Evening star., 1936-02-16
0VERT|ME-LEAvE
STUDY IS ASKED
Senate Civil Service Com
mittee Seeks Compen.
sation Plan.
BY J. A. O'LEARY.

DIX D. IA " ALAh1
Although the Senate Civil Service
Committee struck from the pending
leave bills the section allowing over
time work to be added to annual leave.
the committee favors special study
Of how best to compensate Govern
ment employees for overtime.
This was revealed yesterday, when
the committees supplemental report
became available, explaining the sew
eral changes which brought about the
compromise agreement on the leave
bills The supplemental report was
filed In the Senate by Senator Nc
Kellar, Democrat, Of Tennessee, who
had opposed the House bills, but who
concurred in the revisions made by
the committee.
"Your committee unanimously op-
poses overtime work except in the
most imperative instances, and is IA
vorable to some form Of compensa-
ton when such overtime is neces-
sary," the report states.
at feels, however. that this section
which permits accruals Of overtime
to apply on annual leave, would per-
NIT department heads to show ia
voritism, a common complaint made
to members of Congress, as well as
create an incentive for overtime work.
Your committee believes that the mat
ter Of overtime compensation should
receive special and additional study"
n--.-x n.sso~~ Cnnn
The House section eliminated by
the Senate group would have provided
that overtime work could be added to
and accumulated with annual leave,
except where such overtime is other
wise compensated for under some ex-
isting law.
The filing Of this report and the
text of the various amendments to
the House bill puts the two leave
measures in shape to be taken up In
the Senate this week 1t may be
Tuesday or Wednesday before the
measures are reached, because Ma
jority Leader Robinson plans to pro-
ceed tomorrow with the independent
ofiices appropriation bill. All indi-
cations, however, are they will pass
promptly as soon as there is an op-
portunity to call them up.
Senator Bulow, Democrat, Of South
Dakota, Civil Service Committee
chairman, said he does not know Of
any Senate opposition to the bills as
amended. The bills will come UP au-
tomatically the first time the unani-
nous consent calendar is called, OF
they could be taken up separately by
unanimous consent If it appeared
they would not lead to extended de-
bate.
Change Evokes Comment.
Commenting on the change which
would fix annual leave at 26 DAYS, in
stead Of 80 days in the House bill, the
report to the Senate states that this
amendment "embodies the principle
agreed upon by your committee that
compensated leave, other than sick
leave, should approximate one calen-
dar month per year. Sundays and
holidays are excluded under this bill,
but, II added, make minimum of 80
days q calendar month"; available to
the Government employe for vacation
purposes"
The committee explained that It
placed lower limit on the accumula-
tien Of annual or sick leave because
1t felt that the absence OF. an employe
for . period Of 100 days would be
detrimental to the service and efi-
cheney of that employees department,
while o 60-day absence would not be
so harmful and would give any en-
ploye, regardless Of his residence, an
ample vacation at home"
House Acceptance Possible.
The requirement for an Interdepart-
mental Committee to draw up the
rules to govern administration Of leave
was provided for in the interest OF
uniformity. so far as practicable, the
report explained.
What course Of action the House
will take on the changes awaits Senate
passage of the bills, but there have
been some indications the House may
accept then, without going to confer
ence. Existing law limits annual leave
to Is days. The sick leave bill reduces
the amount from 80 to IS days. but
with the 6o-day cumulative provision