Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!helios.ee.lbl.gov!pasteur!ucbvax!agate!dsacg1!dlscg1!dlsc1032@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu From: dsacg1!dlscg1!dlsc1032@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Alan Beal) Newsgroups: comp.society.women Subject: Re: Discrimination? Message-ID: <11783@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> Date: 7 Jul 88 14:20:38 GMT References: <11732@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> Sender: usenet@agate.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: Defense Logistics Services Center Lines: 48 Approved: skyler@violet.berkeley.edu (Moderator -- Trish Roberts) Comments-to: comp-women-request@cs.purdue.edu Submissions-to: comp-women@cs.purdue.edu In article <11732@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>, seeker@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (Karen Lynn White) writes: > When they initally made an offer I tryed to get it set up a little > but was told that you have to take or leave whatever number > comes out of their formula. I was also told I could my job title > would have to be 'staff assistant' until I graduate although I am > getting to program, same as any of the others. The number I was > given was GS-5 which seems to mean some range to military types. > This title and number were the same for the guy I'm replacing so > that doesn't explain the difference in money. > > Can anybody tell me what GS-5 means and what the salary range for > it can be? Should I just be happy I have a job good or at some > point am I justified in asking for a little more money? It sounds like you are working for a government agency and if you are, you should know that most government employees are paid according to the General Schedule(GS) table of wages. My first impression is that you are lucky to get paid GS-5($15,118) wages since you did not have a degree and were justing starting out. I know a lot of college students working on a temporary basis as a GS-3($12,038). There are a lot of rules and regulations that the personnel offices apply in determining pay and grades so I would say that you are not being discriminated against but have instead been introduced to the bureaucratic methods of the government. You should also know that a government employee cannot get a raise(step increase) until that person has been in their present position for at least one year. Another thing you should be aware of is that pay within the government has little to do with experience, degrees, or effort. Instead it is just a matter of putting in your time and moving from job to job in order to get into a higher grade. I got quite a chuckle out of your comment of asking for more money. If you plan to stay with the government for any length of time, you should be aware of the fact that the government employees usually receive cost of living increases that are well below the rate of inflation. Last year we got a hefty 2% increase, the year before 0%, and the year before that 3%. I guess the only ones making a decent living working for government are the defense contractors. >From my experience I would say that the government is probably one of the fairest institutions in hiring women, minorities, the handicapped, and veterans. However, don't expect wages on the same scale on those in the private sector. Do expect a good retirement system, good leave(vacation) policies, and job security. I guess it is up to you where you place the most emphasis. -- Alan Beal DLSC-ZBC Autovon: 932-4160 FTS: 552-4160 Defense Logistics Services Center Phone: (616)961-4160 Battle Creek, MI 49017 Internet: abeal%dlscg2.uucp@daitc.arpa UUCP: {uunet!gould!dsacg1,osu-cis!dsacg1,eecae!dsacng1}!dlscg2!abeal