CIT
Policy and Procedures Statement
Alternative
Work Schedule
This policy and procedures statement
establishes the alternative work schedule (AWS) policy for the Center.
This policy and procedures
statement applies to all government employees within CIT.
·
5
U.S.C., 6122 – 6128
·
Title
5, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 610, Subpart D
·
OPM
Handbook on Alternative Work Schedules (available on the Internet at http://www.opm.gov/oca/aws/index.htm)
·
HHS
Instruction 610-1, "Establishing and Administering Work Hours, Work Weeks,
and Work Schedules"
·
HHS
Instruction 610-3, "Temporary Closing of Workplaces and Treatment of
Absences"
1.
Alternative
Work Schedule (AWS) means any of the forms of flexitime, flexitour, or
compressed work schedules described in subchapter 11 of chapter 61 of title 5,
United States Code.
2.
Basic
Work Requirement means the number of hours (except overtime hours) an employee
is required to work or account for by leave during a pay period.
3.
Compensatory
Time Off means time off in lieu of overtime pay which may, with prior approval
and on request of the employee, be granted in amounts equal to the hours spent
in overtime work.
4.
Compressed
Work Schedule means:
A.
In
the case of a full-time employee, an 80 hour biweekly basic work requirement
which is scheduled for less than 10 workdays, and
B.
In
the case of a part-time employee, a biweekly basic work requirement of less
than 80 hours which is scheduled for less than 10 workdays.
5.
Core
Time means the portion of the day during which all employees on an alternative
work schedule must be present. Also referred to as a core time band. At NIH,
the core times for most employees are 9:30 to 11 a.m. and 1:30 to 3:30
p.m. At CIT, Offices must be open and
staffed between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
6.
Core
Time Deviation (CTD) means an absence requested by the employee and
specifically authorized by the supervisor during the core time which, in lieu
of a charge to any type of leave, may be made up within the same day during
flexible time. It is to be used only at the specific request of the employee;
however, the granting of CTD is at the discretion of the supervisor.
7.
Daytime
Hours means the hours between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tours of duty for CIT employees must be established within these
hours.
8.
Flexible
Time or Flexible Time Band means that part of the schedule of working hours
during which an employee may choose his/her time of arrival to and departure
from the work site within the limits previously established by management.
9.
Flexitime
means a flexible schedule, which splits the workday into two types of time:
core time and flexible time. Each employee must be present during core time and
must account for the number of hours for which he/she is contracted.
10.
Official
Operating Hours means the normal business hours for CIT (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
11.
Overtime
Hours means:
A.
For
flexitime and flexitour work schedules, all hours in excess of 8 in a day or 40
in a week which are officially ordered in advance, but not including credit
hours;
B.
For
flexitour and compressed work week schedules, any hours in excess of those
specified hours which constitute the compressed schedule.
12.
A
Work Unit consists of any entity headed by a supervisor who has the authority
to order overtime work and approve leave. (code 4 supervisors)
13.
Working
Hours means time periods of the day, consisting of core time bands and flexible
time bands, during which each employee will complete the designated number of
hours for his/her workday. At CIT, the working hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
1.
CIT
‘s policy is that Division/Office Directors set the hours of duty for their
organizations based primarily upon the needs of their customers. Division
Directors have the authority to allow any of their staff members to have work
schedules that start between 6:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. or schedules that end
between 3:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
2.
Members
of the Senior Executive Service (SES) and the Commissioned Corps (CC) may
participate in all provisions of AWS, with the exception of SES members who may
not participate in compressed work schedules.
3.
Participation
in AWS by SES or CC members does not affect any aspect of their respective
personnel systems except establishment of their tour of duty, e.g.,
Commissioned Officers continue to be ineligible to earn overtime, compensatory
time, or night pay; and are charged for absences from the work site in whole
day increments.
4.
Part-time
employees may participate in any of the forms of AWS.
5.
Supervisors
in organizations that have flexitime or compressed work schedules are to be
present during the entire work period or ensure that proper control of work operations
is maintained for the entire work period through some other appropriate method
(sign in/out sheets, acting supervisor, etc.).
Student and clerical employees at GS-5 or lower are not permitted to
work unsupervised.
6.
AWS
is a privilege and as such may be withheld from employees for reasons of
conduct, attendance, performance or other reasons. Provisions are available for
modifying or terminating schedules for employees who require closer supervision
than is generally available under an AWS program. Such employees should be
precluded from participation under an AWS and supervisors must insure that they
receive closer supervision until the deficiency is corrected.
7.
An
AWS may be changed at any time with advance written approval from the
supervisor, and a copy to the timekeeper.
8.
