• By MARSHA SHULER
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jun 5, 2009 - Page: 1A

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Gov. Bobby Jindal said Thursday he favors the granting of a 4 percent pay raise to state workers in the coming budget year.

But Jindal said changes need to be made so in the future the so-called “merit” raises are better tied to employee performance on the job.

“They should be truly merit based,” Jindal said.

Jindal noted today’s system grants the same raise to state workers whether their job performance rating is merely acceptable or exceptional.

The state Civil Service Commission on Wednesday postponed action on a proposal that would have withheld the 4 percent raise from some 60,000 rank-and-file state employees.

The commission’s staff had recommended the plan as a way to help reduce employee layoffs because of a $1.3 billion downturn in state revenue available for spending in the fiscal year that begins July 1.

But commission member Burl Cain recommended the panel wait to see if other options materialized.

The House version of the budget included language barring agencies from giving the employee pay raises. The Senate reversed that decision late Wednesday night as senators put their imprint on the proposed $28 billion state budget document.

There is no extra money in the budget for the pay increases. Agencies — as they have traditionally done — would be required to cut in other areas to fund them.

The 4 percent pay raise is nearly automatic and is awarded annually to most state workers on the anniversary date of their employment. Only those with less stellar job ratings don’t get the “merit” increase.

According to Civil Service — state government’s employment agency — some 96 percent of state classified employees get merit pay annually.

Civil Service Deputy Director Jean Jones said the agency’s compensation division has been working on “a comprehensive revision to our pay system, including — but not limited to — merit increases. … We’ll probably have a proposal sometime later this year.”

A couple of state representatives have been pushing for Civil Service layoff and pay policy changes during the legislative session.