COMMITTEE ON THE CIVIL SERVICE SEVENTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON H. R. 625 H. R. 626 H. R. 1073 H. R. 3306 BILLS PROPOSING A SALARY ADVANCEMENT PLAN MARCH 11, 12, 13, 14, 1941 Printed for the use of the Committee on the Civil Service COMMITTEE ON THE CIVIL SERVICE, The committee this day met at 10:10 a. m., Hon. Robert Ramspeck (chairman) presiding, for consideration of the following bills: [H. R. 625, 77th Congress, 1st Sess.] A BILL To establish a system of automatic salary increases within the Federal service "Every employee shall automatically receive an increase in salary at the beginning of the quarter following each year's service, to the next higher salary rate within the grade in which his position is allocated, until he shall have attained the highest rate prescribed for such grade: Provided, however, That such increases may be withheld from not more than 10 per centum of the employees of a department on the ground that their efficiency during such a year fell below the standard necessary for the most effective administration of such department. "Every employee who shall have completed five years of service at the highest rate of pay prescribed for the grade in which his position is allocated shall automatically be entitled to and shall receive an increment of $120 per annum in addition to such rate, and shall be entitled to and shall receive an additional increment of $120 per annum upon the completion of each successive five years of service thereafter. "The compensation of an employee shall in no way be affected by the average of the compensation paid to other employees in his grade or class. "Nothing herein contained shall be construed to prevent an increase in salary greater than the minimum provided for herein or for promotion of any employee from a position in one class to a vacant position in a higher class at any time in accordance with civil-service laws, and when so promoted such employee shall receive compensation according to the schedule established for the class to which he is promoted." SEC. 2. Section 9 of the Classification Act of 1923, as amended, is amended to read as follows: "The Board for each department shall review and may revise uniform systems of efficiency rating established or to be established for the various grades or classes thereof, with the approval of the Civil Service Commission. "The head of each department shall rate in accordance with such systems the efficiency of each employee under his control or direction. The current ratings and the written report upon which such ratings are based for each grade or class thereof shall be open to inspection by the representatives of the Board and by the employees of the department and the duly constituted representatives of any such employee under conditions to be determined by the Board after consultation with the department heads. "Reductions in compensation and dismissals for inefficiency may be made by heads of departments in all cases whenever the efficiency ratings warrant, subject to the approval of the departmental board of review." SEC. 3. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry the provisions of this Act into effect. SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect July 1, 1941, and may be cited as the "Federal Workers Automatic Salary Increase Act". 1 [H. R. 626, 77th Cong., 1st Sess.] A BILL To increase the compensation of employees in the Federal service, and to establish a minimum annual rate of pay of $1,200 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 13 of the Classification Act of 1923, as amended, is hereby amended to change the salary rates under certain grades therein to read as follows: "SUBPROFESSIONAL SERVICE "Grade 1: The annual rates of compensation for positions in this grade shall be $1,260, $1,320, $1,380, $1,440, $1,500, and $1,560. "Grade 2: The annual rates of compensation for positions in this grade shall be $1,440, $1,500, $1,560, $1,620, $1,680, $1,740, and $1,800. "Grade 3: The annual rates of compensation for positions in this grade shall be $1,560, $1,620, $1,680, $1,740, $1,800, $1,860, and $1,920. "Grade 4: The annual rates of compensation for positions in this grade shall be $1,680, $1,740, $1,800, $1,860, $1,920, $1,980, and $2,040. "CLERICAL, ADMINISTRATIVE, AND FISCAL SERVICE "Grade 1: The annual rates of compensation for positions in this grade shall be $1,440, $1,500, $1,560, $1,620, $1,680, $1,740, and $1,800. "Grade 2. The annual rates of compensation for positions in this grade shall be $1,560, $1,620, $1,680, $1,740, $1,800, $1,860, and $1,920. "Grade 3: The annual rates of compensation for positions in this grade shall be $1,680, $1,740, $1,800, $1,860, $1,920, $1,980, and $2,040. "CUSTODIAL SERVICE "Grade 1: The annual rates of compensation for positions in this grade shall be $1,200, $1,260, $1,320, $1,380, and $1,440. "Grade 2: The annual rates of compensation for positions in this grade shall be $1,260, $1,320, $1,380, $1,440, $1,500, and $1,560: Provided, That charmen and charwomen working part time shall be paid at the rate of 55 cents per hour and head charmen and head charwomen at the rate of 60 cents per hour. "Grade 3: The annual rates of compensation for positions in this grade shall be $1,380, $1,440, $1,500, $1,560, $1,620, and $1,680. "Grade 4: The annual rates of compensation for positions in this grade shall be $1,500, $1,560, $1,620, $1,680, $1,740, $1,800, and $1,860. "Grade 5: The annual rates of compensation for positions in this grade shall be $1,620, $1,680, $1,740, $1,800, $1,860, $1,920, and $1,980. "Grade 6: The annual rates of compensation for positions in this grade shall be $1,740, $1,800, $1,860, $1,920, $1,980, $2,040, and $2,100." SEC. 2. The compensation that may be fixed in accordance with the provisions of the Classification Act of 1923, as herein amended, for any office or position the