The salary and appraisals of Central Government employees are expected to be decided basis the recommendations of the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC) from next year.
While government jobs are considered safe in terms of stability, there is a widespread belief that once you get into a government job, salary hikes and career growth will be assured, or even guaranteed. However, this is not how things work. The 7th Pay Commission made a recommendation to curb this belief.
As employees are now eagerly watching every development around the 8th Pay Commission, aspiring Central Government job seekers should know what the 7th CPC said about annual salary increments.
No guarantee
The 7th CPC noted the widespread misconception that salary hikes and promotions happen naturally in a Central Government job.
“There is a widespread perception that increments as well as upward movement in the hierarchy happen as a matter of course. The perception is that the grant of MACP, although subject to the employee attaining the laid down threshold of performance, is taken for granted.”
Contrary to the perception, the 7th CPC believed that employees who do not meet the laid down performance criterion should not be allowed to earn future annual increments.
Hence, it is recommended to withhold salary hikes if an employee fails to meet the benchmark.
“The Commission is therefore proposing withholding of annual increments in the case of those employees who are not able to meet the benchmark either for MACP or a regular promotion within the first 20 years of their service,” it said.
But, why?
According to the 7th CPC, this will act as a deterrent for complacent and inefficient employees. “However, since this is not a penalty, the norms for penal action in disciplinary cases involving withholding increments will not be applicable in such cases. This will be treated as an “efficiency bar”,” the 7th CPC said.
“Additionally, for such employees, there could be an option to leave service on similar terms and conditions as prescribed for voluntary retirement,” it added.