The existing civil service system isn’t getting any respect. It seems that agencies want exemptions from various requirements, the administration wants to set up a pay for performance system, and more than a few employees think the who system is a sham designed to help some and harm others.
The latest case in point: According to the Wall Street Journal, Representatives Michael Oxley (R-OH) and Richard Baker (R-LA) are introducing a bill that would enable the Securities and Exchange Commission to waive the usual merit system requirements for hiring certain types of employees including accountants, economists and compliance examiners.
The reason is that the usual process of hiring often takes several months and the agency says it has an unusual need to hire new employees much quicker in order to deal with the well-publicized scandals in corporate suites.
