REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON CLERICAL EMPLOYEES IN THE OVERT AND COVERT OFFICES OF CIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-04718A002800020008-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 26, 2000
• Sequence Number: 8
• Content Type: REPORT

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TAB E
REPORT OF TM catarra, ON CLERICAL EMPLOYEES
IN THE ovEre AND covarr OFFICES OF CIA
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REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON CLERICAL EMPLOYEES
IN* THE OVERT AND COVERT OFFICES OF CIA
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Oblectiliet This report is concerned with the utilization of and
career opportunities for women in the clerical and intermediate
groups in SIA,. It Covers headquarters and field employees in the
overt and covert components of the Agency. To maintain uniformity
with the ther tubdommitteest reports, overt and covert statistics
are pree6nted separately.
B. Definitions: In its study, the Committee on Clerical Employees
ajfaied two groups of employees. One, (hereafter designated
as the 9.ntermediete" group) is composed of persons having ppecial-
ized skills, such as Radio Operator or apprentices; Personnel
Assistant, at opposed to the professional or joUrneyman Personnel
Officer; and supervisors of clerical operations. The other, (here-
after referred to as "clerical") is composed of persons having
skills With Office machines and proceduree. This latter group
ineludst_stonographers, typists, clerks of All kinds, machine
operatere (44.,labUlating Equipment Operator), telephone oper-
ators, receptionists, etc,
It has been found that this breakdown, in the main holds good
ineofsr as grads ranges are concerned, The intermediate group
romps in grade from 0S4 through G8-9, with a few supervisors of
high) epecialfted skills going as high lie 0S-140 The clerical
grow) in general ranges from OS4 through 064, with a few seers.,
tarisl peeitions in "front" Or headquarters Offices going as high
as eq.9. For purposes of this report, siege board employees,
CPC a, consultants, staff agents, and Military personnel au active
dut7 assigned to the Agency, have been vatted.
Within these two categories the Committee his tried to consider
ths distribution of men and wenn in each group and the comparative
grade ranges Of Men ind women in these groups.
C.
In brief, this Committee can generalize that for reasona not
yet established, the proportion of men to_Wonsp reverses sharply
as the level of responsibility inereaset,And that in certain
categories the grade range as it exists et the present time is
move favorable to men than to =men,
swan
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Secondly, it has become obvious that certain problems exist for
all personnel, whether men or women. The major ones are a high
rate of turnover and the related problem of insufficient integration
of clericals into the work of the Agency.
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II. FINDINGS
A. Statistical: In presenting these figures, the Committee recognizes
that they represent a purely static picture of the Agency, and that
the factor of movement, either by appointment or promotion into a
given category or level of responsibility, cannot be portrayed.
Further studies in comparison of qualifications vs. .grade for men
and women and of time in grade before promotion for both will be
necessary before a complete analysie can be attempted, The Committee
was unable to perform these studies, since Agency records are not at
preeent maintained in a form from which the material can be easily
extracted in the time allotted for this project*
1. Overt Offices: Among the employees in the overt 25X9A2
attiai-iittlie Agency, the distribution of men to women is
as follows:
25X9A2
F. F
Clerical GS 3.6 86%
Intermediate 08 64 . 31%.
Professional G5.4 through 21%
supergrades
The intermediate group must be regarded both as an eminence
to which clerical employees can aspire, and as a training
ground for professional rankee
The percentage change in the menbomen ratio from the Assist-
ant to the Professional level is of particular interest in
the following categories:
Assistants Professionals
---0;pFera" ?7740174iN--"
MOU
woman
man
VOMOM
Analysis
19%
82%
77%
23%
Edit & Pub
30%
70%
0%
37%
Attain Support
50%
42%
87%
13%
In Editing and Publishing Assistant and in Administrative
Support Assistant the beginning grade for men and women is
the name. In all other categories where women ars employed,
the beginning grade for men is one to two grades higher.
In the Library Assietant category, the highest grade is
held by a woman, and in Editing and Publishing Assistants
the top grades are the same. In all other categories in
which women are employed, the hignast grade held by a men
is one to three grades higher than that held by a woman,
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In the first case, clerks, typiate, and stenographers,
Which Comprise the great bulk of the clerical group, can
theoretically be advandeto Adminietrative Assistant and
to clerical supervisory positions Without acquiring addi-
tional Skills beyond a knowledge Of office procedures and
on ability to handle peopled In these positions the dis-
tribution of men to women is as f011Oes:
Clerical
Admin Asst and
Ci'iala4v
m%
89% 25X9A2
LI%
27% 71%
Grade ranges for men and womenin theee Categories are
the same?
