15
personnel programs while others had
practically none at, all. Even where the
programs had been developed, there was
great variation between departments,.
Such a pattern was of course undesir
able and unfair. A basic part of the
Civil Service Program has been to in
sure equal treatment of all employees
in all employment practices.
Questions Welcomed
The staff of the Civil S e r v i^ Com
mission always welcomes questions from
employees as to their rights under the
Civil Service program.’Care is also taken
to point out to these individuals that
accompanying theseyrights are certain
responsibilities which the employee must
assume in his work w ith the state of
Oregon. The employee is no longer sub
ject to the mere whim of . departmental
authorities, but-rather, if he feels a prac
tice =or determination on any personnel
m a tte r® unfair he can present his opin-
ions to a body which can investigate the
facis, make a determination, and has the
power to enforce any, revisedprocedures
and policies which may result. Since the
Civil Service Commission has no "ax to
grind” but is, primarily interested in a
better statepgr.^icp through better per
sonnel administration, it E9 in a very
advantageousrposition tSWevelop prac
tices which will be<of the .greatest over
all benefit.
The Civil Service Commission has
made a constant effort in all of its day
to day contacts to explain personnel
practices to both employees and ap
pointing authorities. Through this pro
gram it has gradually developed that
many state departments - have become
aware of the right of any employee to
receive full and proper consideration in
any contemplated personnel action.
Drastic moves, such as suspension or dis
missal, are consequently receiving much
more thorough investigation and con
sideration before action is taken. It is
impossible to measure the degree to
which this has benefited employes, but
it is evidenced daily th a t it is an im
portant factor and broad step forward
in the recognition of the dignity to
which each individual is entitled.
Employee Benefits Gained
Because of the gradual change igjifeaj
only possible by looking back over the
past two years to realize that the a tti
tude toward and treatment of state em
ployees has been materially improved.
Although such general trends are dif
ficult for the individual to detect, m any
of the specific gains made through the
Civil ServicWprogram are much more,
easily identified. Among these are the
compensation program which has been
established and developed as an import
ant part of the overall Civil Service
program. Through the establishment of-
classifications and accompanying salary
ranges, for the various types of, work in
the state service, the employee for the
first time in the history of state em
ployment knows what he can expect in
terms of present 4nd future compensa
tion for his position and can readily see
the avenuesf | | or his own advancement
and promotion. Rather than being based
upon individual negotiations or demand,
salary increases now come through an
orderly process with the only require
ment on the part of the employee be
ing continuing efficient and meritori
ous service in his position. Undoubtedly,;
nearly ¿very employee who has been in
the stateservice for awbar or longer has
received salary increases through estab
lished procedure. F u r t h e r , although
many employees feel that pay ranges
are inadequate, equity of pay among
employees ¡mf the various departments
has been established. Those who were’
with the service prior to the establish
ment of Civil Service will recall that
different departments had varying sal
aries for similar or identical positions.
Such a program, of c o u rf|| meant ex
tremely poor morale in those depart
ments wit’h the lower pay. Employees
*are now assured that they will receive
comparable pay for comparable work
whether working in a self-supporting
department which can secure ample
funds or whether working in a depart-