REVIEW OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS BRANCH, PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT DIVISION

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Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP80-01826R001000090004-2
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RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
S
Document Page Count: 
6
Document Creation Date: 
November 17, 2016
Document Release Date: 
July 5, 2000
Sequence Number: 
4
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STUDY
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v, eva t e Punctie e, ctivities, procedures and Work ~ of the $ oyo R et t~`ons.Branch to d r .ine propriety and efficiency, and.. to provass staff1 . The.. Employee Relations french i8: a consolidation of tb former counseling , nne B e A D d a. 4 ss gxpuent ??.. ?.. Y' + J iPiona aan the sntployeearvipes 7i ranhr th .., ac oe .ISCUSSION Counseling Branch- Employee Services.$re.nch-M? : 25X1A; ,;*., The" Employee Relatlone-., Branch engages in about. thirty-five (35) difeez *ant aQ4 .vities.` The major functions, however, are those involved in counseling' and'- . pre-dxit interviewing, final clearancag, out-placement, recreation prograttlas`and other employee' paxticipation activities, such as; Fund Raising Drives, Sloood Doxor, 'Rsd. Cross Hostess; and' Savings Bond Programs. An indication f the volume of tirork in these various- activities is shown in Tab A. A . b. The counseling function is important in that it contributes., to the main- tenagce of good relations between the employee and the Agency, helps reduce turnover of efficient personnel, and often reveals correctable problems arid, sttuations in- volving security, medical, or legal. implications before such conditions reflect Unfavorably on the orpanizatio,4;br too seriously affect the individual. T't may be said that those whorneed tlie_help most, fail to use the service. On the other hand, an examination of recent case histories indicates that both employees and the Agency are benefiti4 from the counseling service performed in the Zmployee Relations Branch (see Tab B)... To achieve its full objective, however, the. counsel- log service must always be Btaaf'fed by individuals of mature juri.gement, &Ad, exper- f fence, who inspire confidence,, w 7d are not burdened by the assignment o '-'other duties which hamper the performance of their counseling, . or affect the conficAnee of the' employees in them. Ina recent seven (7) week period; two employee re- lations officersof the Branch, in bA,d: tion to other duties, handled sixty-four .(64.) counseling . cases. These included eleven (11) Security referrals and f,.ve- ( ) P l l ane referra s (medical. Sity Pl R P) ,ecur,ersonneeviewanel. ,FACTS' BEARING ON THE PROBl 4 Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP80-01826R001000090004-2 c. The efforts of the Employee Relations Branch in support of recreational programs are resulting in increased participation and additonal activities. Approx- imately 2100 Agency employees are participating in twenty-one (21) Agency sponsored recreational activities. These activities are monitored and supported in whole or in 4art by the Employee Welfare Fund which is derived from a share it the profits of the GSI cafeterias operated in buildings occuppied by the Agency. The Employee Relations Branch also supplies equipment, arranges for facilities, umpires and judges, and provides administrative support to individual activities. Employee recreation programs are widely recognized for their contribution to the physical and mental well being of employees, as ref1`cted in reduced turnover, improved attitude and morale, and 'educational and c.atural self improvement. d. It is significant to note that the Blood Donor Program averages 150 or more Agency donors each month, and provides free replacement to blood banks serving employees or their relatives throughout the United States. The Employee Relations Branch arranges for the scheduling of appointments, arranging with the Red Cross for transporation and accompanying the groups which go each nonth to the Red Cross center. If an Agency employee or his relative is supplied blood from a Red Cross Blood Bank, the Employee Relations Branch, on request, will notify Red Cross and the amount of blood issued trill be replaced. e. The movement of the Employee :>ervi.ces Branch from the