Similarly, Machine Operators hope to be advanced to Super-
visors And Planners. In these positions the distribution
Of men to Women is as follows:
M F
Operators 142% 58%
Supvs and
Planners 76% 211%
In this latter category the grade range held by men is
OS 5-14, by women GS 5.100
In the intermediate group, in a4 tion to these categories
to which clerical employees aspire, there are seven rela-
tively large categories of "assietants" which run parallel
to and might be considered training for professional
categories. These are:
Analysis
Library
Edit and Pub
Statisties
Admin Support
Tech
. Graphics
Total
Assistanti Professionals
25X9A2
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2. Covert Offices: Among the eeployees in the covert
Wilger-rsothi Agency, the distribution of men to women is
as follows:
M F Kt F%
Clerical as 12% 88%
Intermediate OS 64 IC 60%
Professional 1:18 5 through 82% la%
supergrades
if With One exception at a GS-9
I With one exception at a 05.12
A coMparison of clerks, typists, and stenographers to adminc.
ietratiVe essietants and clerical supervisors shows the
following:
Clerical
Main Met and
Clerical Supv
M F MF
5% 95%
27% 73%
Grade ranges fir men and women in those categories are the
same.
A comparison of headquarters (Washington personnel) with
field figures reveals that the major part of the shift in the
proportion of vomen from the clerical level to the adminis-
trative assistent or supervisory level takes place in the
field.
25X9A2
25X9A2
25X9A2
14V.Ler.._artere 14 1? 14 F 25X9A2
5% 95%
Adadu Aeet and 18% 82%
Clerical Supv
Fiel4
Clerical at 92%
Adrain Met and 35% 65%
Clerical Supv
*The totals given here diffor from those in the cavort professional report
as there was a reorganisaCon in the DD/P area between the times the
statistics were gathered for the two reports.
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A comparison of categories in the intermediate group with
related categories in the professional group in the Covert
offices reveals the following:
Admin Bq
Admin Field
Budget Hq
Budget Field
Personnel Hq
Personnel Field
Security Hq
Security Field
pm Hq
MS Field
Intel & Ops Hq
Intel & Opa Fie].
TOTAL
The percentage change in the mon/Women ratio from the Assist-
ant. to the Professional level is of particular interest in the
following categorise:
Assistants Professionals
percent percent
M
F
Budget field
V%
43%
9%
P & S field
83%
17%
97%
3%
Wall & OPe Hq
9%
9$%
69%
31%
A comparison of percentages in the Adtainistrative category is
rendered particularly difficult by the fact that the majority
Of Administrative Assistant positions are in no way related
to those of Administrative Offiter. A tentative comparison
Was arrived at on the basis of combining Adminlstrative Bud.
get, Personnel, Security and Property and Supply Officer
figures for comparison with Budget, Personnel, Security and
Property and Supply Assistant figures as follows:
Assistants
percent
H F
Professionals
percent
Adadn Support lict
Admin Support Field
67%.
75%
33%
25%
73%
88%
27%
12%
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It may he noted that in two of the above categories of
intermediates, Budget Assistant, headquarters, and Person-
nel Assistant, field, the grade ranges for men, both mini-
mum and maximum, are one to two grades higher than those
for women.
B. Observations: Any agency or organization is dependent on its clerical
TainGre7fficient operation. Since the clerical force in this
Agency is composed primarily of women, the Panel felt that a etudy
should be made of clerical problems, apart from the question of die-
eriMination,
An stated above, certain problems exist for all clerical personnel
whether man or woman. The major ones are a high rate of turnover and
the related problem of insufficient integration of clericals into the
work of th Agency. The Committee was able to gather only fragmentary
statistics in the course of its study of these problem. However, on
the basis of a study of exit interviews for personnel in grades GS 3-9
from 1 January l93 to 1 SepteMbar 19530 and a relatively wide range
of individual Committee contacts throughout the Agency and its collec-
tive experience in the Agency, a general picture of thebe problems
has been developed.
Although figures of those leaving over an 8-month period cannot
be accurately compared with the on-duty strength of an organization at
any one time, an approximate percentage may be obtained of the turn-
over. A study of the exit interview revealed the followings
Overall Men Women
25X9A2
Teta number of cases
Total Agency strength in
the grade ranges under
study as of 30 June 1953
The approximate turnover rate was 12%-. Of those leaving, 31$ were
men, and 69% women, although the proportion of men to women on duty in
the Agency in this grade mega was 45% to 55%. Surprisingly enough,
however, of the three major categories among the reasons given for
leaving, by far the largest was "other job," which accounted for 1$7
resignations. The next, as was to be expected in this group, was
"marriage" with 121, but the third, apparently related to the first,
was "dissatisfied," ulth 94. It is recognised that no statistics on
reasons for resignation can be relied on for absolute validity. The
individuals concerned frequently fail to give the true reason and
often there are many factors contributing to the decision to go. At
most these figures suggest a relatively large group of "dissatisfied"
clerical and intermediate employees, some of whom have reaigned.
