Seniority
Seniority is the state of being older or placed in a higher position of status relative to another individual, group, or organization.[1] For example, one employee may be senior to another either by role or rank (such as a CEO vice a manager), or by having more years served within the organization (such as one peer being accorded greater status over another due to amount of time in). The term "seniority" can apply to either concept or both concurrently.
In armed forces
In some military
In politics
Seniority in
As of March 2022, Hal Rogers is Dean of the United States House of Representatives, the most senior member of the House of Representatives, having represented Kentucky since 1981 (21 terms). However, "seniority" can also refer to political power attained by position within the United States Government.
- United States Order of Precedence
- United States presidential line of succession
- Seniority in the United States Senate
Seniority is viewed sometimes both positively and negatively. Many elected officials are viewed as retaining their position only because they have been there for many years, which can reflect voter stagnancy and the benefits of incumbency. On the other hand, long years of incumbency can also be seen as a sign of the person's ability to continue pleasing voters or the use of seniority to deliver benefits to constituents.
In some countries the
In employment
In unionised companies, employees with more seniority may enjoy more work privileges.[2] Here are examples:
- Shift work at more favourable times
- Work that is deemed easier or more pleasurable
- Working hours at a more convenient time (convenience being relative to the employee)
- Assignment to work, when a work reduction, or a reduction in available work hours results in layoffs
Seniority also has an influence over bumping rights, which is a reassignment of jobs, possibly for many people at a time.
Some traditionalist employers, common in smaller, single-operated business, take a "last in, first out" (LIFO) - notably
Seniority does have several positive factors to its name. Individuals may be drawn toward a specific field or occupation with the knowledge that seniority is obtainable. If seniority were to be banished as a whole, many higher paid employees would be fired first just because they make more money than their peers. Seniority does an effective job in helping people, interested in staying at one organization, in working towards having a "marathon" career. One of the goals of a seniority system is employee retention, which ensures an organization is retaining institutional knowledge, erudite employees, and an opportunity for mentorship of new hires. It is important to make sure employees are here to stay.
Though the principle of seniority does an effective job of protecting long-term employees, in some scenarios, it can fail to address several critical factors. Firstly, spots secured by seniority casts aside some of the most appealing perspectives. Individuals will become less driven to enter a field that does not reinforce their efforts with employment. Secondly, the security of
During the late 20th century in the United States, the federal government stopped emphasizing seniority as the primary basis for pay raises for its workforce. The Reagan administration replaced a seniority-based system for pay increases for its white collar government workers. The new system included performance appraisal. [6]
In
In transport
See also
- Gerontocracy
- Gerousia, in ancient Sparta
- Lockstep compensation
- Seniority in the United States House of Representatives
- Superior (hierarchy)
- Tenure
References
- ^ "seniority". www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
- ^ "How Is Seniority Important to a Union?". Small Business - Chron.com.
- ^ HR, Heathfield; Heathfield, Susan M. "What Seniority Means in Union and Nonunion Workplaces". The Balance Careers.
- ^ Keller, Larry. "The Pros And Cons Of Union Jobs". Bankrate.
- ^ "Weighing Pros And Cons Of Teacher Seniority Lists". HuffPost. March 8, 2011.
- ^ Kleiman, Carol (6 December 1987). "SENIORITY LOSING ITS RANKING AMONG EMPLOYERS". chicagotribune.com.
- OCLC 1112470763.
- ^ "Pilot Seniority 101 Part 1- The Sacred Cow". Airline Empires (Blog). Archived from the original on 2011-07-23 – via WordPress.
- ^ Moreno, Jenalia (May 1, 2010). "Labor issues key to Continental-United merger success". Chron.
- ^ "How Becoming an Airline Pilot Works". HowStuffWorks. August 4, 2000.
- ^ Frederick C. Gamst, "Railroad Craft Seniority: The Essence of Railroad Society and Culture (and Its 'State')." Kroeber Anthropological Society Papers (2003): 176-204 online.