Evening star., 1933-06-19
|4,O)O WILL LOSE
LONGEVITY CREDIT
Many With 30-Year or Better
Federal Ratings Affected
by Order.

Approximately 1000 Government en-
ployes here with 30 years or more
service will lose the 25-point credit
bolstering their efficiency rating and
acting as insurance" against involun-
tary retirement, it was estimated today.
as the executive order knocking out this
so-called longevity allowance" for these
workers. and revising it downward for
others. was studied throughout the
Federal establishment.
The order, designed to facilitate the
removal of the older workers, was
signed by President Roosevelt just be-
fore he left on his vacation and was
going forward today to departments and
independent establishments from the
State Department. 1t supersedes an
order issued by President Coolidge on
June 4, 1925, which established these
credits.
VIII Facilitate Removal.
At the Civil Service Commission it
was explained that the new ruling does
not mean that the 1000 persons affected
will be removed from the service, but
only that removal will be facilitated.
Those who have veteran preference still
retain that, and the maximum three
point credit where the element Of de-
pendency enters likewise continues In
effect The 30-year group also will rate
above those workers subject to dismissal
under the marital status law AS 1t
was pointed out also some agencies
might not want to retire the older
workers.
The new schedule provides maxi
sc ~t~,to f~r Axtst
in comparison with the Is points OF the
old law. This is reached at the end Of
Is years service. 1t is retained only
up to 80 years for those eligible for re-
tirement pay. but for non-eligibles 1t
continues in effect.
New Credit Rating. EN
Under the new rating. two-tenths Of
one point Is given for each of the first
five years; five-tenths for the next two,
and one point yearly thereafter until
the maximum is reached. Under the
old, the rate started at one-tenth for
the first year; increased a tenth each
year until the tenth year. Then, and
thereafter, a point was given.
Because of these credits, it has been
said, separations, which must be made
from the bottom of the efflciency-or
separation-list, would have decided
tendency to reach workers with the
least service Critics also contended
that they negatived the principle of ef-
ficiency. 1t was pointed out, for ex-
ample, that a nine-year employe with
an efficiency rating of 95, would have
a separation rating of 99.5, including
four and half points for longevity, but
would nevertheless be dismissed ahead
of 30-year employe with efficiency of
rs, who would get 25 points for longev-
ity, with q total separation rating
of 100.
The Personnel Officers Association,
composed of personnel officers of the
Government, recommended to the
Bureau of the Budget and the Civil
Service Commission 10 days ago that
these longevity credits be revised. and
the Budget Bureau. which sponsored
the plan for compulsory retirement of
30-year workers, which later was drop
ped. is understood to have backed the
change.
VIII Study Cases.
1t was expected at the Civil Service
Commission today that its investiga-
tive branch would take over administra-
ton of the new plan designed to facin-
tate re-employments of Government
workers dropped for cause. Hereafter,
on application of the individual. the
commission. will make study of the
case. and If it should be decided that
there is no barrier to Unemployment
elsewhere than in that agency from
which removed took place. so advise.
Heretofore 1t was necessary for the
agency in which employment was
sought to make request upon the
commission to study the case. The
new procedure will, where justified, arm
the applicant with clean bill of health
with which to seek reinstatement
1t was said that the commission had
always had this power, but had never
seen fit to exercise 1t before.
BY far the largest part Of the re-
movals are disciplinary eases, it was
said, and while the commission is with
out power to intervene in q removal
action except under limited conditions,
it is felt ofttimes there is justifica-
ton for aiding dismissed worker to
get placed elsewhere. S