Evening star., 1945-07-01
President Signs Bill
Providing Pay Raise
For f,48O,OOO

~
Federal employees were assured yes
terday when President Truman
signed the Jackson -Downey bili
raising the annual stipend OF work
ers whose salaries are fixed by the
Classification Act an average Of l5.e
per cent and providing true over
time pay for all making $2.980 or
less.
Some 100000 employees are coy
cred by the Classification Act.
Whether those under agencies not
so covered will receive the benefits
of the bin is now being discussed
between their officials and leaders
of the Senate and House Appropria-
tions Committees. Employees will re-
ceive overtime henceforth at sthe
rate OF time and one-half in excess
of 40 hours per week up to the
81, $50 ceiling. Above that, overtime
pay Is graduated downward.
The Civil Service Commission last
night made public a memorandum
from the President defining the
system to be applied In computing
overtime. Basically, he asked that
Government departments and agen-
cies arrange their schedules so that
the 40 hours weekly at regular time
would be worked from Monday
through Friday and so that all over
time would fall on Saturday.
Saturday Situation.
Employees not working on Satur-
day. the Commission explained. will
not be charged with annual leave.
However, as long as the official work
week is In excess OF 40 hours, they
will be expected to report on Satur-
day unless they obtain permission
for leave.
Under the new regulations, the
Commission explained, workers who
have completed a 12-month or l8-
month period Of service, as the case
may be, In their present jobs on
June 80, will be entitled to "in-
grade" promotions and salary ad-
vances of from $4,000 to $262 so per
year, In addition to other benefits
of the Jackson-powney Act.
The Commission also announced
that servicemen and women return
ing to previously -held Government
jobs would find that the period
spent in the armed forces would be
counted in computing their eligible
ity for ''in-grade" promotions. This
win be true regardless OF their EN-
cheney rating.
2s Paydays q Year.
Hereafter. under the new legisla-
tion, there will be 26 instead OF "A
paydays per veal. .sas checks will be
issued bi-weekly instead of semi
monthly.
"The passage of this law" the
Commission said, 'is an outstand-
ing example of the willingness on
the part of members of Congress to
work with the executive branch in
an effort to make the United States
Government the most progressive
employer In the country. This goal
must be achieved If Government is
to attract and hold the best type
of personnel, and IL Government is
10 discharge effectively It's tremen-
dously important responsibilities
both during and after the war"
The complicated bookkeeping Job
OF adjusting the new pay rates of
Government employees was begun
yesterday by Budget Bureau and
General Accounting once officials
following President Trumans sig
nature Of the pay bill.
Additional Headaches.
Additional headaches are faced
| by the two agencies should the Fed
leral work week be reduced from
4S to a hot,rs, as Is anticipated.
In that event, the bookkeeping job
would be harder.
Government officials had hoped
that the work reduction week would
go into effect at the same time as
the pay raise thereby saving some
bookkeeping. But the decision on
the work week has been delayed
pending Mr.. Truman's return to
| the White Ho,isa