Pub. L. 87-793, pt. II, tit. III, sec. 705

Sec. 705. Section 3552 of title 39, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: “§ 3552. Automatic advancement by step increases “(a) (1) Each employee in levels 1 through 6 of the Postal Field Service Schedule, each employee subject to the Rural Carrier Schedule, and each employee subject to the Fourth Class Office Schedule, who has not reached the highest step for his position, shall be advanced successively to the next higher step as follows: “(A) To steps 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7—at the beginning of the first pay period following the completion of fifty-two calendar weeks of satisfactory service; and “(B) To steps 8 and above—at the beginning of the first pay period following the completion of one hundred and fifty-six calendar weeks of satisfactory service. “(2) Each employee in the postal field service in level 7 or above of the Postal Field Service Schedule, who has not reached the highest step for his position, shall be advanced successively to the next higher step, as follows: “(A) To steps 2, 3, and 4—at the beginning of the first pay period following the completion of fifty-two calendar weeks of satisfactory service; “(B) To steps 5, 6, and 7—at the beginning of the first pay period following the completion of one hundred and four calendar weeks of satisfactory service; and “(C) To steps 8 and above—at the beginning of the first pay period following the completion of one hundred and fifty-six calendar weeks of satisfactory service. “(3) The receipt of an equivalent increase during any of the waiting periods specified in this subsection shall cause a new full waiting period to commence for further step-increases. “(b) Any increase in basic compensation granted by law on or after the date of enactment of the Postal Employees Salary Adjustment Act of 1962, to employees in the postal field service shall not be deemed to be an equivalent increase in basic compensation within the meaning of subsection (a) of this section. “(c) The benefit of successive step-increases shall be preserved, under regulations prescribed by the Postmaster General, for employees whose continuous service is interrupted by service in the armed services.”