by Nick Delgado

Guam - It marks the first time that thousands of Government of Guam employees' salaries were reviewed in a comprehensive study in nearly two decades. Today Governor Felix Camacho received a briefing on the government-wide compensation study from The Hay Group. The study reviewed the salaries of thousands of government workers comparing them to salaries of comparable positions and national averages.

While the media will get a briefing on Tuesday afternoon to publicly release the findings, the island's chief executive today presented the findings to his cabinet this afternoon and says Guam is severely behind in salaries. Camacho added that the government cannot afford not to give at lease minimum increases to its employees.

He's also hoping lawmakers will adopt a compensation policy that would allow the Executive Branch to take care of the analysis and presentation inclusive of autonomous agencies and give the Guam Legislature the responsibility of figuring out how to pay for the implementation of the study over time.

"Respecting each other's roles would certainly take a lot of pressure off the senators that are always approached by special interest employee group to their benefit and its created vast amounts of inequity, but what we're trying to establish is what's fair and what's equitable. And adopt a plan for the future moving forward."

The governor is expected to release The Hay Group compensation study findings to the media tomorrow afternoon during a two o'clock press briefing.