Evening star., 1942-05-20
Congress Asked
To Enact Law
Before July |
$1,000 Annual
Limit to Be Top
Allowed Employees
Ry !. A. FOX.

With the approval Of President
Roosevelt, the Civil Service Com
mission today asked Congress to
enact legislation to give Govern
ment employees time and one
half pay after 40 hours provided
the increased allowance did not
raise their compensation above
$4,000 annually.
Identical letters were sent by the
commission to the Speaker of the
House and the Vice President. If en-
acted. the pay plan would become
effective on July l. 1t is designed, il
was said. to bring about uniformity
in the provisions for overtime pay
for all Federal employees.
At present, overtime in the Gov
ernment is limited generally to the
skilled trades employees, whose pay
is fixed by wage boards or other au-
thorities and certain groups in War
Navy, Coast Guard. Pan American
Air, the National Advisory Commit
tee for Aeronautics in inspection
groups. Professional and sub-pro-
fessional classes in the Navy, Coast
Guard and Maritime Commission
are virtually the only departmental
employees who get overtime pay.
Includes All L. S. Workers
The overtime pay plan will apply
to all Federal employees who are
paid on an annual or salary basis
- l,,la "a
employees.
It would replace existing over
time provisions for specified groups
OF per annum employees in the War
and Navy Departments, the Mari
time Commission and the National
Advisory Committee for Aeronau-
tics. An exception is made in the
provisions of the bill for the inspec-
tional services.
The bill provides only for pay
ment of overtime for work during
Official hours of duty. An employe
who works voluntarily or at the re-
quest of his supervisor longer hours
than those officially set by the head
of the agency would not receive ad-
ditional compensation. This is the
existing procedure.
Another feature of the bill permits
the heads of agencies or officials
designated by them to establish reg
ulations setting official hours of work
beyond 40 hours per week without
regard to the existing Saturday half
holiday law which requires compen-
satory time of for Saturday after
noon work.
48-Hour Maximum.
In the departmental service, the
hours fixed by law are 80. but in the
war emergency, War and Navy De-
partments have been working 48
hours and other agencies generally
a. Under the commission plan, the
head of any agency could, as the war
situation might require, establish a
48-hour week.
The proposal of the commission
will continue the established prac-
tice of concluding a days pay on
the basis of 1-360th of the annual
rate of pay and one hours pay on
the basis Of one-eighth OF the daily
rate.
The proposal of the commission.
1t was pointed out in this connec-
ton. maintains without change the
basic pay rates for Federal employ
ment and implies return to the
standard 80 or 40 hour week with
out official overtime work and over
time compensation after the war.
The adoption of this proposal.
1t was explained, would eliminate
all of the existing serious inequali-
ties regarding overtime pay and.
in addition, would serve to bring
about an increase in earnings for
the lower paid Federal employees
commensurate with the rise in the
cost of living.
Since Federal salary rates are es-
tablished by congressional enact
ment, it was amplifled, it has not
been possible during the last two
years to make any adjustments in
the rates of pay in the same manner
that industrial rates have been
changed to take account of rise in
living costs.
A spokesman indicated that this
proposal for overtime pay should
not be considered as a substitute
for pending legislation to raise sub
standard rates in the custodial serv-
ice, which already has received ad-
ministration support.
Would Block Pay Bills.
1t is expected, however, to result
In shelving general pay bills intro
duced by Representative Ramspeck,
Democrat. of Georgia, and Senator
Downey, Democrat, of California.
Citing examples of how the meas
TIRE would work, the commission
said that a 81. 400 employe working
a hours would receive So overtime
pay per week or $156 per year. A
81 ,440 clerk on a 48-hour week
would receive $6 additional per
week.
Pointing out how the ceiling
would work, the commission said
that an employe getting $500 could
only be paid 5000 overtime.
No estimate of the probable cost
accompanied the commission pres
entation to Congress, but all but a
relatively small fraction of the de-
partmental employees would benefit.
In the World War. Congress at
first voted 4 bonus of $120 yearly to
all employees getting $500 annually
or less and then raised this to $240.
Later. a sliding scale was arranged
under which the maximum an en-
ploye could draw, including base
pay and overtime, was hxed at