Evening star., 1920-01-20
EFFICIENCY BASIS
Of PAY INCREASES
NOW IS PROPOSED
The Commission Provides
Periodic Advances in Each
of 1,7OO Classes of Help.


Periodic efficiency increases" will
be provided for the federal employees
of the National Capital, as the result
OF the work of the joint congressional
commission on reclassification of sal
aries in the District, it was learned
today.
Each one of the 100 classes into
which the 10000 employees have been
divided will be assigned a minimum
anu maximum salary. and a periodic
eflciency increase" will be given each
eRtnanel elq into q class until he teaches
the maximum fin the class
Probably four efficiency increases
VIII be provided for in each Of the
classes, one each year until maximum
salary is reached in the class. The
reclassif1cation commission does not
IKE the term automatic increase"
and has decided on the more definite
term.
Maximum and Minimum Pay.
Under this system there will be, in
erect, LOO minimum and 1,7OO maxi
mum salaries under reclassification.
instead of generally thought of
minimum for government employees as
one great group. A suggested mini
mum has been $500 year
me scheme of periodic efficiency
increases" provides the great step in
the plan of merit promotions of fed
erai employees, it is held, and makes
certain that an employe, by efficient
work, will yearly receive a tangible
reward, although his position will re-
main the same. After he has reached
the maximum salary in his class he
may advance to the next class onIy
ny taxing an examination given by
the civil Service Commission
Eliminates Handfcap.
The new system will eliminate from
the government service, it is believed
tnat great handicap in the past-the
reeling OF employees that they were
getting nowhere, and that, no matter
now much better they performed their
tasks, their experience would count
for nothing until they managed, some
way or other, to get a promotion"
Under the system of periodic ef-
1iclency increases" however, an en-
pIoye will receive the reward of his
be sure, If his work is faithfully per.
formed. of receiving at the end Of each
period. yet to be determined an in
crease in salary.
It became certain today that final
decision on the question Of minimum
salaries under reclassification will he
made by the reclassification Commits
sion within few days, and that the
greatest job of ALL the question Of
equity as between classes of em-
pioy - VII NC tackled IN spirit
which will lead to final justice.
Equalization Phase Discussed.
1t may be stated that there will he
no single minimum" salary for all
government employees, although there
will be salary lower than which no
one will be employed in government
service here. The solution of the
seeming paradox lies in the fact that
there are ffty-one services of fed
eral emp1oyeS-the teaching service,
the accounting service, etc.-and that
each service will have it's own mini
mum set. In fact, as stated, each one
of the LOO classes will have it's min
imum salary.
When federal employees finally are
placed in their respective classes, it
developed today, there is liability
that some will be placed in lower
salary ratings than they are now
securing, if the classification is to
do what Congress indicated that it
should do.
The Canadian reclassifcation left
employees receiving higher salaries
than their scientific classification
called for in possession of their old
salaries. Reclassification in the Dis
trict will not do this, but will at
tempt to place all present employees
in their proper classification, '1et the
AK fall where it will"
It is definitely expected that there
will be grievances, and for hearing
such proper tribunal will be pro-
vided.