REGRADING PROCESS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 111, 6 November 1929, Page 13

REGRADING PROCESS

IN CIVIL SERVICE

NO SALARY ALTERATIONS

The general regrading in the Public Service which is at present in progress is referred to the annual report of the Public Service Commissioner (Mr. P. D. N. 'Versehaffclt), presented in the House of Representatives yesterday. '

The Commissioner points out that a duties classification must be based 'essentially on the systematic grading of all officers within certain definite divisions according to the nature of the duties performed. The Public Service Act provides for a grading of , officers in five principal.divisions, viz., administrative, professional, clerical, genera], and educational, and the grading of all officers within these divisions is required to bo/based on the fitness of the" officer and the character and' importance of the work performed by Mm. The procedure adopted in connection with the 1924 rcgrading has to a great extent been "followed this year." Visits of inspection have been made to the various district offices throughout the Dominion for the purpose of affording .officers desiring it an opportunity of making personal representations to the Commissioners respecting- their duties and grading. Prior arrangements had also been made for a more intensive investigation, into the work of each officer by an inspector from this office, while in addition towards the end of last year a comprehensive report on each officer was obtained from their respective heads.

In the actual process of regrading, an . attempt is made to ensure that officers are placed in such a grade or class as will provide each a salary relatively eommensurato with the responsibilities and the duties performed. "There exists in some quarters," says Mr. Verschaffelt, "the-impression that each five-yearly regrading 'means a general raising of salary • standards. This is entirely wrong. Such a practice would have most undesirable consequences, besides being quite unjustified. H' should be apparent that with a systematic classification scheme which has been in vogue for a decade and a half there should be comparatively few officers .whose salaries require material adjustment, particularly when it is borne in mind that a relatively largo number of regradings take place in the intervals between tho five-yearly reviews. A general alteration of standards would be justified only in the event of some violent fluctuation in the cost of living causing a pronounced alteration in wage standards outside the Public Service.

"It is not proposed' to suggest an alteration in tho existing salary scales in connection with the present rograding." • .