Evening star., 1936-06-04
ACTION ADVANCES
FIGHT TO OBTAIN
OVERTIME CREDIT
Three Glasses of Employees
Set Up, but Uniform
Hours Not Binding.
REGULATIONS, IN MAIN,
FOLLOW PRECEDENTS
Desirable Maximum Cannot Be
Adopted in Some Groups Due
to Fund Shortage.

The campaign of Federal and Dis
trict employees for overtime compen-
sation-either in time or money
moved forward today when the Civil
Service Commission approved a set
Of hours of labor standards drawn by
committee Of personnel officials,
that will serve as basis for a study
requested by Congress.
The schedule was set up as an out
growth of hearings on the new leave
bill when employe groups excluded
from extra compensation for time
worked in excess Of customary hours
of service, asked that allowance be
made in such situations. In lieu Of
this, Congress provided that the va
rious agencies-So far as general
status does not conf1ict-set up uni
form work-time regulations. and then
file with the Civil Service Commission
report on the excess over this.
This data. to cover the last six
months of this year, then will go to
the Capitol
Because of the different conditions
confronting the various agencies, they
are not bound by the uniform sched-
ule, which amounts to what those
who drew it up consider a desirable
maximum. For that reason, it was
explained by Maj. Daniel j. Donovan,
District auditor. who was chairman
of the Drafting Committee, there will
be two reports. One will be the over
time figured on the basis of this uni
form schedule. The other will be the
work required above whatever stand
ards may be adopted by any agency as
meeting its individual needs.
All regulations are to go into effect
June "A.
Approval Of the committees report
vas hailed today by E. Claude Bab-
cock, president of the American Fed
Grafton Of Government Employees, as
"a major victory for Government en-
ployes."
The American Federation Of Gov
ernment Employees has pointed out on
many occasions that considerable num-
bers of Government workers have
normal working weeks from 56 to "a
hours" he declared.
1T is a splendid achievement that
the Government is now definitely on
record in favor Of reasonable working
hours"
In great part. the uniform regula-
tions simply follow law and accepted
practice, such. for instance. as the
statutory seven-hour day and 39-
hour week of departmental service.
Elsewhere, there is wide difference.
For example, an eight-hour day and
40 or A hour week for all persons
engaged In protection of life and
property is recommended. In the
District. firenlen work 10 hours on
day duty and IA on night. Hospital
attaches here are on l2-hour duty
as against the eight recommended.
3s-Hour Group.
The committee set up three classes
of employment.
For the following, designated as
group /. a Seven-hour- day and 3e-
hour week was fixed as standard:
ONCE workers in general. foreign
service employees. professional, scien.
tific and technical employees and SUBJ
professional employees. employed prin-
cipally in Office or laboratory duty;
Office messengers and Office laborers,
administrative and staff employees in
penal and correctional institutions and
in hospitals. bank and similar exam-
iners, investigational and inspectional
employees engaged in the enforcement
of Federal laws, and such other occu-
pations as correspond in character
more nearly to those listed above than
to those listed in groups and 8.
40 to A Hour Group.
The eight-hour-day and 40 or A
hour week was proposed for these in
group 2:
Professional. scientific and technical
employees and subprofessional em-
ployes. employed principally on OUT
door work; custodial or maintenance
employees. Examples: JanitorS, cleaners,
laborers. messengers with special as
signmentS, matrons. ETC.; laborers EN-.
ployed in shops and on outdoor work,
mechanical and crafts employees, en-
ployes engaged in the protection Of
life and property. excepting as stipu-
lated in group 3, and such other occu.
pations as correspond in character
more nearly to those listed in group
than to those listed in groups l
and 5.
44-HOur Group.
An average of eight hours a day
or A hours a week, with the en-
forcement of the average spread over
q three-month period was set for
this group-3:
Custodial, maintenance and guard
employees in penal and correctional
institutions, Employees on ships and
floating craft. Farm Laborers Rail-
road employees. Professional and SUBJ
professional employees in hospitals.
Examples: Surgeons, physicians. den-
fists. internes. nurses, dietitians,
laboratorians, occupational or ply
siotheraphy aides or assistants, drug
gists and dental mechanics. Mainten-
ance and custodial workers in hospi-
tails. Examples: Attendants, orderlies,
mechanics, kitchen mess and dining
room force, laundry workers, watch
men or guards, etc. And such other
occupations as correspond in character
more nearly to those listed in group
than to those in groups and 2.
Serving with Maj. Donovan we're:
w. D. Searle. War Department; Cor
don r. Clapp, Tennessee Valley
Authority; Harvey C. Donaldson, De-
partment of Justice; Russell H. Her
rell. Government Printing Office; Mrs.
B. M. Stern, Labor Relations Board.
and r. r. Zimmerman, Federal Home