[Decision Concerning Army Employee's Appeal of Claims Group's Denial of Backpay Claim]

An Army employee appealed the Claims Group's denial of his claim for backpay and substitution of sick leave for leave without pay in connection with a reassignment, contending that the grievance examiner's recommendation that the Army grant him his backpay and leave subsitution claims was final because the Army failed to transmit the recommendation to the next command level within 8 days. GAO held that: (1) it would not review the grievance, which was within the Army's jurisdiction, absent a showing that the Army took unwarranted or unjustified personnel action; and (2) because time frames were only procedural guidelines, the Army's failure to forward the recommendation within 8 days did not eliminate its discretionary authority. Accordingly, the claim was denied.