PUBLIC SECTOR PAY
Pay in the civil service 2004/05
Most civil service departments now reward individual performance through lump-sum bonuses, according to an analysis of the 2004 wage bargaining round in central government by Incomes Data Services.
There are variations in the way this is done, says IDS. In some departments all staff with at least satisfactory performance receive a bonus, usually a flat rate amount differentiated according to grade. In others, only those assessed as the top performers receive a bonus.
Equal pay audits
All central government organisations were required by the government to conduct an equal pay audit by April 2003. These audits have found that one of the causes of gender pay inequalities has been the practice of paying enhanced recruitment salaries for staff in "skill-shortage posts", says IDS.
One of the principal ways in which organisations have tackled inbuilt gender pay inequalities has been through the reform of progression systems. As IDS points out: "The moves over the last three or four years have typically involved a move back to simpler, more structured progression arrangements to make it transparent to employees how long it will take them to progress through their pay scales (assuming their performance is satisfactory)." In addition, the length of pay scales has been substantially shortened.
Want to know more?
Title: "Pay in the civil service 2004/05", IDS Report 922, February 2005, Incomes Data Services.
Availability: Call IDS customer services in London, tel: 020 7324 2599.
Incomes Data Services is an independent research organisation providing information and analysis on pay, conditions, pensions, employment law and personnel policy and practice in the UK and rest of Europe. For more information about IDS jump to www.incomesdata.co.uk
Posted 22 March 2005