The Washington times., 1936-07-18
u. 5. WORKERS
IN INDEFINITE
CLASSH|T
Second Joker Found
In Order; Get Only
Accrued Time

Annual leave privileges OF CnOu"
sands of emergency and "indef-
mite" Government employees have
been jeopardized by the wording
of the new leave regulations, Gov
eminent officials revealed today.
According to section 4 of the
regulations issued as an Executive
order by President Roosevelt july
10, Government workers who are
not claSsed either as permanent
or temporary will be unable to
take the 26 days of annual leave
given them each year in advance,
but will be restricted to the leave
which they have accrued.
Thus, according to interpreta-
tionS of the regulations which. Of
ficials expect to follow, an emer-
gency worker or one appointed for
an indefinite length of time. has
but Is days of annual vacation
time to his credit at present and
must wait until he has earned"
his remaining II days before re-
ceiVing them. Vacation plans of
hundreds of workers in washing.
ton and the field service have been
held up because of the impasse.
Most In Navy
The largest number of indef-
mite employees affected are in the
Navy Department, which has more
than $4,000 workers in various
Navy Yards, gun factories, arsenals
and Naval stations, all of whom
are included in the indefinite
category by section 4 of the rules.
Between 1000 and $500 are To-
Gated in the local Navy Yard,
many having worked for a num-
Der of years for the Government
but holding appointments that are
classed as indefinite by the leave
regulations.
The situation is the second joker
to be discovered in the new order,
the first being Congress action in
allowing temporary employees
those who are appointed for pc
RODS of time mot exceeding six
monthS"-to receive two and one
half days of annual leave per
month, while permanent Govern
ment workers receive but two and
one-Sixth. The result was to give
temporary employees 80 days Of an
nual leave, while the permanent
staff receives but 26 in any one
calendar year.
Under expected Interpretation
of the Executive order, however,
the emergency employees and those
classed as indefinite receive all of
the drawbacks of leave provisions
given permanent and temporary
workers without the benefits. I'm
able to take leave in advance, the
same restriction as placed on tenn
poraries, the emergency person
mel also fails to receive the four
days of additional leave given tenn
poraries under the "joker" clause.
Taken i'm Advance
Under Section 4 of the regpla-
tons, permanent employees are
given the right to take all accumu-
lated leave of prior years and, all
current accrued leave" of the cur
rent year, and in addition, it is
provided that in unusually meri-
toriouS cases" leave may be taken
in advance. Officials said today
that only in case a worker "can-
not be spared" will the leases" be
considered as lacking in merit.
The same section, however, grants
only accrued leave and previous
accumulationS to emergency or in
definite personnel.
At the Navy Department this
was explained as a result Of the
fact that thousands of workers are
employed on ship building and
gun construction projects who
may be discharged at any time
because of the completion of work.
One official explained:
"ThiS would cost the Govern
ment many thousands of dol
lars if such persons were given
advance leave and then dis
charged"
To date, Government depart
ments have not placed the new
regulations in effect, however, ,. but
are using temporary rules pro-
mulgated between passage of the
leave bills and issuance of the re-
cent executive order. 1t was pointed
out that some last minute changes
were placed in the leave order
and have not been made public
by the National Archives, so that
there is a possibility that the dis
elimination against emergency
workers may be removed with re-
lease of the official order.