Fsh 6109.11 Pay Administration, Attendance and Leave

fsH 6109.11 – Pay Administration, Attendance and leave

chapteR 30 –absence and leave

Supplement No.: R9 Allegheny 6109.11-2013-1

Effective Date: October 30, 2013

Duration: This supplement is effective until superseded or removed.

Posting Instructions: Supplements are numbered consecutively by Handbook number and calendar year. Post by document; remove the entire document and replace it with this supplement. Retain this transmittal as the first page(s) of this document. The last supplement to this Handbook was 6109.11-2008-1 to Chapter 20.

Digest: In order by code, summarize the main additions, revisions, or removal of direction incorporated in this supplement.

38.3–Revises the title of chapter 20 from “Attendance and Leave” to “Hours of Duty (Work Schedule).” Moves the entire “Absence and Leave” section from the existing chapter 20 of

FSH 6109.11 to chapter 30 of FSH 6109.11.

Revises the Allegheny National Forest’shazardous weather conditions policy to include situations in the telework place.
38 – Administrative Release of Employees

38.3–Group Dismissal or Closure of Field Offices

When hazardous weather conditions exist prior to normal business hours or develop during normal work hours, employees should use their own judgment in using flextime and the liberal leave policy (use of annual leave, credit hours or comp time) when deciding if it is safe to come to work or if it is necessary to leave early.

If the decision to close the office is made prior to normal business hours, a message will be placed by 7:00 am at the following numbers:

• Supervisor’s Office, 814-723-5150
• Bradford Ranger District, 814-362-4613
• Marienville Ranger District, 814-927-6628

If the decision to close the office is made during normal working hours, an announcement will be made over the public address system of the affected office and notice will be sent via email to all Forest employees. Once closing time is set and all employees are dismissed from the affected office, it is expected that they will leave the office at the first opportunity to get home safely.

Supervisors are responsible for notifying off-site personnel who are on an on-forest duty status, and verifying their safe return.

Administrative leave may be granted, when the office is closed, to cover periods if it has been determined that it is not safe for employees to be at work.

The following are general rules to be used when granting administrative leave:

1. Administrative leave will be granted to all employees not already on other appropriate approved leave.

2. If the office is closed all day, all eligible employees will be granted administrative leave to cover their prearranged work schedule for the day.

3. If the office closes during the workday, administrative leave will be granted to eligible employees to complete their prearranged work schedule for the day.

Exhibit 01 – Frequently Asked Questionsprovides examples on how to code time.

Specific situations, not covered by general rules herein, may be worked out on a case-by-case basis.

38.3 - Exhibit 01 – Frequently Asked Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

AND

EXAMPLES

Administrative leave, due to extreme weather conditions, may only be granted by the Forest Supervisor or their designated acting in accordance with the provisions of FSH 6109.11, 38.3.

District Rangers are responsible for determining administrative leave for their districts.

General Rules concerning the applicability of administrative leave in circumstances of inclement weather:

1. Administrative leave applies only to persons working at the affected duty station, regardless of actual place of assignment. There is an exception to this for Work at Home Agreements. See below.

2. Administrative leave applies only to persons who are scheduled to be at or actually present at the affected duty station.

3. Persons who are scheduled to be absent from the duty station or who are on temporary duty at another location generally do not receive administrative leavedue to extreme weather conditions.

4. The actual amount of administrative leave received by an employee is going to vary based on their regularly scheduled workday and when they actually arrive or leave the assigned place of work.

The examples provided below address general situations which are likely to occur or which have occurred during previous building closures. If an employee or supervisor have any questions on the applicability of an example to a specific circumstance they should contact the Administrative Officer.

DELAY OF ARRIVAL WHEN AN OFFICE IS OFFICIALLY CLOSED

• Employees may only charge administrative leave for a delay in arriving at work against regularly scheduled work hours, as established on paycheck.

• The time chargeable as administrative leave ends upon arrival at work if the employee arrives at or prior to the delayed opening time.

• Employees arriving later than the delayed opening time must make up the difference with annual or some other type of leave (comp or credit).

