PRINCIPLES OF WAGES AND SALARY ADMINISTRATION

PRINCIPLES OF WAGES AND SALARY ADMINISTRATION

The generally accepted principles governing the fixation of wages and salary are:

(i) There should be definite plan to ensure that differences in pay for jobs are based upon variations in job requirements, such as skill effort, responsibility or job or working conditions, and mental and physical requirements.

(ii) The general level of wages and salaries should be reasonably in line with that prevailing in the labour market. The labour market criterion is most commonly used.

(iii) The plan should carefully distinguish between jobs and employees. A job carries a certain wage rate, and a person is assigned to fill it at that rate. Exceptions sometimes occur in very high-level jobs in which the job-holder may make the job large or small, depending upon his ability and contributions.

(iv) Equal pay for equal work, i.e., if two jobs have equal difficulty requirements, the pay should be the same, regardless of who fills them.

(v) An equitable practice should be adopted for the recognition of individual differences in ability and contribution. For some units, this may take the form of rate ranges, with in-grade increases; in others, it may be a wage incentive plan; in still others, it may take the form of closely integrated sequences of job promotion.

(vi) There should be a clearly established procedure for hearing and adjusting wage complaints. This may be integrated with the regular grievance procedure. if it exists.

(vii) The employees and the trade union, if there is one, should be informed about the procedure used to establish wage rates. Every employee should be informed of his own position, and of the wage and salary structure. Secrecy in wage matters should not be used as a cover-up for haphazard and unreasonable wage programme.

(viii) The wage should be sufficient to ensure for the worker and his family reasonable standard of living. Workers should receive a guaranteed minimum wage to protect them against conditions beyond their control.

(ix) The wage and salary structure should be flexible so that changing conditions

can be easily met.

(x) Prompt and correct payments of the dues of the employees must be ensured and arrears of payment should not accumulate.

(xi) For revision of wages, a Wage Committee should always be preferred to the individual judgement, however unbiased, or a manager.

(xii) The wage and salary payments must fulfil a wide variety of human needs, including the need for self-actualisation. It has been recognised that “money is the only form of incentive which is wholly negotiable, appealing to the widest possible range of seekers…. Monetary payments often act as motivators and satisfiers interdependently of other job factors.”

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