HARRY HUGHES, Governor

3855

No. 29

(House Joint Resolution No. 60)

A House Joint Resolution concerning

Merit System - Pay Scale - Comparable Worth

FOR the purpose of expressing the concerns and the desires of the
General Assembly in relation to the compensation and
personnel policies of the Merit System in the State and
clarifying that no action may be inferred or undertaken
until the General Assembly has taken certain actions.

WHEREAS, It has been for many years the public policy of the
State of Maryland that the rates of compensation for each
position and class of positions in State employment shall reflect
accurately and fairly the value to the State of the services
performed; that, in determining that rate of compensation, many
factors must be considered; and that, among positions within the
State service involving comparable factors, in terms of value to
the State, the salaries must be comparable; and

WHEREAS, In order to assure continuing validity of rates of
compensation and classifications in light of these policies, the
value of each position or class of positions and the resultant
rate of compensation for each position or class of positions must
be determined only after consideration of factors which include,
explicitly rather than implicitly, the normally required levels
of skill and effort associated with and the working conditions
normally necessitated by the position or class of positions, as
well as the presently explicitly specified factors of experience,
duties, responsibilities and authority, prevailing rates of pay
for the respective services to be performed, rates of
compensation for comparable services performed in public and
private employment, living costs, employee benefits, and the
State's financial condition and policies; and

WHEREAS, It also has been public policy of the State for
many years that not only should all State employees and
applicants for employment be provided equal opportunity to
employment on the basis of merit and fitness, but, further, that
no employee or applicant be classified in such a way that he or
she is discriminated against with respect to compensation, terms,
conditions, or privileges of employment; and

WHEREAS, It has been the policy of the State that the
compensation, hiring, and promotion practices of the State
periodically be re-examined and revised to assure that they
operate efficiently and fairly, and that they continue accurately
to reflect the public policies specified above, particularly in
the light of changes in working conditions and technology; and