NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Thursday, January 4, 1996 - SPECIAL EDITION

Broadcast: 11:30 a.m. EST

This special edition of the Morning Report is being sent to you at the request
of the Directorate to convey information pertaining to the current shutdown. 
All parks and offices should continue to contact their shutdown coordinators
for specific guidance and instructions.

The following update on the shutdown was sent to members of the Directorate and
to all field area shutdown coordinators by Deputy Director Reynolds on January
3rd.  PLEASE keep in mind that it was addressed to these people and NOT to the
field in general....

 At this morning's [Wednesday, January 3rd] DOI Shutdown Coordinators'
meeting, there was a lot of discussion about various personnel/payroll
issues associated with our current furlough situation.  WASO personnel
will be distributing information in more detail to your Human Resources
staff, but here are highlights of some key points for you to pass on to
your folks:

 1. CHECKS IN THE MAIL -- Those who do not have direct deposit may be
experiencing some trouble in getting paychecks that were mailed or must
be picked up.  Mail is piling up everywhere, and we are trying to
liberate the important stuff, like checks, and we expect you are doing
the same.  BuRec payroll is working on it.  (Don't forget, their hotline
number is 303-969-7732).  Please do everything you can to get people
these checks.

 2. TIMEKEEPERS -- can expect a major workload the longer this goes on. 
In  addition to the adjustments that will eventually be needed to fix the 
recent "half-check" batch processing, they will need to be on top of
furlough/non-furlough status.  We'll let you know as this develops, but  
don't know the answers yet.

 3. RETIREMENTS -- Tell the already-retired they should get their checks,
since those come from OPM.  But there could be a problem with the
newly-departed, since not all the paperwork may have been processed to
OPM before shutdown, for either buyout money or regular checks.  We will
look to see if this is going to be a widespread problem.  Let us know if
it is.

 4. CREDITORS -- You will be getting sample letters provided by DOI for
employees to use to persuade creditors to cut them some slack.  Look for
them by cc:Mail separately.  Also, Ed Carlin in MWFA has developed a
similar letter.

 5. HEALTH BENEFITS -- These continue, of course, but some people changed
providers during open season, and these changes may not have completed
being processed before shutdown.  OPM guidance is for affected employees
to go to their new carrier and tell them of the situation, and they
should be able to help you.  But we may get something more definitive
later.

 6. USE-OR-LOSE -- Policy on approvals for restoration of lost leave must
be held up until we see what the final Congresssional language is on pay
for furloughed employees.  DOI also wants Interior bureaus to deal with
this in a consistent manner.  In the meantime, don't make any promises
you can't keep.

 7. UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS -- Once again, a reminder that our policy
encourages employees to apply if they can.  Different states are
approaching it differently, and you can cc:Mail Mary Bradford or Paula
Ehrenfeld if you have particular questions (but answers not guaranteed!)
Employees will have to reinmburse the state once they are paid.

 8. HOLIDAYS -- are treated like Sunday pay, night differential, and other
categories under this furlough -- they don't exist for furlough payroll
purposes.  Once again, you are either on furlough or excepted -- ONLY. 
As someone said, "they cancelled Christmas".  So, if you were working on
the holiday(s), we'll figure out a way to deal with this later.

 Those are the top personnel/payroll issues.  Other items:

 9. IMPACTS -- Thanks for sending in your impacts lists.  They were put to
good use.  DOI/OMB are now asking for specific effects on:  Seniors,
families; workers; and small businesses.  David Barna and Elaine Sevy are
collecting these for NPS.

 10. SHUTDOWN PLANS -- We were asked by OMB to show any major revisions we
have had to make to our shutdown plans.  The main one for NPS was the
recent decision to permit the opening of concessions operations located
on through roads.

 11. UPCOMING MEETINGS -- Some big January gatherings are already being
postponed/rescheduled, such as the GPRA meeting next week and some DSC
Training.

Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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