Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-11-02
MAY CUT PENALTY
FOR LATE WORKERS
P. O. Department Plans to
Reduce Minimum Deduction
to Ten Minutes.
WOULD AMEND SICK RULE
Only Actual Time Off to Be
Charged-At Present Ill En-
ploye Loses Day if Off an Hour.

The Post Office Department is ex-
line" departments to cut the mimi
mum period of time for which en-
ployes are 'uocked" for tardiness to
ten minutes.
The Treasury Department now has
a minimum of fifteen minutes tardy
in the morning. that is, if an em-
ploye is late one minute he is
"docked" fifteen minutes. At the Post
Office Department, State Department
and others an employe. even if late
but a minute. is "docked" half an
hour. If late thirty-one Ninutes he
is charged with one hour against
his annual leave.
New regulations. which are being
considered by the Post Office Depart
ment officials and which are under
stood to be nearly ready to be put
into efrect, will cut the minimum
time which an employe may be late
from thirty minutes to ten minutes.
Charge Actual Time Ill.
This is the most striking feature
of the contemplated changes. which
also call for charging an employe for
the actual time he is i'll, instead of
considering him i'll whole day, even
II he is absent but an hour on account
of illness.
The plan to make the minimum pc
riod for being late but ten minutes at
the Post Office Department is re-
garded as a somewhat daring ven-
ture. as some believe that it may tend
to make employees careless in regard
to being late.
''Oh. it is only ten minutes" they
are expected to say, whereas now an
employe knows that if he is late in
the morning he will be soaked" for
a full half hour. However. officials
believe in the innate goodness of hu-
man nature. They point to the rec
ords for tardiness in the department
as evidence Of their faith.
Only Eight in 1000 Late.
Records for a certain day recently.
for instance. show that of the ap-
proximately 1000 employees of the
Post Office Department. but eight
persons reported tardy. 1t is be-
lieved that in simple justice to those
who are late the minimum period
should be cut to ten minues. The ex-
pertinent will be watched with great
interest by bureau heads in other
departments.
Under the new plan, il an employe is
late one minute ten minutes will be
charged against his annual leave; if
late eleven minutes. twenty minutes
against his leave. and SO on. Advo-
Gates Of <Re new plan declare that 1t
lie FN Of 9o{ =
time. since now some employees, if late
q minute or two. are tempted to stay
out until almost $3.50 am, since they
will be charged with being that late,
anyway.
Hour Ill Charged ax Day.
The changes in sick leave regula-
tions will make 1t possible for an en-
ploye to be ill an hour, say, without
being put down on the record as i'll
a whole day. Under the present regu-
lations in force, if an employe is seized
with a bad headache late in the aft
ernoon and is practically forced to
suspend working for an hour all the six
hours he has worked are regarded. in
effect, as not work ed and the employe
is placed on the sick roll for an en-
tire day.
The new regulations intend, it is
understood. to do away with this state
Of things. so that If a person is i'll
for fifteen minutes. but fifteen min
utes will be charged against his sick
leave.
Difficult Problem.
These matters of tardiness and sick
leave have long been regarded by
officials in the departmental service
as very hard to handle, it being ad-
mitted by officials. without in any
way rejecting upon the employees
There are always some employees, it
is admitted. who will abuse tardy and
sick leave privileges, but the number
is held comparatively small when con-
sidered with the majority of the en-
ployes. who have high standards of
conduct.