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Through the Oommitteees individual contacts, spot interviews,
and collective experience in the Agency, however, slightly more
revealing though still generalised problems were developed,
10 Misconceptions, wild rumors and a feeling of being a
nameless cipher develop in the Interim Assignment Branch,
despite the best efforts Of those in charge, and are frequently
perpetuated due to
? 2, lack of orientation for the individual clerk on his or
her permanent assignment. Office practices in this vary with
the sophistication of the individual supervisor but the frequency
with which this complaint is heard suggests that it is a rela-
tively widespread diffloulty,
3* Inconsistencies in hiring and promotional practices
which the individual clerk discovers both in the IAB and upon
permanent assignment create discontent,
4. Nonutilisation on the job of skills acquired previously
looms large as a cause of dissatisfaction. Stenographer/floss,
their speed, potentially able clerks are frequently not given
the opportunity to assume the responsibility of Which they are .
capable, and little if any systematic effort is made to move the
able ones from the clerical group to the intermediate group or
from the intermediate group to the professional group. The
natural desire of the office to retaina good clerical employee,
particularly in View of the difficulties involved in getting a
replacement, is understandable to the byetander but not particu-
larly comforting to the clerk..
S. Inherent in all these problems and, frequeetly voiced
is the feeling on the.part of many clerical employees that they
are not handled as individUals. It is expressed in different
wee "You have to throw a fit or resign to get any attentions?".
noun-re treated like a cipher," "There es such a gulf between the
clericals and professionals."
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III. ' 1* 1OJI .TIONS
It is recognized. that there is traditionally a large turnover among
clerical employees for reasons beyond the control of the Agency (such as
marriage or pregnancy), and that the Agency's investment in a clerical
employee is a minor one when cowered with that in a professional, It
is also recognized that efforts have been and gre being made to overcome
many of the problems arising in the clerical and intermediate groups.
However, an organization as demanding securitrmise of its employees as
CIA, and depending on college graduates for as much as 25 percent of its
clerical labor supply, should offer unusual rewards, not necessarily in
money but in esprit de corps for its employees. Therefore, the following
recommendations are mades
A. The Career Service Board place greater emphasis on the clerical
and intermediate groups of employees by designating individuals
of the existing boards specifically to consider these problems
in order tot
1, provide for progression, 'Inman individual is qualified,
from the clerical to intermediate and on to the professional
group. It is pointed out that thisis the Agency's least
expensive (source for assistanteand junior professionals, and
2. provide., for advancement within-the clerical group - further
utilising qualified employees from any part of the Agency
for filling the higher clerical positions and further
utilizing the training facilities of the Agency as to allow
an individual employee to develop additional skills bene
!"-
fitting his personal career,
B, In each organisational unit one individual should be specifically
designated and given publicity to handle clerical problems which
for one reason or another cannot be taken up with the supervisor
have been disallowed by him. (This would -Vary with the size
of the unit, e0g., a relatively small office would need only one
whereas some of the larger Divisions might need one for each
Branch0)
C, Appoint a counsellor to the Interim Assignment Branch who is a
mature individual indoctrinated in all facets of the operations
of the Agency with authority and ability to handle personnel
problems. This might alleviate the confusions generated during
the holding operation, In itself the problem of rumors about
130 would require an Agency veteran to reconcile the
Agency's security demands with the limited comprehension of a
brand-new high school graduate,
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D. Further effort on the part of Agency components to find
suitable and valid work for clerks, typists, and stenographers
during their tour in IAD should be rewarding to both partici,.
pants.
B. Supervisors provide further orientation for new employees at
the section or unit level, An incoming employee automatically
receives indoctrination in the Agency, its overall functions
and component parts. Downer, too ate% particularly in the
groups covered by this report, there are employees who have
been told only what their specific duties are, and have not
been given any conception of the mission and function of the
unit and the part it plays in the Overall functioning of the
Office, An initial introduction with further explanations
when the employes os initial confusions have been dissipated
would pay dividends,
F. Additional studies be made which this committee was unable to
undertake, but which would be of value in determination of
possible Agency discrimination against women and in clarifica.
tion .f clerical problete in general; .
1, Qualifications vs, grades in various categories,
2. Time.inpgrade for men and women by categories or types.
of positions.
Additional studies in Urn...over rates by categories, types
of work or grade ranges, rather than the Agency.wide figure
now in use,
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