U.S. Attorneys' Dismissals Cloud New Rating Systems

Most federal employees receive an annual pay raise set by Congress after negotiations with the White House. The more rigorous performance systems proposed by the Bush administration would give managers greater discretion in setting pay.

Compensation experts point out that it is not unusual for employees to question changes to pay systems and that employee attitudes about the changes improve over time. It's also important to note that officials at the Defense Department, which has started implementing its new pay system, plan to conduct reviews and audits to ensure that employees are treated fairly.

Still, the Senior Executives Association has expressed concern about "the increasing politicization of the civil service."

The group represents the interests of the government's 6,200 career federal executives who are in the Senior Executive Service and take policy direction from political appointees. The executives moved to a performance-based pay system in 2004.

"Politicization appears to be occurring in more subtle ways as a result of the SES pay and performance management system and its vague and inconsistent system of awarding pay adjustments to career senior executives," William L. Bransford, the association's general counsel, wrote in the group's January newsletter.

Bransford said the association hopes to work with members of Congress "to learn what is really happening with political executives in government" and how they affect day-to-day federal operations.

Retirement

Joseph Perricone, special assistant to the deputy assistant secretary for finance at the Health and Human Services Department, will retire March 17 after 27 years of federal service. He began his career as a presidential management intern.

Stephen Barr's e-mail address isbarrs@washpost.com.