Records and Services Division resulted in the transfer to Employee Relations Branch of some functions that are purely of a records processing nnturc net directly related to employee relations n^d recreation programs. These include the processing of FEW (Federal Employee -ernmeat Life Insurance) actions; the dissemination of information copies of cables within the Office of Pcrsonnel; the processing of R`qursts for Approval of Outside Activities, and Designation of Beneficiary actions. Certain of these functions and activities should be removed from Employee Relations Branch which would permit more emphasis and effort on the prime mission of the Branch with fewer personnel. f. Information copies of incoming and outgoing cables containing personnel information, received from the Cable Secretariat, averaged 342 per week over a recent period of seven (7) weeks. Less than one fourth of these cables are disseminated within the Office of Personnel. Those disseminated averaged sixteen (16) per day, most of which are routed to Military Personnel Division or Contract Personnel Division. The criteria for selection of those to be disseminated are outlined in Tab C. Those 5X1A cables not disseminated are held, without logging, for 90 days and then destroyed. 5X1A g. gives the Dir~_~cter of Personnel responsibility for sub- mitting statemen o private sponsorship of aliens, by Agency personnel to the SEC1ET Approved For Rae 2000/08/07 :_ IA RDP80-01826R0,00090004-2 L..tartiient of State. Such actions require prior approve.). and briefing of the sponsor by the Office of .Security. Since this action by tbw:Agency 14 primarily to protect R our securityinterest, it would a ear to be ro iate for tb Office crf Securit i5 to rform the full coordination and liaison function. Such c6ordim3 Iou should in- clude the pertinent Career Servic,! Officer :or ^_onsi eration with regard to possible interference with future assignments of the .3ponscr. Twenty (20) sponsorship cc.:;ee were processed in 1956 and sixteen (16) have been processed in 1957 up to October 19. h. Pre-exit interviews have been performed and separation reports prepared by the DD/I Branch of FAD on a pilot test basis for the past three (3) months. The final clearance procedure and presentation of the employee's copy of the SIP?50- s carried out by the Employee Relations Branch. With some assistance from Eap ysf. Relations Branch during this period (ERB processed forty (40} of seventy one (71) DD/1 resignations, plus twenty five (25) resignations in absentia) it ,h a been demon- strated that the function3 of pre-exit __nter::iewing and sC ration rocessi ran and should be r orra the Placement Officers with the clearance procedure remaining in f4w1o ee` ions Branch. However, in order to promote the externs anonymity of the ve.r ous Placement Off-cers and to provide a single point of contact with other government agencies and employees, it would appear advisable to leave with the Chief, of the Employee Relation; Branch the responsibility for the out-placement function. During the nine (;) weeds o`' Ai:, not and September, 337 separation actions (excluding temporary employee separations) were processed. This weekly average of forty two (42) actions was handled by two (2) employees on a regular basis with occasional assistance franc two (2) others. There may arise instances in which the relations of the individual Placement Officer with the Office served would be in- ,-red by the handling of a -particular sensitive or "sticky" type case. In such i,istances, the Chief, PAD should take the ease or provide for handing by the 13nploy- ee Relations Branch. i. Employee Relations Branch receives copies of Requests for Approval of Outside Activity, (education aemployment), approved by the Office of Security, which have o'riginated throe .,h t e .Agency. These copies are logge4 in and then sent conies a be sent direct to files b the Personnel mail room since noetian an the Rtrt o ee a ions Branch is re uired. Requests should be approved by the Read of th Career Service corce_ , since employment or education status .may affect the availability for assignments. J. Requests for Approval of Outside Activity originating within the Office of Personnel are concurr_;d . in by Er' ployee Relations Branch and eoord.LnoL ed with the Offic7 of Cccurity. An average total of about ten (10) cases per week iaciuding those in paragraph i above are handled by 'employee