1/ 2/ 8,532,000 1/ Includes $820,000 in FY 1975 and $881,000 in FY 1976 to be derived Includes $814,000 for pay raise fleti October 1974, and $550,000 for 1/ Includes $881,000 in FY 1976 and $221,000 in July 1 - September 30, 1976 to be derived from the Employment Security Administration account in the Unemployment Trust Fund. DEPARTMENTAL MANAGEMENT Activity 1. EXECUTIVE DIRECTION (1976, $7,410,000, Pos. 203; Narrative Description of Program This activity encompasses the Department's top-level executive function committed to the formulation of governmental policy in the labor and manpower field and provides overall direction for all programs and functions assigned to the Department. (Authorizing Legislation: 37 STAT 736, 738) This activity provides funds for the Secretary and his staff; the Under Secretary and his staff; the Office of Administrative Law Judges; the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Evaluation, and Research; the Office of Information, Publications and Reports; the Office of Legislative Affairs; the Regional Directors; and the Benefits Review Loard. In 1976, the traditional labor related case intake will level off and this factor, coupled with increased productivity, should permit the Office of Administrative Law Judges to keep the backlog from becoming unmanageable. Although the Office again will receive new jurisdictional areas as a result of the mendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act, Veterans' Reemployment Act, and the Farm Labor Contractors Act, the infux of cases will not come until late in FY 1976. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Evaluation and Research will continue to play a significant role in analyzing policy and program issues which require decisions by the chief executive staff of the Department including review of the resource and legislative proposals made by Departmental and other Federal Agencies. The Office will continue to work on such issues as National health insurance, workers' compensation, workers' right of privacy, agricultural labor relations, energy, job distribution, discrimination among women, minorities and the elderly, job quality and satisfaction. Research studies are expected to continue in the areas of quality of work, workers' compensation, pensions and minimum wage. The FY 1976 efforts by the Office of Information, Publications and Reports will be guided by Federal initiatives to boost the economy and reduce and aid the casualities of unemployment. The Department will ste up its efforts to inform special groups with special problems of the protections, benefits, and services available to them through Department of Labor programs. These people include minorities, women, youth, older workers, and the handicapped. The Regional Directors will continue to emphasize further refinement of their roles to provide maximum regional contribution to the management process, and Secretarial initiatives of the Department, therefore, enhancing the decentralization concepts within the Department. They will continue to be assigned responsibilities in areas of particular interest to the Secretary and be directly involved in areas such as OSHA State Plans and other programs requiring internal and external coordination efforts. The Benefits Review Board plans to maintain timely processing of appeals and issuance of decisions for all appeals docketed, however, the case intake is expected to significantly increase in FY 1976 primarily die to Black Lung Appeals. The Board anticipates 500 Longshore and 300 Black Lung cases will be heard based on Agency estimates. Objectives for Transitional Period (July 1 - September 30, 1976): Pending results of the FY 1977 planning process, the offices providing Executive Direction to the Departmental Agencies will continue to pursue and direct all Departmental programs in effect, being planned or developed in FY 1976. |