At the end of last year, RMA employees in Kansas City were informed that the Agency will begin implementing the law that prohibits pay in excess of 8 hours on holiday for employees who are on flexible schedule. All employees who worked compressed schedule and varied their time of arrival were consequently informed that, if they ordinarily worked more than 8 hours on a holiday, they would have to either take leave or work additional one or two hours in that pay-period in order to recieve full pay.  Alternatively, they could choose to start work every day at the same time, and receive holiday pay. This kind of schedule would require them to take leave every time they deviate from their schedule work starting time.

While there is a law that states that employees on flexible schedule are not entitled to more than 8 hours pay on holiday,  in this Union’s view, it is questionable whether employees who are on compressed schedule and vary their time of arrival within designated work hours, are on a flexible schedule. There is no law that prohibits such flexibility on compressed schedules. Through the years and evolution of flexible schedules, OPM developed a regulation that compressed schedules have  fixed times of arrival. One has to look at the spectrum of all available schedules to understand where this regulation comes from.

With introduction of credit hours, OPM made available the schedule that allows employees to work less than 10 days in a pay period, and vary their times of arrival. Credit hours allow employees to work hours in excess of their scheduled tour of duty, and later use them to take the time-off of work, without having to use leave.

With credit hours employees who want to work compressed schedule and vary their time of arrival would be able to continue to do so, and be able to earn credit hours that they can use when they need time off for odd doctor’s appointments, kid’s sports events, illness… , not only to make up hours they loose on holidays. Employees who typically work 10-8 hour days would also have the ability to work less then 10 days in a payperiod without having to use leave.

As a Union we are guaranteed, by law, the right to negotiate changes to schedules. Albeit, we had to seek arbitration to be able to exercise this right.

Once negotiations actually commence, we will be proposing credit hours for all employees on flexible schedule.

More detailed information on credit hours can be found at: http://www.opm.gov/oca/worksch/HTML/Cred_hrs.htm

Please feel free to comment or make suggestions on this website or in person with any of your union representatives.

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