4
Position Classification Plan a Base for
Pay Plan
In establishing and administering
pay rates for positions in the public
service and apart from any other factor
of salary policy, one o f the most im
portant objectives is plain equity. U n
der the same employment conditions,
employees doing work of the same dif
ficulty and responsibility' should enjoy
the same pay scale; those doing harder
or more responsible work should receive
more; and those doing easier or less ex
acting work should receive less. In a
given jurisdiction the pay scale at any
time for a stenographer doing a certain
class of work should be the same wheth
er the Department of Health, the D e
partment of Highways, or the Depart
ment of Parks pays the salary. Posi
tions involving duties and responsibil
ities o f higher order should be com
pensated in due relation to those of less
importance. In other words, scales of
pay must be logically and consistently
related to work performed.
A position-classification plan, which
groups and designates positions accord
ing to the likenesses and differences in
the work which they involve, provides
a sound basis for accomplishing this ob
jective. In order to put into effect the
principle of "equal pay for equal work,”
it is necessary first to find out what
the work of each position really is, and
next to find out what work is, in fact,
"equal.” This is determined during the
course of preparing a position-classifi
cation plan. Classifications and desig
nations are controlled by a central
agency serving all departments of the
jurisdiction alike, and are uniform
across departmental lines. Under this
procedure, the fact that two positions
are in the same class and have the same
class title shows that their work is sub
stantially equal. Hence, under the same
employment conditions, one p ay scale
can be established for a class of posi
tions with the assurance that if it is
right for the whole class of positions,,
it is right for each individual position
within the class. Similarly, the ranking
sequences of the classes as set forth in
a position-classification plan permits
the association of higher pay scales with
higher work* and lower pay scales with
less exacting work. Differences in d if
ficulty and responsibility of work can
definitely be recognized by correspond
ing differences in pay scales. This,
through the use of a position-classifica
tion plan as a base, the same pay scale
•is made to apply to all positions involv
ing equal work under the same employ
ment conditions; and different pay
scales are applied in proper sequence to
positions involving different work.
Experience has amply indicated that
it is not possible to create or maintain
anything like equitable pay conditions
without developing and administering
a position-classification plan to support
them. They can never be brought
about under a system by which the pay
of each position is determined separate
ly and on the supposed merits o f the
individual case. It is only by a compar
ison of the value o f the work of any
position with the work of every other
position paid from the same treasury
that there can be a complete applica
tion of principles of equity, fairness,
and uniformity.
In practice, where no position-classi
fication plan has been prepared and
such comparisons among positions,, are,
therefore, not feasible, administrative
and legislative officials responsible for
setting pay rates are handicapped.
There is nothing to tie to. The admin
istrative officer rarely has a general
view of all positions in the service; he
has no convenient source of reference.
H e must, as well as he can, recom
mend the establishment of pay rates