Evening star., 1935-07-18
RULES UNIT GIVES
HOUSE PRIVILEGE
T02LEAvE BILLS
Speedy Action Next Week,
With 0ne.H0ur Debate
Provided For.
RESTORATION OF 3O.DAY
VACATION is PROPOSED
Is Days Off in Case Of Illness,
With Accumulation to 120
Days Also Sought.
BY WILL P. KENNEDY.

Il
The House Rules Committee today
adopted a special rule giving privi-
legged consideration to two bills spon-
sored by Chairman Ramspeck Of the
Civil Service Committee restoring an
nual leave of 80 days to Government
employees and for standard sick leaves
of Is days cumulative up to 100 days.
These rules will be called up in the
House next week and provide for quick
action with only one hour Of debate
on each bill limited to the bill itself.
Representative Ramspeck, who was
the only speaker, emphasized that the
Civil Service Committee feels the time
has come for the restoration of annual
leave on the old basis. He contended
this is justified for both the employees
in Washington and many of those in
the field who come from places far
distant from where they are at work
and who wish to use their vacations
for visits to their homes.
Severe Hardship Imposed.
He explained that under the econ
omy act the annual leave had been
reduced to Is days and that severe
hardship has been imposed, since any
absence from their desks such as at
tending a funeral or cashing a check
is deducted from the annual leave.
This results in each employe having
only a few days left when vacation
time comes.
He pointed out that in private en-
ployment such occasional absences for
brief periods do not interfere with the
usual two weeks vacation.
The present law, he said, contains
no limitations on the accumulation of
unused annual leave. The pending
bill limits the total of annual leave to
100 days. Compensatory leave pro-
vides for overtime work. Temporary
employees are granted annual leave at
the rate of two and a half days for
each month of service. Employees Of
any Federal operation are brought
within the provisions of the bill.
Regulations are to be as promulgated
by the President to obtain uniform
administration.
l20 Days Cumulative Leave.
The sick leave bill, which also pro-
vides cumulative leave up to l20 days.
changes from 80 days to Is days the
amount of sick leave which may be
granted annually to civilian officers
and employees of the Federal Govern
ment and the District government,
other than teachers and librarians of
the District public schools, and officers
and members, but not civilian person.
mel of the District Police and Fire
Departments. Temporary employees
are granted one and quarter days
sick leave for each month of service.
Administrative officers may advance
30 days sick leave with pay beyond
accrued leave in cases OF serious dis
abilities or ailments and when required
by the exigencies of the situation. The
bill also contains a provision for the
continuance of any existing leave dlf-
ferential now obtaining for the bene-
fit of employees of the Federal Govern
ment stationed outside the continental
limits of the United States. This
measure also brings within its opera
ton employees of any Federal opera
ton.
While the bill apparently operates
to reduce the annual sick leave. a
survey has shown that the aver
age taken by employees as a whole
is only seven days, and employees
favor the change inasmuch as the
cumulative provision will furnish "a
safeguard in case of prolonged i'll
nesses.