Executive Order 5887—Administrative Furloughs

In pursuance of the provisions of section 216 of Part II, Title II, of the act entitled "AN ACT Making appropriations for the Legislative Branch of the Government for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1933, and for other purposes," approved June 30, 1932, which reads as follows:

"Sec. 216. In order to keep within the appropriations made for the fiscal year 1933, the heads of the various executive departments and independent establishments of the United States Government and the municipal government of the District of Columbia are hereby authorized and directed to furlough, without pay, such employees carried on their respective rolls, such time as in their judgment is necessary to carry out said purpose without discharging such employees, the higher salaried to be furloughed first whenever possible without injury to the service: Provided, That rules and regulations shall be promulgated by the President with a view to securing uniform action by the heads of the various executive departments and independent Government establishments in the application of the provisions of this section."

the following regulations are hereby prescribed:

(1) Where an appropriation for a given activity, after deducting the amount to be impounded for compulsory furlough, is insufficient to an extent which ordinarily would require the dismissal of employees, the head of the department or establishment concerned will, in lieu of such dismissals, furlough employees, without pay, for such periods as are necessary to avoid a deficit in the appropriation and without discharging employees who are qualified to perform the class of work which is to be continued. The higher-salaried employees will be furloughed first whenever possible without injury to the service. Subject to this condition, the total period of furlough under the provisions of this section will, so far as practicable and with due regard to the efficiency of the service, be uniformly distributed among the employees. This, however, will not be construed as requiring the transfer of employees from one post of duty to another for the sole purpose of shortening the period of furlough of such employees.

(2) Furloughs under section 216 will be restricted to the utmost degree possible and invoked only where absolutely necessary to keep within the appropriations for the fiscal year 1933. In determining such necessity, consideration will be given to all possible means of avoiding furloughs, such as the transfer of qualified employees from one appropriation roll to another, the possibility of transfer of appropriations under section 317 of the same act, and such administrative economies as may be possible in other items.

HERBERT HOOVER

The White House,
July 14, 1932.