Regarding the article "Pay for performance hammered at House hearing," a reader writes: USDA tried the performance pay system in the 1980's; it was called the General Merit system. It failed because additional funding was not provided for true merit raises; they took money from COLAs and step-increase money due to employees and used it to reward the "highest performing" employees. When managers with outstanding ratings only received a $300 to $400 "Merit raise," the system started to die and was eventually canceled.
Do we not learn from history?
Anonymous
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