24
PA Y PROGRAM S FO R
PUBLIC IN ST IT U T IO N S
The following was taken from the
News Bulletin of Public Administration
Clearing House.
Wartime and transitional conditions
have brought about re-examination of
methods and procedures by which em
ployees of state and local institutions—
public hospitals, children’s homes, pris
ons— are paid for their work.
Entering into the picture from the
administrator’s viewpoint is the prob
lem of determining the "real” wages
of employees of such institutions who
receive "maintenance” — board or room,
or both—jo' addition to a cash wage.
Differences in practice between state
and local governments is revealed in the
way maintenance arrangements are
made, the American Municipal Asso
ciation reports on the basis of a survey
of practices in jurisdictions operating
institutions.
About four-fifths of the state gov
ernments pay a basic cash salary plus
maintenance f o r . institutional em
ployees; the practice in cities and coun
ties is divided equally between giving
employees full or partial maintenance
in addition to a cash wage, or giving a
gross salary and deducting charges for
items taken.
The association said the latter, more
realistic procedure is gaining adherents
in all units of government, accompany
ing in most instances the recent moves
by states in changing to a new institu
tion employee maintenance policy.
Several factors are bringing pressure
for adoption of the gross salary with
maintenance deduction policy. One is
the belief currently gaining weight that
it is better administratively to require
only those employees needed at all times
— certain doctors, nurses, etc., in a hos
pital, for example— to live "in ” the in
stitution. The attendants, food service
employees and laborers, under such a
policy, may live "o u t” of the institution
for a more normal life than the institu
tion provides, receiving a gross wage
from which deductions are made only
for meals taken during working hours.
Another subject under study involves
the problem of more equitable wages
for institutional employes who, while
making up one of the largest blocs of
public employees, are generally consid
ered among if not the lowest paid.
Refinements in the methods of cal
culating the value of maintenance pre
serves pay equity between employees,
the association said, and permits a neu
tral policy regarding employees taking
maintenance. Recent interest in value
of maintenance is based on a variety
of considerations, including the high
cost of living, difficulty of maintaining
institution staffs, and difficulties in se
curing adequate food for patients and
necessary staff members.
Eugene Concrete Pipe
& Products Co.
P .O .B O X 947 - EUGENE, OREGON
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