Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

The continuous upward trend of these figures shows why thousands of hours of overtime and of forfeited annual leave are still required throughout the Commission despite increases in its total personnel.

The assistance now being requested of Congress in the form of a deficiency appropriation for the fiscal year 1942 will, it is hoped, enable the Commission to keep its work reasonably current. At the present time, there is no reason to believe that the trend described above will change in the immediate future. It is assumed, however, that the curve will become less steep, and, gradually, will reach a plateau. It is further assumed that the plateau will be reached by the beginning of the fiscal year 1943, and at a level not exorbitantly greater than the present. To the extent that the expansion of the national-defense program continues at the present rate beyond July 1, 1942, and to the extent that the rate of increase in defense demands accelerates beyond the existing rate, the estimates herein presented err on the conservative side.

Apart from the placement and investigative work, the personnel, whose retention during the fiscal year 1943 is requested, is located chiefly in the Service Record Division (70 employees) and Retirement Division (48 employees). These employees constitute 10.9 percent of the total number whose retention is requested. As was pointed out in detail in the justifications presented in support of the deficiency estimate now before Congress, the work of both the Service Record and Retirement Divisions reflects the increased number of appointments, transfers, separations, and retirement cases brought about by the national-defense program. In the Service Record Division there exists the most serious arrearage facing the Commission in any phase of its work. As the following table shows, and notwithstanding a continuous increase in production, items on hand are increasing steadily from month to month.

[blocks in formation]

Even with the additional employees requested for the remainder of this fiscal year, the work of the Service Record Division will be far from current by June 30, 1942. The delays now inevitably arising in preparing service histories are a serious obstacle to the rendering of prompt service in answer to requests submitted by national defense agencies relative to proposed changes in status, transfers, and reinstatements.

The Retirement Division is responsible for the administration of the numerous separate acts of Congress relating to retirement and disability matters. Since a number of the statutes are retroactive in nature, and involve the rights of employees from the time they entered the Federal service, the Division's work has become increasingly difficult. Further, each statute superimposed upon the existing legislation makes the determination of cases more complex. The estimate submitted herein is based on an estimated membership in the civil service retirement and disability fund of 1,435,000 in the fiscal year 1943. This represents an increase of 20 percent over the present estimated membership, and 38 percent over the membership in the fiscal year 1941. Other factors beside the physical increase in membership affect the work of the Retirement Division, however. Even though the total membership in the funds showed no change, increases in its turn-over greatly affect the work involved in servicing a given membership. From July 1, 1941, to September 30, 1941, the total items of production of the Retirement Division, exclusive of designations of beneficiary, increased by 11.7 percent. On an annual basis, this would mean an increase in work of approximately 47 percent. Since the cumulative effects of the rapid increase in the Federal service after July 1, 1941, are only now reaching the Retirement Division, it is believed that at least the 48 employees whose retention is requested herein will be essential for the satisfactory prosecution of the retirement and disability fund work. Since much of the new personnel in the Federal service will be employed in relatively hazardous work (arsenals, powder plants, shell-loading stations, etc.), it seems probable that the number of disability cases will increase substantially.

With respect to the item of increase totaling $382,040 shown in the table of increases herein before referred to, it should be stated that these funds include $25,400 to provide additional personnel for the Division of Personnel Supervision and Management; $21,600 to provide for an increase in the present staff of the mobile force; and $76,000 to be used for the employment of temporary employees in both the central and field offices. This item of $76,000 is shown as a nonrecurring item under the head of "Salaries and expenses." The balance of these funds, that is, $259,040, is being requested principally for the purpose of providing funds for advancing field civil service examiners from trainee to journeyman grades at the expiration of successful probationary periods, in conformity with provisions of the Classification Act of 1923, as amended. With a maximum force of 500 field civil service examiners during the fiscal year 1943, who are usually recruited at grade CAF-7, at $2,600, it has been the policy of the Commission to promote these employees to grade CAF-8, at $2,900, and grade CAF-9, at $3,200, respectively, after a period of 1 year's training. This practice has been followed in order to retain the services of valuable employees, and to receive value for the training devoted to them.

Heretofore it has been possible to meet most of the normal requests for reclassifications from lapses resulting from leave without pay and delays in filling vacancies. Since the passage of Public Law No. 200, dated August 1, 1941, will require the use of a large portion of lapsed funds for making administrative promotions during the fiscal year 1943, and inasmuch as only $3,683 has been set aside for this purpose in the formal estimates submitted herewith, there is no possibility of the Commission meeting, in this manner, the need for funds for advancing field civil service examiners from trainee to journeyman grades.

