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Return to Article: Federal workers will get time off for travel

• 8183
  

  Yes, this IS about time. It is nice to see common sense prevail on this issue. Some folks I know had been pushing the limits of the definition of 'credit hours' to gain recognition for their hours spent traveling. Now they can earn 'travel comp' with a clear conscience.

  I, too, am also hearing about supervisors in my agency who are not going to 'approve' travel comp for their traveling employees. Uh, it's a regulation now -- under what authority do you propose to 'disapprove' someone's travel time?

  On the flip side, this will create a lot of additional leave for folks who are likely already at the Use/Lose limit anyway. Since you have to use it in 26 pay periods, this will create an additional burden on getting the work done.

  Overall, I'm very happy to see us finally get this issue out in the open and with some resolution that treats employees fairly.

  GovExec.com reader Posted February 4, 2005 9:48 AM
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  I say it's about time. So many hours of my life have been spent traveling for official business on Saturdays, Sundays or evenings. I've often wondered how we can be exempt from the fair labor standards act when we're NOT salaried workers? I also wish we could get this retroactive, I'd be off for the next 6 months on comp time! Thanks for finaly doing what's right for those of us who don't earn overtime when we're traveling. And for the person who wondered what "already being compensated" meant, it means if you're getting overtime pay (most folks below a GS11) not if your receiving the per diem. Hopefully managers won't beat this to death and cause travelers any grief in getting compensated for THEIR time. Have a great day!

  GovExec.com reader Posted February 1, 2005 9:19 AM
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  "Senior personnel officials will have the choice of authorizing compensatory leave in six or 15 minute increments." Why is it so difficult to make a precise statement that all agencies can follow?

  "The new rules state that employees are not eligible for compensatory leave if they are already being compensated for their travel time." How much more vague can you be. Activites will be thinking, well they do get per diem and their travel is paid for, so we don't have to compensate them for their time.

  "The OPM regulations parse time with strict detail. Usual waiting time, such as layovers between flights, may be counted under travel status. Meals and several other leisure activities, however, must be excluded from the computation of compensatory time off." Is it a requirement somewhere that when you write anything that might favor your employees that it must be written as vague as possible? So if I am in a 45 minute layover and I sit a table and have a BLT my time doesnt count? If I play a Pin Ball Machine to kill time it doesn't count? If I read a book It doesn't count? Just write it clearly so we can all no matter how high in managment or how dense we are or pretend to be when interpreting, we all come up with the same interpretation. I understand that if I am traveling through a vacation spot and take time to enjoy the day, that I will not be compensated, if I stop in Las Vegas for a night I won't be compensated. That's all clear, but the above quotes are not.

  "If an employee experiences an extended [i.e. not usual] waiting time between actual periods of travel during which the employee is free to rest, sleep, or otherwise use the time for his or her own purposes, the extended waiting time is not creditable as time in a travel status," the interim rules state. If I am waiting for an extended time? and I sleep in the chair at the gate or am setting in the airplane on the runway sleeping, the time doesn't count? Why not state that "travel time outside the working day of 0730 to 1600, will be allowed compensatory time, the time creditable will be as booked for the travel (example: travel booking is from 1300 to 1800, time creditable is the 2 hours beyond 1600). Flight delays, weather, etc. that affect the actual travel time are not included."

  William R Weaver Posted January 31, 2005 10:16 AM
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  I wonder how this will effect local travel. We have three locations that we can be and often are sent to. Travel has been on our own time without compensation. Also, we often are required to travel 32 miles, one-way to attend various training sessions. Will we be getting comp time?

  GovExec.com reader Posted January 29, 2005 1:39 AM
• 8048
  

  Except- not applicable at the FAA.

  At least that is what FAA is telling us now. They say even though it is a "governmentwide regulation", they don't have to adopt it if they don't want to.

  Today they told one of the Unions that if they wanted to get comp time for travel, all they had to do was capitulate on paybanding, and agree to go under the pay band system called Core Comp.

  Thanks, but no thanks.

  Instead, we are suggesting they take their proposal to link travel time comp time to core comp and... wait, I can't say that here.

  Sorry.

  Jim Posted January 28, 2005 7:29 PM
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  We have supervisors at our location who have indicated it will be the supervisors discretion whether you will get travel for time on the weekend or nights. They feel you are already getting plenty compensation with your per diem. Wasn't aware that this was up for negotiation??

  Government Employee Posted January 28, 2005 11:40 AM
• 8028
  

  I thank the unions for fighting for this for years. Without their efforts this would not happen.

  GovExec.com reader Posted January 28, 2005 7:56 AM