Opinion piece examines CDC cash awards process

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution recently published an editorial and an opinion piece that addressed issues related to the CDC cash awards process.

The New York Times and the Journal-Constitution recently analyzed records of all awards of at least $2,500 received by current and former CDC employees from 2000 to July 2006. CDC issues the awards for special acts and as annual performance bonuses. According to the analyses, non-science employees received most of the awards. In response, CDC has formed a committee to consider the equitability of the awards process (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 9/19). Summaries of the editorial and opinion piece appear below.

• Journal-Constitution: CDC "needs to move quickly to assure employees that its salary bonuses and other performance awards are fairly distributed" because the recent "morale problem" at the agency "is no doubt exacerbated by the way the CDC's pay-for-performance program is run," a Journal-Constitution editorial states. According to the editorial, a committee should "stress that both scientists and administrative personnel are valued at the agency" and "create separate award and financial bonus plans so that scientists and physicians working in laboratories and doing field investigations do not compete for bonuses against accountants, computer technicians, budget analysts and administrative personnel." The editorial states, "If distributed more wisely, performance bonuses could be a useful tool in persuading scientists to stay on with the agency" (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9/22).
  
  
• Julie Gerberding, Journal-Constitution: CDC seeks to "promote equity of total compensation for people who have similar roles, responsibilities and performance," and the "challenge we face is separate compensation systems that have different rules regarding base salaries and opportunities for performance awards," agency Director Gerberding writes in a Journal-Constitution opinion piece. "I am committed to supporting all our employees and will work to find ways to make sure their salaries are as fair as these personnel systems allow and that those who are eligible get fair consideration for awards," she writes, adding, "Our system can be improved." Gerberding writes that the committee "will analyze current criteria for awards and make recommendations to the CDC director to ensure that the system is the best that it can be," adding, "CDC employees deserve that and more" (Gerberding, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9/22).