Relation6 Branch. Requests do not require Cffic~ of Security approval if the operating official telieves the act- vity .rill rr veal no secu,,_ ty irrrgljcations. The matter of. outside employment and ~ducativna], acti-vity on the part of SP employees is a' matter of interest to their ^areer Boss?. It. is therefore believed appropriate to transfer the review, ooar3 ns- ~,ion and approval of out_ i(le activity approval request to the Career. Managaiwnt Officer, Offi-~e of Personnel. k. Requests for approval of advance sick leave up to thirty (30) days are reeved by Employee Relations Branch, coordinated with the Medical Staffs if this has already been accomplished., approved by Employee Rclationz Branch and tract r.:itted Payroll Branch of he Comptroller's Office. The number of such requests avera+;es D1826R001000090004-2; Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RV18Q 2 ,.rout five (5) per week. No requirement for change in this function is indicated; / however, irv_ nuah as many requests received have not been coordinated by the origir a- tinc offis?e with the Medical Staff as required by re,ulation, this zaatter should be brou{it to the attention of Administrative Officers. 1. LOOP over sixty (6d) dr,,ys requires, the issue of a Form 1150, Personnel Action, by the Office of Personnel. At present, requests for such leave are approved by Zuployee Relations Branch anti ff)naai?ded to R.SD for preparation of th-a Forn 1150. About four (4) such requests are processed through !npioyee Relations Branch pi week. No requirement for change in this function is indicated. However, it is beli-ve:l that Career Boards have an interest in r:iue3ts for and approval of extended LV,iOP. If the Request for P:~rsonnel Action, Fc.?rr 1152, has not been approved by the pr:rtinent Career Board, it is suggested that Frr_ioyee R-latioris Branch coordinate such requests with the appropriate P ND Placem'3nt Officer or d terminirg Career Board attitud:! regasdini- specific rye?Bests. 1;.. An av ex a of \ ~ ?`.,CiLI actions are proc3sse per w^k k. These an- volve the rec ;mot of infor: t iOD from BCD on reinstatements, and ncLico forms on re vocations and waive ?> IAA and Appointacents Section. This informatioi is suuara_'- i zed and tran.s:aitted to Fiscal or Finance Division as appropriate, for payroll d?~duction act ion, u i tii th ' Ji' i. inai authorization fortes r;oing to the personnel f ilec . This paper I Ter ing in closely r''l.ated to..4Uie ~~u ctiOCls of BCD e.IIi s}ioul?d be c'vnLejeu ibr_re- rathe. than _np1oyee Relations Branch. This includes the Designation of and Chr:.n ;,'- in Benef i.ciur es. n. The maintenance of literature on area educational opport ,i,es, vacation and travel guidy requires little effort'. The referencrr method could. be irnprovefi by r 'thou' the the use of an information rack which walk in emi?loyeofi cc+ilai refer to wy assistance of withdrawing, packages ::material now maintained in bookshelves. Housini:, n o tior. ,is displayeed in card file trays which do permit reedy reference by walk-Ins. Car pool information is raintained in a 3x5 card file- 'hougki Bull=tin Boards also serve to bring car pool participants together, it is indicated that ,ployee Relations Branch performs a useful service in this regard. . An orientation lecture covering Employee ?Relations Branch functions is ce;ivcn each week to rnv EOD'.3 by some member of the staff. This lecture generates future requests for information and service. p. one employee has responzibility for the Fire and i1i.r Raid Evacuation and' Training Program for Curie Hall? q. The ti aployee Relations Branch supplies income tx: reporting, forms and 'nformation, anc3 prr '-s an advisory uervicf durin the report filing period. UsuaUy two (2) employees are involved full time for approxi:aately two (2) months per year with this activity. Carefn:l consideration should be given to the amount of actual assistance given to tip individual ii the preparation of a return. If detailed assistance and aJx: icon s deanied aapip'ropriate, the possibility of the Comptroller's office p'rfolnini this function should be explored. r. Bookkeeping, accounting and disbursing functions of the 1;elfare Fund, Recreation Fund, and the Fublic Service Aid Society .re now divided among five (5) Approved For Release 2000/08/0 4Ah= DP80-01826 R001000090004-2 Approved For Reuse 2000/08/07: CIA-RDP80-01826ROM00090004-2 SECS, people - the A&