Understand how to evaluate positions with duties spanning multiple grade levels by applying principles from job analysis and classification standards. Learn how time spent on tasks, required knowledge and skills, and recruitment considerations influence final grade determinations in mixed-grade roles.
Key Insights
- Grade level for a position is typically determined by the highest-level duties that occupy at least 50% of the employee’s time, as shown in a case where GS-7 work accounted for 75% of duties.
- Mixed-grade positions are common when a role includes tasks spanning different grade levels, often due to mission needs, recruitment strategies, or work volume limitations at higher grades.
- Professional-level duties performed at least 25% of the time and requiring advanced knowledge and skills can justify assigning a higher grade, even if they comprise less than the majority of total work hours.
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Remember when we put those major duties and those KSAs and competencies into that job analysis worksheet? And so, what we're going to do is look at those four major duties. Number one, the position reviews and analyzes permit applications 20% of the time. Number two, the position prepares routine correspondence, permits, notices, and reports 25% of the time.
Number three, the position provides service to the public regarding navigable waters by recommending, granting, or denying permits, preventing the creation of unauthorized obstructions, or depositing material into the navigable waters 25% of the time. And lastly, number four, the position performs on-site investigations relative to construction, unauthorized activities, or suspected violations of permit programs 35% of the time. Now, in this example, numbers one, three, and four are classified at the grade seven level.
The second duty, preparation of documentation, is classified at the grade five level. So, since the GS-7 duties comprise the majority of the employee's time, which is 75% in this case, the grade level would be set at GS-7. And so, not all positions are designed to function at the highest level of work 100% of the time.
And so, this would be ideal for economy and effectiveness, but it's not generally realistic. And so, in the real world, most employees perform multiple duties classifiable at different grade levels. And so, what do we call that? We call that mixed grade positions.
We call that mixed grade positions. And so, there are a few positions that include only the work of a single grade level. There are many positions where the work encompasses several different grade levels.
And so, you want to make sure that you include the highest level duties that occupy these 50% of the time first. And so, some examples for why we would have mixed grade positions are that not enough work exists at the higher grade level, the higher grade level work is needed to make the position more attractive to highly qualified candidates, and work at different grade levels accomplishes the mission of the organization effectively. And so, whatever reason you have a mixed grade position, you want to remember that the highest level of work that occupies the majority of the time generally determines the grade level of the position.
And so, you want to look at both the introduction to the position classification standards and the classifier's handbook for the specific guidance on classifying mixed grade positions. And so, we give you another example. If you are reviewing this position, you will want to identify first what portions of the position are assigned, and the tasks assigned to the position occupy less than 50% of the employee's time.
You want to look at regular and recurring work. And so, regular and recurring duties may be performed in a continuous and uninterrupted manner, or may be performed at recurring intervals. The important thing is that they contribute to the accomplishment of the purpose of the position.
They can be or are performed at least 25% of the employee's time. And we're talking about direct time. And so, they may involve a higher level of knowledge and skill, which is a factor in recruiting for the position.
And so, when you have positions that have less than the majority of the time, and that is the higher level, which should represent a substantial portion of the job work, you need to examine it. And so, let me give you an example. Let's look at an example of how a sixth-grade student can influence the position management process.
And so, during a recent review of duties among the engineering positions, it was determined that one of the positions contained the following major duties. The type of work performed was professional engineering work at grade level 11, 30% of the time. Engineering technician work is performed at grade 9, 55% of the time.
Engineering inspectors work at grade 8, performed 15% of the time. Now, professional engineering work is done at the grade 11, 30% of the time. The engineering technician works at the GS9 level, 55% of the time.
And the engineering inspector works at the GS8, 15% of the time. What do you think would be grade determining in this example? And even though the engineering technician is GS9 at 55% of the time, the higher level of knowledge and skills needed to perform this position, the duties of this position are engineering, professional engineering at the GS11 level. And so, therefore, the position will be graded at the GS11 level because the higher-level knowledge and skills in this instance warrant the grade of the position.
All right. Now that you know the general rule for mixed graded positions, I want you to remember the things that you need to consider. And so, according to the mixed grade guidance above, or the mixed grade guidance we just discussed, the position can be evaluated at the 11 level if the professional engineering work meets all of the following criteria, is regularly occurring, is performed at least 25% of the time, and the associated knowledge and skill would be the factor for recruitment if the position became vacant.
And so, that covers why we grade that example in grade 11. But you must make sure that it's regularly recurring, performed at least 25% of the time, and has the associated knowledge and skill that would be a factor in recruitment for the position.
