Some wary of Air Force post allowance policy change

[unhappycamper]

Some wary of Air Force post allowance policy change
By Matt Millham, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Saturday, May 10, 2008

Hope and jubilation were tempered by skepticism Friday after a wary work force scrutinized news of an Air Force policy change that could put thousands of dollars more a year in the pockets of some.

By the afternoon, Air Force officials still hadn’t announced the decision to affected civilian personnel, according to employees interviewed for this story. On Thursday, an Air Force spokesman at the Pentagon acknowledged a policy change that would greatly expand the service’s characterization of full-time employment, opening the door for hundreds of American civilians overseas to draw post allowance — a cost-of-living allowance given to some American civilians stationed overseas.

Late Thursday evening, the spokesman also acknowledged that those who qualify for the allowance will also qualify for back payments, which were ordered by an earlier Defense Department ruling.

“The back pay procedures are still under development,” Capt. Michael R. Andrews, an Air Force spokesman, wrote in an e-mail response. “However, the Air Force intends to use the same eligibility criteria that is applicable to current employees. That is, regular employees who have worked a regularly scheduled 40 hour work week over a prescribed time period will be eligible for Post Allowance.”

The service probably won’t know exactly who will qualify as full-time under the broadened definition until sometime next week, according to a U.S. Air Forces in Europe spokeswoman. The Air Force has given its overseas commands until May 16 to make that determination.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=54686