ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the procedures and practices of human resource management in government and reviews the major current issues. To some extent, personnel management practices are influenced by the predominant views of government employees, which have typically mirrored the public's views about government in general. Good personnel management begins with a suitable system for grading the various jobs. There are two approaches to the ranking of government jobs: rank-in-person and rank-in-job. The extent of part-time work – any employment that entails less than the standard working hours for full-time jobs – has also grown. Part-time work, too, may be permanent or temporary. While unemployed older workers face special difficulties in finding jobs, especially if they have been unemployed for a prolonged period, age discrimination in promotion opportunities and job security has been on the wane – particularly in government service.
