Evening star., 1951-10-23

the job grades they held in their
former bureaus, they may do so.
Or, they may 60 back to their old
jobs in their former agencies.
Congress strengthened these
benefits to encourage career work.
ers in non-defense agencies to
transfer the Defense Department.
Employees in defense agencies who
transfer to non-defense units or
to other defense Offices do not have
these job absolute guarantee
rights. It is up to their present
agencies and the Civil Service
Commission as to whether they
will have unemployment rights.
| In this regard. the Civil Service
Commission is expected soon to is
sue a modified freeze order re-
garding Defense Department en-
ployes who want to transfer to
nondefense agencies. The commits
sion will leave it up to an en-
ploye's present Office to determine
whether it will let the worker 60
to a nondefense bureau. Defense
agencies will have the right to
veto such transfers.
AS for transfers from one de-
fense unit to another, the COM
mission will leave it up to the
Defense Department to decide
when such transfers should be
permitted.
| y -
i PROMOTIONS-Congress con-
tinued for another year the ban on
permanent promotions and trans
fers. Employees must serve at least
a year in their present grade be-
fore becoming eligible for even
temporary promotions. with the
following exceptions: Employees
who are within reach of appoint
mentS to higher grade positions
on a Civil Service register, and
those who are being advanced to
higher grades from which they
had been previously denoted or
separated as result Of a reduc-
ton -in-force.
These two groups Of employees
may be promoted at any time, re-
gardless Of the one-year restric-
ton.
Promotions of more than one
grade are banned. except in the
| following cases: Professional, SCI
entif1c and technical employees who
have qualified for two-grade pro-
motions authorized under the Civ
il Service Classification Act;
where two-grade promotions or
more are made to positions not
higher than GS-5, and where en-
ployeS have completed special
training programs for higher jobs
conducted by the Civil Service
Commission.
In the cases where two-grade
promotions are allowed, the en-
ployes must have served at least
a year in their present grades, ex-
cept in cases where they previously
were denoted or separated in re-
ductions-in-force programs.
PAY-Today may be the day
when President Truman signs the
Federal pay raise legislation. In
any event, the President is sure
to sign the classified and postal
pay bills, and the signing will oc-
cur within the next few days.
Regarding the retroactive pay.
Treasury officials conferred yes
Iterday with officials Of the various
Government departments and
agencies and promised all avail
able help in speeding up the pro-
cessing of the retroactive checks.
However, it won't make any diff
ference in the long run If en-
Iployes get their lump sum pay
Iments before or after November
II. The tax deduction ultimately
will be the same in either case.
i
LEAVE-The President also is
expected to sign the 13-to-26-
days-a-year annual leave system
flor Government employees at the
same time he puts his signature
to the pay bills.
The new leave system ends the
present ban against employees ac-
cumulating leave and repeals the
provision that they must use their
1851 calendar leave by June 30,