Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-16
48.Hour Week
May Follow
Pay Bill Action
Time-ond-o-HoIf
Plan to Benefit
$4,000 Workers

Establishment of a 4S-hour
work-week in the Government
service here was predicted today
in an informed quarter, follow
ing passage Of a general pay res
olution for Federal employees
yesterday.
The measure, as passed, provides
overtime pay for hours in excess of
40 at the rate of time and one
half and grants 10 per cent nat
increase to groups whose work
schedules do not lend themselves
to overtime calculation.
Approximately 277,000 white coll
lar" workers here who never have .
received extra pay for extra work
will benefit by the legislation which
has White House approval, while in !,
the country at large something like
100000 will be helped. Postal
workers who have been receiving
straight time for overtime will now
get the higher rate.
Saturday Half Holiday Out.
The legislation, effective until
April 30, does away with the Satur-
day halliday law and establishes
a minimum seven-hour day in the
District. When the President signs
the measure, it is believed he will
recommend that all agencies 60 on
48-hour basis. War and Navy
already are working 48 hours and
virtually all other groups are work.
ing A, having increased their hours
from SO when the war started
The measure is retroactive to De-
cember 1, but the Treasury said 1t
was too early yet to say when the
added money would be available be-
cause of the administrative detail
involved in preparing rolls.
The overtime rate is payable on
the first $4,000 of salary earned by
an individual, and 5000 ceiling
is applied to the amount of base pay
and overtime which may be received.
The flat rate also Is payable on the
first $4,000.
Means Pay Cut for Some.
Certain employees of the War and
Navy Departments, Maritime Com
mission and National Advisory Com
mittee for Aeronautics who have
been getting overtime under a law
that expired November 80, once
more go on an overtime basis, but
the 5000 ceiling will mean a pay
cut for some of these in the higher
brackets.
The Senate Civil Service Commit
tee explained in its report that, for
the purpose of computing overtime
"the basic rate for one day will be
considered to be one three hundred
and sixtieth of so much of an en-
ploye's annual salary as does not ex-
coed 1900 per annum."
Senator Mead Democrat, Of New
York, who steered the measure
through the Senate, explained that
the use Of 800 days as work year
to determine a days pay makes
the overtime actually time-and-a-
quarter rather than time-and-a-
half as the bill specifies.
Percentage Estimated.
BY applying it only to the first
$4,000 of salary, the effect Is as
follows: If an agency works q A.
hour week, the additional pay would
be equal to 1913 per cent raise;
il an agency works 48 hours 1t will
be equivalent to 21.6 per cent
raise.
No one receiving $4,000 or more
gets any increase. Others omitted
are elected officials, heads of de-
partments and employees governed
by wage board agreements at hourly
wage rates. The latter groups have
always had overtime benefits.
The $4,000 maximum figure for
computing either overtime or fiat
increases was adopted to give the
greater benefits to the lower salaries.
Persons in the 5000 or $4,000 salary
brackets would get overtime pay,
but computed on $4,000 basis. If
person is earning $4,000 he could
be given only 5000 Of overtime.
The fiat 10 per cent increase,
applies to the legislative and judicial
branches of the Government and to
any executive groups whose jobs
cannot be regulated on a regular
time basis. For example, some postal
employees, paid on the basis of mile
age or post office receipts, would get
the fiat 10 per cent.
An important feature of the bill Is
(see OVERTIME PAY, Page A-60