Trade Classifications

Trade classifications (also called trade levels) define the hierarchy of worker roles within each trade — from probationary apprentices through to superintendents. These classifications drive wage lookups, scheduling eligibility, and workforce reporting. They mirror the apprenticeship and journeyman progression defined in union Collective Bargaining Agreements.

Navigation

Sidebar → Settings → Human Resources (Trade classifications are managed through the wage structure)

Overview

Every worker in a unionized trade has a classification that determines their pay rate, responsibilities, and progression path. Appello tracks these classifications as trade levels — a structured hierarchy that maps directly to CBA definitions.

Standard Trade Level Hierarchy

A typical insulation contractor uses the following progression (from entry to senior):

Level	Classification	Typical Responsibilities	CBA Rate Basis
1	Probationary	New hire in trial period — basic tasks under direct supervision	50% of Journeyman rate
2	Apprentice — 1st Year	Learning fundamentals — pipe covering, tool handling	50% of Journeyman rate
3	Apprentice — 2nd Year	Expanding skills — flat work, vessel insulation	60% of Journeyman rate
4	Apprentice — 3rd Year	Intermediate work — duct wrap, removable covers	70% of Journeyman rate
5	Apprentice — 4th Year	Advanced skills — cladding, specialty work	80% of Journeyman rate
6	Journeyman Mechanic	Fully qualified — independent work, full CBA rate	100% (base rate)
7	Foreman	Crew lead — time tracking, quality, safety	Journeyman + premium
8	General Foreman	Multi-crew oversight — larger projects	Higher premium
9	Superintendent	Site-level management — all trades coordination	Highest premium

Multi-Trade Classifications

Contractors working across multiple trades maintain separate classification hierarchies. For example:

Insulation trade (Local 95):

• Probationary → Apprentice 1st–4th → Journeyman → Foreman → Superintendent

Sheet metal trade (Local 473):

• Probationary → Apprentice 1st–5th → Journeyman → Foreman → Superintendent

Office/Non-union:

• Office Staff → Coordinator → Estimator → Project Manager → Senior PM

Each trade's progression has its own wage scale defined in the corresponding employment agreement.

How Trade Classifications Work

Assigning a Classification

When creating or editing a user profile:

1. Navigate to Workforce → Users.
2. Open the worker's profile.
3. Set the Trade Level field to their current classification.
4. The system automatically links to the correct wage rate from their employment agreement.

Classification + Agreement + Rate Lookup

The wage lookup chain:

Worker → Trade Level (e.g., Journeyman Mechanic)
       → Employment Agreement (e.g., Local 95 CBA)
       → Active Contract (e.g., 2025–2028 Rates)
       → Wage Rate ($45.00/hr base)
       → Burdened Rate ($64.20/hr total)

This chain resolves automatically when a timesheet is submitted — the foreman doesn't need to look up rates manually.

Dashboard Reporting

The Company Metrics dashboard includes an Active Employees By Trade Classification widget that shows a real-time breakdown of your workforce by level:

Classification	Count
Journeyman Mechanic	12
Apprentice — 4th Year	4
Apprentice — 3rd Year	3
Foreman	5
Superintendent	2
Office Staff	4
Total	30

This helps operations managers see workforce capacity at a glance — how many journeymen are available vs. how many apprentices need supervision.

How Classifications Connect to Other Features

Feature	How Trade Classifications Are Used
Employment Agreements	Each classification has a row in the wage table with its own rate
Timesheets	Worker's classification determines which wage rate applies to their hours
Scheduling	Filter crews by classification — ensure each crew has a foreman and appropriate mix
Dashboard	Real-time breakdown of workforce by trade level
Payroll Export	Classification exports alongside hours for accurate pay processing
Job Costing	Labour costs calculated at burdened rate for the worker's classification
Apprenticeship Tracking	Monitor apprentice progression through CBA-defined stages

Related Pages

• Employment Agreements — Wage tables organized by trade classification
• Union Hall Management — Geographic dispatch locations
• Certifications — Required certifications by trade level