2
The President's Message
The new civil service act is a good
law. Based on the merit principle it
will in time greatly benefit the State
and the State employees. It is not a
law which will permit the employee to
flaunt his employer’s wishes, nor is it a
law which will permit the employer to
treat his employees unjustly or capri
ciously. It is a law which protects the
employee from political or religious ex
ploitation and it is a law which does
not protect the employee from the con
sequences of insubordination, incompe
tence or inefficiency. An employee un
der removal charges may appeal to the
Civil Service Commission for review.
If the commission finds after investi
gation and hearing, that the removal
was based on social, religious or political
grounds, it shall order reinstatement;
but in all other cases the commission
may not order reinstatement but may
recommend only and the department:
head has the final option. The commis
sion, may, however, place the name of
the dismissed employee on an appropri
ate re-employment list if it believes he
warrants re-employment.
The law becomes effective to certain
groups of employees in varying degrees
until after the war. Employees of the
four social security agencies' are covered
by all of the provisions of the Civif
Service Act. All employees of the other
state divisions employed prior to Sep
tember 14, 1940, and who are given
"regular” status, appear to be covered
by all of the provisions of the act except
those governing promotion. All employ
ees of the other state divisions employed
subsequent to September 14, 1940, and
who are given "conditional” status, ap
pear to be covered by all of the provi
sions of the act except those governing
tests, appointments, trial • service, regu
lar status, and promotions.
The new Civil Service Commission
has an excellent opportunity to per
form a- signal serviqe for the state at
this time. Throughout the war private;
industry has engaged in competition
for workmen in which the state has
been seriously handicapped. Many of
the states best employees have been
lost to industry’s higher wage schedules.
The early adoption of classification and
compensation plans to apply to both
"regular” and "conditional” employees
would help the state in this competition
for man pow er.T his is true for the
reason that state officials can adopt
w ith -confidence a more equitable com
pensation plan if they know that an
hpnest classification plan is in opera
tion and that it will insure more work
performance per dollar of.wages than
our present system of unclassified em
ployment. The, glassification and com
pensation plans formulated and adopt
ed by Oregon pioneer civil service sys
tems may require some coordination,
but could well serve as a nucleus for
the new plans.
(Continued on Page 3)