In a world rife with patronage abuses, this may have made sense. But in today's rapidly changing world, with increased demands for performance, it creates the wrong incentives. A few governments are simply abolishing longevity pay and substituting performance pay. The British, New Zealanders and increasing numbers of local governments in the United States now negotiate performance contracts with their top managers, whose salary increases or bonuses depend upon how well their organizations perform. For front-line employees, smart managers give performance bonuses to teams rather than individuals, since performance often depends upon the entire team.
Most public managers hate their civil service systems.
Citizens should too, because they waste billions of dollars. No one knows how much we could save with a modern personnel system, but 20 percent is a reasonable guess. We're about to enter the 21st century led by governments that operate according to 19th-century personnel rules, and we can't afford it. It's time for reform.