duties of which are regularly required to be performed in whole or in part between the hours of 6 o'clock postmeridian and 6 o'clock antemeridian shall be increased by 15 per centum of the minimum rate of the grade to which such office or position is allocated. SEC. 3. The President may, by Executive order, establish an appropriate differential in the rates of compensation prescribed by the Classification Act of 1923, as herein amended, for any office or position for which the Civil Service Commission finds and reports to the President that such rates are inadequate for the reason that such office or position (1) is located at a station that is isolated, remote, or inaccessible, or where the cost of living is excessive, when compared with stations at which offices or positions of the same character are usually located; or (2) involves physical hardships or hazards that are excessive when compared with those usually involved in offices or positions of the same character; or (3) is located outside the States of the United States and the District of Columbia: Provided, That such differential shall not exceed 25 per centum of the minimum rate of the grade to which such office or position is allocated. SEC. 4. In adjusting initially the rates of compensation under this Act, employees affected thereby shall maintain the same relative standing within the compensation schedules for the grades in which their positions are respectively allocated as held by them immediately prior to the effective date of this Act: Provided, That where the number of rates in a given grade is changed by this Act from seven to six, employees receiving the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh rate, respectively, of such grade shall receive, respectively, the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth rate of the grade as amended by this Act. SEC. 5. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry the provisions of this Act into effect. SEC. 6. This Act shall take effect July 1, 1941, and may be cited as the "Federal Workers' Minimum Wage Act of 1941". [H. R. 1073, 77th Cong., 1st sess.] A BILL To amend the Classification Act of 1923, as amended Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Classification Act of 1923, as amended, is hereby further amended as follows: SEC. 2. Section 7 of the said Act is hereby amended by inserting the letter "(a)" after the figure "7" at the beginning of said section, and by adding the following paragraphs as subsections thereof: "(b) All employees compensated on a per annum basis, and occupying permanent positions within the scope of the compensation schedules fixed by this Act, who have not attained the maximum rate of compensation for the grade in which their positions are respectively allocated, shall be advanced in compensation successively to the next higher rate within the grade at the beginning of the next quarter, following the completion of: (1) Each eighteen months of service if such employees are in grades in which the compensation increments are $60 or $100, or (2) each thirty months of service if such employees are in grades in which the compensation increments are $200 or $250, subject to the following conditions: "(1) That no equivalent increase in compensation from any cause was received during such period, except increase made pursuant to subsection (i) of this section; "(2) That an employee whose rate of compensation is below the middle rate of the grade shall not be advanced unless his current efficiency is good or better than good; "(3) That an employee whose rate of compensation is at or above the middle rate of the grade shall not be advanced unless his current efficiency is better than good; "(4) That the service and conduct of such employee are certified by the head of the department or agency or such official as he may designate as being otherwise satisfactory. "(c) The term 'good' as used herein shall be defined in accordance with the systems of efficiency rating established pursuant to section 9 of this Act. "(d) For the purposes of this section, the fourth salary rate in grades 2 and 3 of the custodial service shall be considered the middle rate. "(e) Employees eligible under subsection (b) for compensation advancement by reason of service immediately preceding the effective date of this amendment shall be advanced to the next higher rate of compensation within the grade to which their positions are respectively allocated at the beginning of the next quarter immediately following the effective date of this amendment. "(f) Within the limits of available appropriations and in recognition of especially meritorious services, the heads of departments are authorized to make additional within-grade compensation advancements of not to exceed one step within the grade in any one case and within each of the time periods specified in subsection (b). All actions under this subsection and the reasons therefor shall be reported to the Civil Service Commission. The Commission shall present an annual consolidated report to the Congress covering the numbers and types of actions taken under this subsection. "(g) The President is hereby authorized to issue such regulations as may be necessary for the administration of this section." SEC. 3. Section 9 of the said Act is hereby amended by adding thereto the following paragraph: "The Civil Service Commission and heads of departments are authorized and directed to take such action as will apply the provisions of this section uniformly to all employees occupying positions within the compensation schedules fixed by this Act as nearly as is practicable.' SEC. 4. Section 13 of the said Act is hereby further amended so as to provide the following annual rates of compensation and salary steps within grades 14 and 15 of the clerical, administrative, and fiscal service and grades 7 and 8 of the professional and scientific service: |