THE SOLICITOR. 809 



14. Only accrued leave allowed on resignation, etc. — On separation from 

 the department b> resignation, dismissal, or transfer, employees may be allowed 

 only accrued leave at the rate of 2§ days for each month of service since the first of 

 the calendar year. 



15. Sundays and legal holidays. — Sundays and legal holidays and holidays by 

 executive order, whether for the whole or part of a day, at the beginning or end of 

 any kind of lf:;ive, or within a period of annual leave, will not be counted as leave; 

 but those whi<;h occur within a period of sick leave or leave without pay will be 

 counted. (See par. 47.) 



16. Saturday afternoons in summer. — Saturdays in July, August, and September 

 will be charged as 4 hours in annual leave, and as a whole day in sick and without-pay 

 leave. 



17. Office hours. — The hours of labor, unless otherwise specially ordered, shall 

 begin at 9 o'clock a. m. and close at 4.30 p. m., with one-half hour between 12 m. and 

 1 p. m. for luncheon, the particular half hour within that period in the different 

 bureaus to be designated by the chiefs of the respective bureaus. All employees 

 shall be required to strictly observe the office houi-s. 



In the interests of the service, so that all the employees in important offices shall 

 not be absent at the same time, chief clerks may vary the time for luncheon of certain 

 employees. 



annual leave. 



18. Distribution op leave. — In no case shall administrative officers recommend 

 or approve the granting of leave when to allow it will cause embarrassment to the 

 service; and leave should be distributed or allotted to employees, if necessary, in 

 the months when the work of the office will be least affected. 



19. Leave revocable. — Leave of absence may be revoked at any time and the 

 employee ordered to return to duty before its expiration, should the exigencies of 

 the service require it. 



20. Application in advance. — Application must be made in advance of the date 

 of the beginning of the leave on the blank form pro\'ided therefor by the department, 

 and no applicant for annual leave will be permitted to be absent from duty until 

 notification has been received of the granting of the same. 



21. Consecutive days only. — Application should be made for only the number 

 of consecutive days desired. 



22. Luncheon half hour deducted in fraction.\l absence. — The luncheon 

 half hour is deducted from annual leave for part of a day when it occurs during the 

 absence, as from 11 a. m. to 3 p. m., which should be charged as 3^ hours and not as 

 4 hours. 



23. Deduction from annual leave for absence without pay. — Proportionate 

 deduction from annual leave shall be made at the rate of 1 day for each 12 days, and 

 multiples thereof, of furlough or leave without pay. (See also pars. 44, 45, and 46.) 



24. No LEAVE granted for less than 15 minutes. — Absence less than 15 minutes 

 will be charged as 15 minutes; and absence in excess of 15 minutes will be charged 

 in multiples of 15 minutes. 



25. Time of departure and return of employee to be noted. — Any adminis- 

 trative officer who shall receive notification from the chief clerk of bureau that leave 

 of absence has been granted to any employee under his supervision will note the 

 exact time of the departure of such person and the exact time of his return to duty, 

 and return application blank promptly to the chief clerk or time clerk of the bureau. 



sick leave. 



26. Conditions governing granting of sick leave. — An extension of leave on 

 account of sickness, not exceeding 15 days in the calendar year, may be granted by 

 the chief of each bureau ; sick leave in excess of such 15 days previously granted may 

 be allowed in particularly meritorious cases only, by the Secretary, on recommenda- 

 tion of the chief of bureau. 



Sick leave may be granted upon any one of the following conditions: 



(a) ^\'here some member of the immediate family of a clerk or employee is afflicted 

 with a contagious disease and requires the care and attendance of such employee. 



(b) WTiere through exposure to contagious disease, whether in his own family or 

 not, the employee's presence in the department would jeopardize the health of 

 fellow clerks. 



(c) In exceptional and meritorious cases, where a clerk or employee is personally 

 ill, and where to limit the annual leave to 30 days in any one year would work pecuhar 

 hardship. 



