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NASA
Procedural
Requirements

NPR 3600.1C
Effective Date: September 01, 2022
Expiration Date: September 01, 2027

COMPLIANCE IS MANDATORY FOR NASA EMPLOYEES

Subject: Attendance and Leave

Responsible Office: Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer

Chapter 2. Hours of Duty and Work Schedules

2.1 Establishment of Workweeks

2.1.1 The Agency’s administrative workweek begins at 12:01 a.m. Sunday and ends at 12:00 midnight the following Saturday. Each pay period consists of two administrative workweeks.

2.1.2 Centers shall establish hours of duty within the basic work week for all full-time employees. The basic workweek for full-time employees is fixed at 40 hours over five days (Monday through Friday) with eight hours each day, exclusive of the luncheon period, unless the employee works a flexible or compressed work schedule or is on a first 40-hour work schedule.

2.1.3 The regularly scheduled administrative workweek can be the same as the basic workweek for full-time employees who do not have regularly scheduled overtime. For part-time employees, the administrative workweek is their prescribed days and hours.

2.1.4 When standby duty covers a period of 24 consecutive hours, except in cases of emergencies, eight of the 24 hours will be allowed for sleeping and eating; these eight hours are not charged as hours of work.

2.2 Establishment of Work Schedules

2.2.1 Work schedule for a regularly scheduled administrative workweek and a basic workweek are the same for full-time employees who do not have regularly scheduled overtime. Example: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., including 30 minutes for lunch, Monday through Friday.

2.2.2 Supervisors may approve employee requests for work schedule variations (e.g., Maxiflex) for personal reasons, (e.g., to pursue educational goals, balance work and family demands, improve fitness/health, etc.) when the work schedule will not interfere with accomplishment of work to be performed and when there will be no additional costs to the Government. Supervisors will record work schedule changes in the Agency time and attendance system prior to the start of the affected pay period when possible.

2.2.3 Supervisors will advise employees of any work schedule change in advance, unless the hours of work cannot be determined in advance due to the nature of the employee’s duties.

2.3 Alternate Work Schedules

OICs of Headquarters Offices/Center Directors are authorized to establish compressed and flexible work schedules in accordance with the provisions of Hours of Duty, 5 CFR pt. 610.

2.4 First 40 Work Schedule

2.4.1 When it is impracticable to prescribe a regular workweek tour of duty schedule due to mission requirements, OICs of Headquarters Offices/Center Directors are authorized to establish the first 40 hours of duty performed within a period of not more than six days of the administrative workweek as the basic workweek.

2.4.2 A first 40-hour tour of duty is the basic workweek without the requirement for specific days and hours within the administrative workweek. All work performed by an employee within the first 40 hours is considered regularly scheduled work for premium pay and hours of duty purposes.

2.5 Credit Hours

2.5.1 Credit hours are hours that an employee on a flexible work schedule elects to work, with supervisory approval, in excess of the normal workday requirement. Employees on compressed work schedules are not eligible to earn credit hours. Employees may accumulate the maximum amount allowable by law. Credit hours are voluntary and do not entitle an employee to night differential, Sunday premium pay, or holiday pay.

2.5.2 Employees will follow established organizational procedures for earning or requesting use of credit hours. Accounting for earning/usage of credit hours is the same as any other leave categories (reference Chapter 3 of this directive).

2.5.3 The Center Director or OIC establishes time bands where employees can earn credit hours.

2.5.4 The following applies for situations where an employee with a credit hour balance voluntarily or temporarily moves from a flexible work schedule to a non-flexible work schedule:

a. Employees will not be paid for the balance of earned credit hours based on a voluntary or temporary work schedule change.

b. Employees will retain the credit hours they have earned and may continue to use/charge to the earned credit hours until their credit hour balance is at zero hours.

2.5.5 For the duration of an employee’s employment at NASA, any earned credit hours will remain available for use regardless of work schedule changes.

2.5.6 Senior Executive Service (SES) members are not authorized to earn credit hours; SES members who have a credit hour balance from a previous NASA General Schedule (GS) or ST/SL appointment may continue to use/charge to those earned credit hours until their credit hour balance is at zero balance.

2.6 Compensatory Time Off for Religious Observances

2.6.1 Employees will be permitted to modify work hours, in accordance with 5 CFR pt. 550, subpt. J, for the purpose of taking time off without charge to leave for religious observances. Employees shall schedule time to earn and use religious compensatory time off in accordance with all applicable regulatory requirements and organizational leave procedures.

2.6.2 If the employee fails to earn religious compensatory time off within 13 pay periods after taking religious compensatory time off, corrective action will be taken to eliminate or reduce the negative balance by making a corresponding reduction in the employee’s available paid leave balance.

2.6.3 When religious compensatory time off is requested, the employee shall provide the name and/or description of the religious observance, dates and times of absence, and dates and times the employee plans to earn religious compensatory time off.

2.7 Part-Time Work Schedule

2.7.1 Supervisors may authorize an employee’s request to convert from a full-time to a part-time work schedule. Prior to considering such a request, supervisors shall ensure that the part-time schedule will not adversely impact the organization’s ability to accomplish its work and that the employee has obtained information on the impact to Federal benefits, including health benefits, pay, leave, and retirement.

2.7.2 According to the provisions in Other than Full-Time Career Employment, 5 CFR pt. 340, part-time employment is defined as a work schedule that is regularly scheduled from 16 to 32 hours per week or 32 to 64 hours per pay period.

2.7.3 Servicing HR Directors or designees may temporarily or permanently approve employees to work less than the basic part-time requirement limit (16 to 32 hours per week).

2.7.4 To change an employee’s work schedule to part-time, supervisors will coordinate with the servicing HR office for guidance on officially documenting the work schedule change. This coordination is not required for employees on student appointments.