The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-12-15
hACVEAGH REDUCES
CLERKS SICK LEAVE
Secretary Issues Order Cut
ting Time Off for Illness
to Ten Days.
CONTINUED from First Page)

Prior to July Z, 1905, heads OF bureaus or
divisions were authorized only togran1
annaI leave 10 employees in their bu-
reaus or divisions for a period OF three
days or less
II cave. OF. account. of sickness was Re
Guired TO be approved in the Secretary :
office, which approval was necessarily
more or less per1uncJOry- In the CIR
cular OF July Z. 1905 heads Of bureaus
and chiefs Of division we authorized
10 grant the full thirty Gays annual
leave, being required merely 10 rel OF
10 the SeCTeLary'S Office at the end o.
each month all leave taken durTlg me
current month, as well as the total
leave taken during the calendar year
up 10 the close Of the current month.
''Inasmuch as the approval Of the bu-
reau OF division chief has been the gov
erning factor IN the granting OF SICK
leave, and inasmuch IS II was cOnSlQ-
cred that a bureau or division chief who
was competent 70 administer the affairs
Of his bureau or division was better
qualified than anyone else IN the de-
partmeut 10 decide whether an apphca-
zion for sick leave should be granted Il
was decided 10 place this authority IN
his hands
Ten Days a Year.
sick leave viii be granted at the
rate Of 10 days q year. but in order that
deserving employees may not cu1er by
this regulation there may be added 10
the ten days T necessary any number OF
days the applicant may not have used
Of his ten-day allowance in the four pre-
ceding years. &c a limit of thirty days
in any one year. Thus, where an en-
pIOye has had no sick leave for four
full yeapS in the next year he may take
the ten days allowed him in the cur
rent year. ana. II necessary, there may
be added thereto twenty sdays Of the &C
Cumulated leave. II By any chance he
IS sick the following year he may also
which the following year he may also
receive the ten days for that year, 10
which may be added II necessary, the
other twenty DAYS accumulated leave
This regulation IS practically the
recommendation Of the Keep Commits
sion on this subject 1t viii correct
abuses Of the sick leave privilege, and
viii not work a hardship upon the de-
leave only ywhen necessity COmpels
them TO 90 So A majority Of those
connected with the Government ser
wee, as vel as many persons outside
Of the service, have long been aware
Of the fact that the sick leave privilege
is greatly abused
when an employe is transferred from
another Executive Department or in
dependent bureau Of the Government 10
the Treasury Department he IS TO be
given credit on the basis Of the new
his annual and sick leave IN the depart
ment OF Independent bureau Of the
Government from which he is trans
ferred.
Under the old regulations no transfer
OF tine due from other departments or
independent bureaus for services rem
deTed was allowed, leave Of absence be
ing granted at the rate Of two and one
half days per month from the date Of
transfer only In the opinion Of Sec
Rotary MacNeagh. che operation Of
this regulation worked a hardship upon
employees transferred TO the Treasury
Department, particularly where the en-
ploye so transferred had been unable
prior 10 the date Of such transfer 10
obtain any annual or sick leave
Full Time Charged.
Absence OF less than 30 minutes will
be charged as 80 minutes; absence IN
excess Of 50 minutes viii be charged IN
muItipIes OF 90 minutes This reguIa-
ton viii simplify the method of keep
ing records Of leave Of absence. Under
the present regulations, when an en-
uIoye is taTGy or IS excused during the
dav. the actual tine taken IS charged
against his leave record In this way.
If an emplOye IS . minutes late, or
1eavAs tht department for minutes,
minutes or Is minutes, as the case may
be. the actual time lost is charged
AGAINST his leave record The new
regulation viii correct abuses, and viii
not. in the opinion Of the department
10 auy apprecIabIe extent, work a hard
ship upon deserving employees"