.

Training leaders, Type A, conduct training sessions in which the practical aspects of the trade are

emphasized, usually utilizing the on-the-job method of instruction. The proper technique or

method of operation is demonstrated and explained to the worker who, subsequently, tries to

duplicate it. Testing is done by observation as the worker performs the complete operation.

Instruction in subjects involving trade theory is seldom included. These training programs are

usually of short duration, extending over a period of a few days to a few weeks.

There are occasions when the classroom method of instruction is employed as in a program

designed to train individuals how to perform their duties on nuclear powered vessels or to teach

some narrow or specialized aspect of the trade such as blueprint reading, characteristics of

materials, or trade mathematics. Training leaders, Type A, typically conduct such training

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classes involving a single course which may or may not qualify the worker for a higher skill

level of the trade upon completion of the course. They develop and revise daily lesson plans

indicating the subject matter to be covered, the training materials to be used, and the method of

presentation; develop and administer quizzes or informal examinations to test progress of class

and, for certification and recertification purposes, administer and grade written, practical, and

oral exams; maintain a record of each student's performance rating; offer counsel and guidance

to students striving to improve performance; and report disciplinary problems to shop

supervision.

TRAINING LEADER TYPE B

Training leaders, Type B, conduct training sessions under formal organized training programs

which cover all phases of a recognized trade or line of work and are designed to progressively

improve the student's skills. These training programs combine the on-the-job and classroom

methods of instruction in the theory and practices of the trade or line of work. Examples of such

programs are apprenticeship training plans or similar formalized plans such as those for

advancing helpers to an intermediate target level or through all intermediate skill levels

culminating at the full performance level.

Training leaders, Type B, typically conduct courses covering two or more different areas of the

particular trade or line of work in which training is given, including the trades and labor

occupational knowledge, skills, techniques, methods, procedures, and practices involved (for

example, concurrently conducted courses in blueprint reading and characteristics of materials; or

trade drawing, machine setup, and fabrication of parts).

Because of the breath of knowledge and skills in which training is given, Type B training leaders

have as their paramount requirement full knowledge and experience at the target level of the

trade for which personnel are being trained. They must be knowledgeable of all phases of the

trade appropriate to the target level so as to provide such personnel as apprentices, trainees, and

helpers with the background knowledge and information required to perform at the target level

and to provide a foundation for adjustment to future technological changes affecting the trade.

This includes an intensive understanding of the use of measuring devices, precision instruments,

tools, machinery, safety procedures, and materials used in the specific trade. They must also

have the ability to utilize various instructional methods so that others will gain knowledge of the

safety precautions, work sequences, procedures, and other trade practices consistent with the

objectives to be accomplished. As appropriate with the objectives, they may be required to have

knowledge of related subjects such as written and oral communications, shop mathematics, trade

science, trade theory, and organizational relationships, policies, and practices that are usually

taught in formalized programs such as apprenticeship programs.

In conducting training courses, training leaders, Type B, also furnish input in developing course

outlines, job breakdowns, and testing and evaluation materials in the form of technical data,

interpretation of specialized terminology, and information gained from personal experience,

study of technical orders, trade magazines, and manufacturer's manuals, and completion of

courses conducted by manufacturers or Federal agencies.

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They revise and adapt daily lesson plans, based on course outline and needs of organization,

portraying order of subject matter presentation, summaries, assignments, demonstrations, aids,

and interim questions; develop and administer quizzes or informal examinations to test progress

of class; administer previously prepared written and practical work assignment tests designed to

measure progress of trainees and adequacy of training; prepare periodic appraisals for each

trainee and maintain progress charts showing type of work and equipment worked on and

performance rating on each type of work.

During that period of time in which training leaders exercise direct control over the student's

activities, the trainers certify attendance; counsel students who appear to be falling behind in

level of proficiency and suggest how improvement can be made; maintain classroom decorum,

and report disciplinary problems to shop supervision.

TRAINING LEADER GRADING TABLE

Target Grade or Highest

Level of Trade Skill and

Knowledge Required

(by the training leader)

Training Leader

WL/NL Grades

Grade Type A Type B

2 1 2

3 2 3

4 3 4

5 4 5

6 5 6

7 6 7

8 7 8

9 8 9

10 9 10

11 10 11

12 11 12

13 12 13

14 13 14

15 14 15

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