When
an employee is scheduled to attend training, the employee is required to adjust
their AWS in order to accommodate the full length of the training opportunity.
9.
An
employee who is relieved or prevented from working on a holiday is entitled to
pay for that day.
10.
Within
an AWS the following special rules for night pay apply:
A.
If
the tour of duty includes 8 or more daytime hours (between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.),
the employee is not entitled to night pay.
B.
If
the tour of duty includes less than 8 daytime hours, the employee is entitled
to night pay for the difference between 8 hours and the available number of
daytime hours in the tour of duty.
C.
If
the core time band includes night work, the employee is entitled to night pay
for any non-overtime work performed at night.
11.
The
CIT AWS coordinator is responsible for:
A.
Serving
as an expert on AWS by maintaining knowledge of all Federal and NIH AWS
policies, anticipating the need for information within the CIT, responding to
questions concerning operations and existing policy, and bringing recurring
issues and unaddressed policy matters to the attention of the CIT approving
official.
B.
Coordinating
the CIT’s AWS pre- and post- implementation activities, including providing
training to participate.
C.
Serving
as a resource on centrally coordinated NIH AWS activities.
1.
The
CIT AWS approving official is the Office/Division Director. This official is
responsible for:
A.
Approving
AWS programs within individual CIT components.
B.
Ensuring
that those organizations that have AWS programs maintain and provide, during
the annual evaluation of existing schedules, data that are appropriate for
assessing the impact of the schedules on productivity, level of service to the
public, operating costs, and other benefits.
C.
Providing
data for proposed schedules that reflect whether or not the schedule will have
a positive impact on productivity, level of service to the public, or other
factors without a significant increase or with a reduction in the cost of
operations.
D.
Assuring
that an adequate time accounting system is in place for any AWS.
E.
Ensuring
there is a proper balance among the numbers and types of employees assigned
throughout the entire work schedule that best achieves the work required of the
organization.
F.
Assuring
that there is appropriate control of work operations throughout the entire work
schedule, through a supervisor or other appropriate measures.
2.
The
supervisors participating in an AWS program are responsible for:
A.
Authorizing
and approving AWS for some or all of their employees, based on consistent and
equitable treatment for similar circumstances.
B.
Ensuring
that there is proper balance among the numbers and types of employees assigned
throughout the entire work schedule that best achieves the work required of the
organization.
C.
Ensuring
that proper control of work output and operations is maintained for the entire
work period.
D.
Ensuring
that all offices are staffed with professional employees, and support staff if
necessary, during CIT’s official operating hours (M/F 8:30 am – 5:00pm).
E.
Informing
all covered employees about the makeup and operation of the schedule and their
specific requirements with respect to that schedule.
F.
Establishing
a time accounting system that is as simple as possible, but that permits an
accurate accounting of the hours worked by each employee, e.g. a sign in/out
sheet or a time clock.
G.
Ensuring
that the timekeeper has all the information necessary to complete timekeeping
procedures within the established time constraints.
H.
Ensuring
that employees understand and adhere to the time accounting procedures, and that
timekeepers and other appropriate staff members are trained in the related time
and attendance reporting requirements.
I.
Removing
employees with performance/conduct problems from AWS participation as
appropriate and placing them under a standard schedule.
J.
Assess
the program at least annually to determine if the schedules should be modified
or terminated. Negative changes in productivity, service to the public, and
costs are grounds for terminating or modifying AWS.
3.
The
employees participating in an AWS program are responsible for:
A.
Adhering
to the rules/regulations established for their work unit.
B.
Cooperating
with coworkers and supervisors to ensure effective use of AWS.
4.
When
changing work schedules for full-time employees, there is no documentation
requirement (as long as they remain full-time). However, they must receive
supervisory approval and notify the timekeeper at least two weeks in advance of
any change. When changing schedules for part-time employees, an SF-52 must be
completed. As a result this requires the supervisor to notify the Human
Resources Office at least three weeks in advance of the desired effective date.
5.
Time
off during an employee's basic work requirement must be charged to the
appropriate leave category unless the employee is authorized compensatory time,
or excused absence. The leave charged is for the number of hours that an
employee was scheduled to work on that day.
6.
When
a participant in an AWS has three consecutive non-workdays off and a holiday
falls on one of these non-workdays, the following rules apply in designating
the workday as the "in lieu of" holiday:
A.
When
the holiday falls on the employee's first or second non-workday, the preceding
workday shall be designated as the " in lieu of " holiday.
B.
When
the holiday falls on the third non-workday, the next workday shall be
designated as the "in lieu of" holiday.
Further information and advice is available from the CIT Human
Resources Office.