Risher HPublic Personnel Management, (USA), Autumn 1999 Vol 28 No 3

Start page: 323. No of pages: 21

Lists the problems that beset the traditional approach to pay within the US public sector, criticizing its reliance on job hierarchies for being inimical to teamworking, bureaucratic and for overemphasizing salary grade change, rather than competence, as the main vehicle for salary increases. Describes a new approach based on broad banding, illustrating it by showing how it works in Charlotte, North Carolina. Indicates the main differences between broad banding and the old approach. Sees the market focus of broad banding as being one of its main advantages, discussing why public sector pay needs to be linked more to the market rates for the job. In addition to broadbanding, sets out the advantages of introducing pay-for-performance and, focusing on merit pay and gainsharing, considers how to introduce such plans successfully. Underlines the need to ensure that employees accept the change to the new approach, listing the ways in which beliefs about pay need to be shifted and indicating the human resource department’s role in achieving this.

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The Department of Health has released more money to allow airline style booking in the NHS to become a reality for around five million people in less than two years time.It follows pilots which have experimented with the modernisation of previously slow and inflexible booking systems.

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Three further reports from the 18 Policy Action Teams (PATs) set up to respond to the challenge of renewing Britain’s rundown communities have been published.They add some of the last pieces of the jigsaw to shape both the forthcoming urban and rural white papers later this summer, and the spending review.

Read more on NEIGHBOURHOOD RENEWAL JIGSAW NEARS COMPLETION…