Job Tenure and Job Security

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01826R000500140003-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 21, 2000
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: November 3, 1953
• Content Type: MEMO

~.. _ Approved For Releee 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP80-018000500140003-3
MCKOLAMM4 C 1t
1 A9a Present: Messrs. jams Mitchell, 8ecretegy of Labor;
In Office of Secretary of Labor, 3 Nov 1953, 4:30 - 5:15 P.M.
SUaJECT: Job Tenure and Job Security
1. The purpose of the coaversatioo was to determine from a responsible Cover- ,t
official, not associated with security sensitive affairs, who has bad wide experience
both in Governaoent and in private eWloyment, and who is a recognized expert in
personnel and labor matters, his views respecting job tenure and job security. No
classified matters were discussed.
2. Tenure. Mr. Mitchell expressed the view that tenure is a relative matter;
that die no such thing as absolute tenure; and that teaure either in Govern sat
or in civil life was subject to such considerations as adlmini.stratlvo necessity,, or
the wires of Congress, or the condition of the budget., etc. He used the a ple
that if the Congress decided to wipe out the Departmtot of Labor by legislation, the
tenure of all the persons now working in the Departaient of Labor was worthless; that
it the Board of Directors of idacy'aa should decide to substantially change the aper-
stion of Maaicy's Department Store the tenure of all. emlcyees would be substantially
affectad. He stated that in the past year more than 8,000 comissioii officers in
the Armed Forces had been separated, and therefore the tenure of cc io io ed per-
sonnel was also subject to qualifications. The quea3tiout of a aapplioaable law and legie_
laation on the matter of tenure was also discussed, and it was recognized that in.
Government, Civil Service atattu2 conveyed a degree of tenure, mile in civil e aloy-
ment tenure of unionize employees was conveyed thrav h the contractual agreemats
bsty an employer and the applicable union. Generally speaking, in civilians em-
ployment the white-collar worker, the executive, the "inn .ectua1" io rlkr, had no
tenure. Tenure could be carve re4 by contract vbioh would state the degree of teruase
with respect to the time factor as well as to the conditions of employment. This
le reeextiphasized the fact that tenure as such was relative and condition by
the terms of the particular tenure that was under consideration. In Mr. t-iitchell's
view the consideration of tenure was a vii1-o-thecrisp. He also express the vier
that the veakness of civilian employment of the U.S. Government mw that such tenure
as existed created a false sense of security, inhibited initiative and sti3malatea
the retention of adequate though mediocre workers.
3- Job Security
in W. MitcheU'a view "job security" was all lsportant, even thou& it was
more of an intangible and, in a sense, similar to "manrale". An individua..t act
s sense of job security by having confidence that he would not be ssrated from
his job for ax'bitraary or frivolous reasons. In Mr. Mitchell's view job security
vans the product of a good, and demonstrated personnel policy. Three elements are
essential: (1) The policy suet bed1 ax inclusive. All essential favors
such as grievance procedures, employee evaaluaatiacs, pramation for merit, etc., must
be present. (2) The policy mast be known throughout the organization and thorough-
ly understood not only by supervi6ors but by all. =ployees. (3) The esaaployee must
have an opportunity to see that the announced policy is actually put into practice.
Until an individual has confidence that the announced policy is actually being
followed, there can be no feeling of job security.
Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP80-01826R000500140003-3