more interesting for the crew. Another good reason to rotate  work  assignments  is  to  prevent  a  situation  in which  only  one  person  is  capable  of  doing  a  certain type  of  work.  This  specialization  could  be  a  severe disadvantage  if  that  person  were  to  be  transferred, hospitalized, or to goon leave for a lengthy period of time. Give  special  consideration  to  work  assignments for  strikers.  They  should  be  assigned  to  jobs  of gradually  increased  levels  of  difficulty.  Strikers  may be useful assistants on a complicated job, but they may not  fully  understand  the  different  phases  of  the  job unless they have worked their way up from basic tasks. In assigning work, be sure to give the worker as much information as necessary to do the job properly. An   experienced   worker   may   need   only   a   general statement   concerning   the   finished   product.   A   less experienced   worker   is   likely   to   require   more instruction  concerning  the  layout  of  the  job  and  the procedures to be followed. Often, you may want to put more workers on a job than  it  really  requires.  Normally,  the  more  workers  you use,  the  less  time  it  will  take  to  get  the  job  done. Remember, there is a limit to the number of workers that  can  successfully  work  on  one  job  at  any  given time.   You   should   not   overlook   the   advantages   of assigning  more  crews  or  crew  members  to  a  project when their services are needed or when presented an opportunity  to  learn  a  unique  phase  of  the  rating. Teamwork,  versatility,  and  new  skills  can  be  learned from a variety of work assignments. TIMEKEEPING In  battalions,  and  at  shore-based  activities,  your duties  will  involve  the  posting  of  working  hours  on time   cards   for   military   personnel.   Therefore,   you should know the type of information required on time cards  and  understand  the  importance  of  accuracy  in labor reporting. You will find that the labor reporting system  used  primarily  in  Naval  Mobile  Construction Battalions   (NMCBs)   and   the   system   used   at shore-based activities are similar. A  labor  accounting  system  is  mandatory  for  you to   record   and   measure   the   number   of   man-hours expended  that  a  unit  spends  on  various  functions.  In this  system,  labor  usage  data  is  collected  daily  in sufficient   detail   and   in   a   way   that   enables   the operations  department  to  compile  the  data  readily. This  helps  the  operations  officer  manage  manpower resources and prepare reports for higher authority. Although   labor   accounting   systems   may   vary slightly  from  one  command  to  another,  the  system described  here  can  be  tailored  to  record  labor  at  any command. Any unit must account for all labor used to carry out  its  assignment,  so  management  can  figure  the amount of labor used on the project. Labor costs are figured   and   actual   man-hours   are   compared   with previous estimates based on jobs of a similar nature. When  completed,  this  information  is  used  by  unit managers and higher commands to develop planning standards. The  labor  accounting  system  covered  in  this section  is  based  upon  the  procedures  and  guidelines established   by   both   Naval   Construction   Brigades (NCBs) for NMCB use. TIME CARDS Time cards are the basis of your situation reports (SITREPs) input; therefore, it is imperative that time cards   are   filled   out   correctly   and   accurately. COMSECONDNCB/COMTHIRDNCBINST 5312.1 is   the   instruction   that   governs   time-keeping procedures.  Figure  1-4  is  an  example  of  a  time  card used for the prime or lead company for keeping labor. Subcontractors   also   use   a   similar   type   form   for accounting their time on a project. A sample of these time cards can be located and copied from the Naval Construction Force Crew Leader’s Handbook. LABOR  CATEGORIES All  man-hours  will  be  recorded  under  a  specfic code in one of three labor categories. There will be no time-keeping    requirements    for    Headquarters companies   and   Details   (DFTs)   which   perform administration   type   functions.   The   categories   are listed  below: Direct  Labor Indirect  Labor Readiness  and  Training Labor Codes DIRECT   LABOR   includes   all   man-days expended   (ME)   directly   on   assigned   construction tasks,   either   in   the   field   or   in   the   shop,   which contributes  to  completing  the  project.   Remember, man-days are computed on the basis of an eight hour day, regardless of the length of the scheduled workday. 1-12