The raise traces to civil service rules that allow many state workers to receive a 4 percent merit increase annually.
She said the buck stops with state agency heads, who sometimes find it easier to blame someone than to be accountable for their own actions.
The raises are emerging as a big issue as lawmakers review Gov. Bobby Jindal’s $26.7 billion proposed state operating budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.
Jindal’s budget requires state agencies to absorb the $72.7 million cost of the raises in the coming fiscal year.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Civil Service head: Merit Raises optional
State Civil Service Director Anne Soileau told lawmakers that the heads of all state agencies are free to limit merit raises to their best and brightest instead of treating them like cost-of-living increases.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I noticed Ms. Davis' comments above, and I found them strange seeing how she (a Jindal appointee), as head of the Division of Administration, just got a HUGE pay increase. I'm guessing she isn't the only one and I'm guessing it's way more than 4%. What isn't said is that a state employee can only receive 10 merit increases throughout his career for a job appointment. What also isn't stated is that the average state employee makes about 50% of the salary a comparable job pays in the private sector. Why work for the state, then? Because of the perceived job security and the chance for a 4% raise, based on merit, per year.
One other point - stete workers, unlike legislators, can't vote themselves a pay raise.
I noticed Ms. Davis' comments above, and I found them strange seeing how she (a Jindal appointee), as head of the Division of Administration, just got a HUGE pay increase. I'm guessing she isn't the only one and I'm guessing it's way more than 4%. What isn't said is that a state employee can only receive 10 merit increases throughout his career for a job appointment. What also isn't stated is that the average state employee makes about 50% of the salary a comparable job pays in the private sector. Why work for the state, then? Because of the perceived job security and the chance for a 4% raise, based on merit, per year.
One other point - state workers, unlike legislators, can't vote themselves a pay raise.
Post a Comment