• Employees previously scheduled for other types of leave during the delay period may not charge administrative leave for the time period covered by the delay.

• If the entire duty day is taken as annual leave, whether previously scheduled or not, then administrative leave is not chargeable for the delay period and the entire day is charged to annual leave.

Examples:

Scenario: The Forest Supervisor has ordered a delay in opening until 0900.

1. Employee #1’s normal duty day is from 0700-1600. The employee is scheduled to be present for duty at the Forest Headquarters on this day.

• Employee #1 arrives at the Forest Headquarters (FHQ) at 0900 and begins work. The time from 0700-0900 is coded as TC 66and the remainder of the duty day as TC 01.
• Employee #1 arrives at the FHQ at 0800 and begins work. The time from 0700-0800 is coded as TC 66 and the remainder of the day as TC 01.
• Employee #1 has travel difficulties and arrives at the FHQ at 1000 and begins work. The time from 0700-0900 is coded as TC 66, the period 0900 to 1000 as TC 61 (annual leave) and the remainder of the day from 1000 as TC 01.

2. Employee #2’s normal duty day is from 0800-1700. The employee is scheduled to be present for duty at the Forest Headquarters on this day.

• Employee #2 arrives at the FHQ at 0900 and begins work. The time from 0800-0900 is coded as TC 66and the remainder of the day as TC 01.

• Employee #2 arrives at the FHQ at 0800 and begins work. The time from 0800 and the remainder of the day are coded as TC 01.
• Employee #2 arrives at the FHQ at 1000 and begins work. The time from 0800-0900 is coded as TC 66, the period 0900 to 1000 is coded as TC 61 (annual leave) and the remainder of the day from 1000 as TC 01.

3. Other Types of Leave/Duty Examples:

Unscheduled Annual Leave:

• Employee #3 does not report for duty for the entire duty day. The time from 0700-1600 (8 hours) is coded as TC 61.

Scheduled Annual Leave:

• Employee #4 is on scheduled annual leave during this duty day. Employee #4 may not charge administrative leave for the delay period and then charge annual leave for the remainder of the duty day. The entire day is charged to TC 61.

Scheduled Sick Leave:

• Employee #5 has sick leave scheduled from 0700 to 0900 and then returns to work. The time from 0700-0900 is coded as TC 62 (Sick Leave) and the remainder of the day as TC 01.

Off Forest Duty:

• Employee #6 is on official travel off the Forest. Administrative leave direction for the location of the travel applies and not home unit direction.

On Forest Duty at a Location other than the FHQ or local travel: Duty at other locations on the Forest is highly variable and extremely weather dependent. In general employees need to use their discretion to travel safely and to meet commitments.

• An employee who must commute to the FHQ to pick up an official vehicle to drive to another office or meeting would apply the same examples outlined above for coding time.
• An employee who leaves directly from home to travel to another office or meeting site which is not delayed or closed may elect to proceed or delay based on their local circumstances. Apply the same examples outlined above for coding time.
• An employee who leaves directly from home to travel to another office or meeting site which is delayed or closed may elect to proceed or delay based on their local circumstances. Apply the same examples outlined above for coding time.
• An employee who is scheduled to be off site and elects to report for duty at the FHQ instead codes time as described above.

OFFICIAL EARLY CLOSURE OF AN OFFICE

• Employees may only charge administrative leave for an early closure against regularly scheduled work hours, as established on paycheck.

• The time chargeable as administrative leave begins upon the actual departure from the duty site even if the employee departs later than the ordered departure time.

• Employees departing earlier than the ordered closure time but after notification of an early closure has been made must make up the difference with annual or some other type of leave (comp or credit).

• Employees departing prior to notification of the closure are not eligible for administrative leave that results from a later closure.

• Employees previously scheduled for other types of leave on the day early closure are ordered may not charge administrative leave for the time period covered by the closure.

• If the entire duty day is taken as annual leave, whether previously scheduled or not, then administrative leave is not chargeable for the closure period and the entire day is charged to annual leave.

