Evening star., 1951-08-27

past few weeks already Hiave been
paid cash terminal leave on the
basis of the outgoing 26-day leave
system.
Consequently, the Controller
General will have to rule what is
to be done in these cases. Must
employees who already have taken
26 days leave repay the Govern
ment for the extra days? And
will the Government try to seek
repayment from employees who al
ready have left the Government?
All this must be decided by the
General Accounting Office.
Incidentally. the new plan
makes Federal employees eligible
for % days annual leave this
year. This is because they are
still entitled to 13 days ttie six
months equivalent OF rs days.
for the first half Of this year. But
for the period starting July /, they
will receive 10 days Cthe six
months equivalent of 20 days., for
a total Of % days.
Starting next January /, Fed
eral classified employees will get 20
days annual leave for 1852 and
each subsequent year.
PROMOTIONS-The Controller
General will also have to rule on
the thorny problems of promotions
in Government. The House al
ready has approved, and the SEN
ate is expected to agree, to the
Whitten rider which continues for
another year the present ban on
permanent promotions and trans
fers in Government. Only tempo
rary promotions and transfers may
be made.
However, the House added new
restrictions to the rider for the
coming year. It provides that en-
Iployes must serve at least one year
in their present job before becom-
ing eligible for a temporary pro-
motion. At present, employees up
through grades GS-5 have to wait
only three months for promotions,
while those in grades GS-6 and
above must wait six months. The
House also banned multiple pro-
motions. Under the rider, only one
grade advancementS can be given.
Promotions Of two or more grades
are not allowed.
However. nobody in Congress or
in the Executive Branch is quite
sure whether or not this rider is
retroactive to July /. The rider,
unlike the leave rider, does not
specify a July l date. Con-
Sequently, a Controller Generals
decision will be necessary.
1t will be very important deci-
sion to the considerable number
Of Government employees who
have been promoted since July l..
If the Controller General rules
that the rider is retroactive to that
date. 1t would cancel the promo
tionS Of employees who had not
served a year in their previous
jobs. And it would also curtail
the promotions of employees who
were advanced more than one
grade.
There is no indication as to
how the Controller General will
rule on these points. Even among
top officials in the Executive
Branch there is a sharp conflict
OF opinion on whether the rider
is retroactive or whether it will
take effect only when it is signed
into law.
HIRING - Government hiring
in Washington declined during
July, compared to that of the
previous month. A total of 1000
additional Federal employees were
hired, compared to nearly 5000
during June. There now are 257,-
TOO Government employees in the
executive branch in the Washing
ton area. Total Federal employ
ment is 2,505,40
| X y y u
DOWNGRADING - Here are
some questions and answers on
the Civil Service Commission S
recent order to protect Federal
employees salaries from being cut
when their jobs are downgraded,
i /. Does the new downgradine
provision apply when agencies de-