At the present time, the Division of Personnel Supervision and Management has been forced, because of inadequate funds, to utilize employees on detail from other divisions, or whose services as members of a mobile force are intended for the use of the Commission as a whole. The increase in the staff of the Commission since the beginning of the emergency has meant a greater work load for this Division. Other factors, such as the necessity for maintaining special records of employees now in the military service, the increasing difficulty in securing qualified personnel, and the substantial administrative reorganization of the Commission to meet the emergency, have contributed to the work of classification, placement, and general personnel administration.

As a matter of efficiency, it is believed that new employees should be immediately available for use whenever vacancies occur in the operating divisions. Since any organization differs in its methods, and since many of the eligibles now available are relatively inexperienced, it has been found that the best method for training new employees is to place them in a central pool or mobile force and utilize them wherever most needed. Through this device it is unnecessary to fill vacancies with new appointees who have no knowledge of, or experience in, the work of the Commission. It is therefore requested that the Commission be allowed to obtain funds, during the fiscal year 1943, for the employment of 15 mobile force trainees at a total per annum salary of $21,600. With these 15, the total number in the force will be only 63, which is believed a bare minimum. If fewer are used, the turn-over in Commission personnel would cause so steady a drain on the trainee group as to make the period of training too short to be of value.

The item of $76,000 represents funds for employees on a temporary basis estimated as necessary for job assignments in the fiscal year 1943. Also, it is an item deducted under the head of "Salaries and expenses" as a nonrecurring one. Although the total amount requested herein is less than 9 percent of the amount expended during the fiscal year 1941, it is believed that $76,000 will be adequate during the fiscal year 1943. The expenditure in the fiscal year 1941 was so large primarily because allocations of funds from the "Emergency fund for the President" were received in various amounts, making it difficult to plan for longer periods of employment. Since insufficient funds were then available for the continuation of many employees past July 1, 1941, only temporary appointments were made in those cases.

With the exception of $3,683, the cost of administrative promotions from the appropriation "Salaries and expenses, national defense," will be met out of lapses. Since such promotions are required by law, the funds for them will have to be provided from savings resulting from the nonfilling of vacancies and leave without

pay.

It is believed that, despite the decrease of $137,472 in the total requested for "other obligations," the sum shown will be adequate for the needs arising under

the head of "Salaries and expenses, national defense." A portion of the items requested in the pending deficiency estimate was included therein with the distinct understanding that such items would not be requested again in the Budget estimates for the fiscal year 1943. The entire equipment item, for example, although badly needed in the present fiscal year, was originally included in the 1943 estimates. When the deficiency estimate was submitted, the $109,000 contained therein was deducted from the total requested for the fiscal year 1943. The increase in the item for travel is due almost entirely to the increase in the number of field civil service examiners employed on investigative work.

CIVIL-SERVICE RETIREMENT AND DISABILITY FUND

Mr. FITZPATRICK. The item for the "civil-service retirement and disability fund," on page 35 of the bill, is as follows:

For financing of the liability of the United States, created by the Act entitled "An Act for the retirement of employees in the classified civil service, and for other purposes," approved May 22, 1920, and Acts amendatory thereof (38 U. S. C. 11), $105,258,000, which amount shall be placed to the credit of the civil-service retirement and disability fund.

JUSTIFICATION OF ESTIMATE

Mr. FLEMMING. The justification of this item is as follows:

Civil service retirement and disability appropriated fund, 1943

Estimated Appropriated Appropriated
1943
1942
1941

Actual appropriations or estimates and net amount available.. $105, 258, 000 $100, 911, 562

$90, 754, 000

In accordance with the estimate contained in the Twentieth Annual Report of the Board of Actuaries of the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund, there has been included in the Commission's formal estimates of appropriations an item of $105,258,000 as the Government's share of the contribution to the fund in question. Pending the completion of the quinquennial survey of the civil-service retirement and disability fund, which is being completed during the current fiscal year, it is recommended that this amount be appropriated.

The Civil Service retirement and disability fund-Receipts and disbursements, amended report, July 1, 1940, through June 30, 1941

[blocks in formation]

The Civil Service retirement and disability fund-Receipts and disbursements amended report, July 1, 1940, through June 30, 1941-Continued

Disbursements:

Annuities paid from regular deductions__ $62, 739, 493. 01

Annuities paid from voluntary contribu

[blocks in formation]

1 Figures changed to conform with twentieth annual report by the Board of Actuaries.

Number of annuitants on the roll, by sex, age groups, vocational classes, causes of retirement, and total and average annuities, June 30, 1941; and survivor-annuitants with total and average annuities

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
« AnteriorContinuar »