The basic work requirement for a full-time employee is 80 hours in a
biweekly pay period. Agencies may also establish daily or weekly work requirements. The agency head determines the number of hours a part-time employee must work in a specific period. Agencies may permit employees to complete their basic work requirement in less than 10 workdays.

A full-time employee must work 80 hours in biweekly pay period and must be scheduled to work on fewer than 10 workdays. A part-time employee has a fixed schedule of fewer than 80 hours in a biweekly pay period and must be scheduled to work on fewer than 10 workdays.

The tour of duty defines the limits within which an employee must complete his or her basic work requirement.

The tour of duty is defined by the fixed compressed work schedule established by the agency.

Hours may be worked in excess of the basic work requirement at the option of the employee in order to vary the length of the workday or workweek. Not all FWS programs provide for credit hours.

The law provides credit hours only for flexible work schedules. There is no legal authority for credit hours under a CWS program. See 5 U.S.C. 6121(4).

Overtime work consists of hours of work that are officially ordered in advance and in excess of 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, but does not include hours that are worked voluntarily, including credit hours, or hours that an employee is "suffered or permitted" to work which are not officially ordered in advance. (See 5 CFR 551.401(a)(2).)

For a full-time employee, overtime work consists of all hours of work in excess of the established compressed work schedule. For a part-time employee, overtime work must be hours in excess of the compressed work schedule for the day (more than at least 8 hours) or for the week (more than at least 40 hours).

An agency may, at the request of an employee, approve compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay for non-SES employees. (See 5 U.S.C. 6123(a)(1).) Mandatory compensatory time off is limited to FLSA-exempt employees (who are not prevailing rate employees) whose rate of basic pay is greater than the rate for GS-10, step 10. (See 5 CFR 550.114(c).)

Compensatory time off may be approved in lieu of overtime pay only for irregular or occasional overtime work by an "employee" as defined in 5 U.S.C. 5541(2) or by a prevailing rate employee as defined in 5 U.S.C. 5342(a)(2), but may not be approved for an SES member. Mandatory compensatory time off is limited to FLSA-exempt employees (who are not prevailing rate employees) whose rate of basic pay is greater than the rate for GS-10, step 10.

For GS and other employees covered by 5 U.S.C. 5545(a), agencies must pay night pay for those hours that must be worked between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. to complete an 8-hour daily tour of duty. Agencies must also pay night pay for all designated core hours worked between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. and for any regularly scheduled overtime work between those hours.

The regular rules governing entitlement to night pay, at 5 CFR 550.121 and 122, apply. (See 5 CFR 532.505 for prevailing rate employees.)

Holiday premium pay for nonovertime work is limited to a maximum of 8 hours in a day for full-time or part-time employees. A part-time employee scheduled to work on a day designated as an "in lieu of" holiday for full-time employees is not entitled to holiday premium pay for work performed on that day.

Holiday premium pay for nonovertime work is limited to the number of hours normally scheduled for that day. A part-time employee scheduled to work on a day designated as an "in lieu of" holiday for full-time employees is not entitled to holiday premium pay for work performed on that day.

A full-time employee who performs regularly scheduled nonovertime work during a period of duty, part of which is performed on Sunday, is entitled to Sunday premium pay (25 percent of the rate of basic pay) for the entire period of work up to 8 hours. (See 5 CFR 550.171.) A part-time employee is not entitled to Sunday premium pay for Sunday work. (See 5 U.S.C 5546 (a), 46 Comp. Gen. 337 (1966), and 5 CFR.610.111(d).)

A full-time employee who performs regularly scheduled non-overtime work during a period of duty, part of which is performed on Sunday, is entitled to Sunday premium pay (25 percent of the rate of basic pay) for the entire scheduled period of duty that day. (See 5 U.S.C. 6128(c) and 5 CFR 610.111(d).) A part-time employee is not entitled to premium pay for Sunday work.

A full-time employee prevented from working on a holiday (or an "in lieu of" holiday) is entitled to pay for 8 hours for that day. A part-time employee prevented from working on a holiday is entitled to pay for the number of hours he or she would have worked but for the holiday, not to exceed 8 hours. When a holiday falls on a nonworkday of a part-time employee, there is no entitlement to pay for an "in lieu of" holiday. (See 5 U.S.C. 6124.)

A full-time employee prevented from working on a holiday (or an "in lieu of" holiday) is entitled to pay for the number of hours of the compressed work schedule for the employee on that day. A part-time employee prevented from working on a holiday is entitled to pay for the number of hours of the compressed work schedule on that day. When a holiday falls on a nonworkday of a part-time employee, there is no entitlement to pay or an "in lieu of" holiday. (See 5 CFR 610.406 and Comptroller General opinion B-217080, June 3, 1985.)

The amount of excused absence to be granted an employee covered by an FWS program should be based on his or her typical schedule.

All compressed work schedules are fixed schedules. The regular agency practices applicable to administration of excused absence apply.

The agency may allow an employee covered by an FWS program to continue the existing schedule, modify that schedule, or require him or her to follow the schedule used at the temporary work site.

(Same as Flexible Work Schedules)

Time spent in a travel status is considered to be hours of work only as provided in 5 CFR 550.112(g) or 5 U.S.C. 5544 (prevailing rate employees) for FLSA exempt employees, and as provided in 5 CFR 550.112(g) or 5 U.S.C. 5544 and 551.422 for nonexempt employees. Agencies may find it advisable to establish procedures to revert employees to standard fixed schedules when traveling.

(Same as Flexible Work Schedules)

Agencies may unilaterally install FWS programs in unorganized units. There is no requirement for a vote of affected employees.

In an unorganized unit, a majority of affected employees must vote to be included in a CWS program. (See 5 U.S.C. 6127(b).)

Since FWS programs generally provide employees the flexibility to continue to work traditional schedules, the agency is not required to consider exclusion of an employee from the FWS program for personal hardship.

An employee for whom a CWS program would impose a personal hardship may request to be excluded from the program. The request must be submitted to the agency in writing. The agency must determine whether a personal hardship exists. If so, the employee must be excepted from the CWS program or reassigned to the first position that meets the criteria in 5 U.S.C. 6127(b)(2)(B).