Examples:

Scenario: Based on inclement weather and driving conditions, the Forest Supervisor authorizes an early closure of the Forest Headquarters starting at 1500. Notification to employees is made at 1400.

1. Employee #1’s normal duty day is from 0700-1600. The employee is scheduled to be present for duty at the Forest Headquarters on this day.

• Employee #1 is on duty at the FHQ and departs at 1500. The time from0700-1500 is coded as TC 01 and 1500-1600 as TC 66.

• Employee #1 is on duty at the FHQ and elects to remain on duty to complete a project and stays till 1600. The time from 0700-1600 is coded as TC 01.

2. Employee #2’s normal duty day is from 0800-1700. The employee is scheduled to be present for duty at the Forest Headquarters on this day.

• Employee #2 is on duty at the FHQ and departs at 1500. The time from 0700-1500 is coded as TC 01code and the time from 1500-1700 is coded as TC 66.
• Employee #2 is on duty at the FHQ and elects to remain on duty to complete a project and stays till 1600. The time from 0700-1600 is coded as TC 01 and the time from 1600-1700 is coded as TC 66.

3. Employee #3’s normal duty day is from 0630-1500. The employee is scheduled to be present for duty at the Forest Headquarters on this day.

• Employee #3 is on duty at the FHQ and departs at 1500. The time from 0700-1500 is coded as TC 01. Employee #3 receives no administrative leave.

4. Employee #4’s normal duty day is from 0700-1600. The employee is scheduled to be present for duty at the Forest Headquarters on this day.

• Employee #4 is on duty at the FHQ and is notified of the closure at 1400 which is effective at 1500. The employee elects to leave immediately. The period from 1400 to 1500 is coded as TC 61 and the time from 1500-1600 as TC 66.

Other Types of Leave/Duty Examples:

Unscheduled Annual Leave:

• Employee #5 leaves at 1300 and prior to notification of an early closure. The time after 1300 is coded as TC 61.

Scheduled Annual Leave:

• Employee #6 is on scheduled annual leave. The time after 1500 is coded the same as the previous portion of the day.

Scheduled Sick Leave:

• Employee #7 has sick leave scheduled at 1300 for the remainder of the duty day. The time after 1300 is coded as TC 62 (Sick Leave).

Off Forest Duty:

• Employee #8 is on official travel off the Forest. Administrativeleave direction for the location of the official travel applies and not home unit direction.

On Forest Duty at a Location other than the FHQ: Duty at other locations on the Forest is highly variable and extremely weather dependent. In general, employees need to use their discretion to travel safely and meet commitments. Apply the rules as described above.

ALL DAY CLOSURE OF AN OFFICE

• All employees scheduled to be present for duty at the duty station for that day will code their time as TC 66 (administrative leave) for their entire duty day.

• Employees previously scheduled for leave for the entire day will charge leave to the scheduled code.

• Employees present at another site will charge time based on the conditions of that site.

TELEWORK (Flexiplace)

The key consideration is the Telework schedule. (FSM 6161)

Duty Station Closure (FSM 6161.55a)

Employees who telework from their residence and were regularly scheduled to telework on the day when the office is closed for a partial or full day should work a full day, unless their residence is affected by the emergency. If the teleworker has no work to perform because the duty station is closed, the teleworker will be granted administrative leave similar to employees who were not teleworking on the day or at the times of the closure.

Employees who were not scheduled to telework on the day of an office closure are not required to telework, unless they are identified as an emergency or mission critical employee and can perform their duties from their telework location.

Emergency or Interruption at Telework Location (FSM-6161.55c )

Employeeswho are scheduled to telework on a day when a short-term emergency outside of the employee's control affects the Telework location should contact their supervisor and may be granted excused absence during the emergency. An example of a short-term emergency includes: power, phone, internet or VPN outages; damage to telework location; closure of telework site; including severe weather.) When an employee knows in advance of a situation that would preclude working at a telework worksite, either extra hours in the office or appropriate leave must be scheduled.