United States

Office of Personnel Management

Office of Merit Systems Oversight and Effectiveness

Digest of Significant Classification Decisions and Opinions

April 1986

No. 08-01

Standard:	Job Grading Standard for Supervisors (WS)

Factor:	Nature of supervisory responsibility

Issue:	Foreman credit when supervisor is in General Schedule

Although there have been several revisions of the Job Grading Standard for Federal Wage System Supervisors, the discussion in this article is still valid.

Identification of the Classification Issue

This issue arose in the adjudication of an appeal from a wage grade supervisor. The position's principal assignment was to supervise workers on a shift responsible for the operation and maintenance of a power plant. The position was under the supervision of a General Schedule Facility Manager rather than a Wage Grade Foreman. The appellant contended that his position should be credited with being a full Foreman because his supervisor was not technically qualified to supervise his work.

Resolution

The Office of Personnel Management determined that the General Schedule Facility Manager had responsibility for performing duties that properly fall within the Foreman range of responsibility. For example, he was responsible for all power plant operations and for such matters as planning and scheduling maintenance, establishing priorities, developing short- and long-range requirements, assigning work assignments to the shift Foremen, and for assigning subordinate personnel. Consequently, the extent of the appellant's planning responsibilities was constrained by the planning done by his General Schedule supervisor. The Office of Personnel Management also noted that it would not be possible for each of the five shift Foremen to have the full range of planning responsibility for the work done by and through all of the other Foremen. Therefore, it was concluded that the range of the appellant's Foreman responsibilities was less than full, thereby affecting the final grade determination.

Although the higher management official's position was in the General Schedule, his responsibilities corresponded to Foreman and had a constraining influence on the WG Foreman's position.