NASA logo NASA Headquarters' Directives
HQPR 3600.1
Effective Date: September 20, 2010
Expiration Date: September 20, 2027
Responsible Office: LE
Hours of Duty
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Table of Contents | Preface | Chapter1 | Chapter2 | Chapter3 | Chapter4 | Chapter5 | Chapter6 | Chapter7 | AppendixA | AppendixB | AppendixC | AppendixD | AppendixE

CHAPTER 2. Hours of Duty

2.1 Basic Workweek

2.1.1 The NASA HQ basic workweek, or regularly scheduled administrative work week, for full-time employees is 40 hours, Monday through Friday, 8 hours each day. For part-time employees, the basic workweek is normally regularly scheduled work from 16 to 32 hours per week. The work schedule for a part-time employee shall be specified on the employee's Standard Form 50, Notification of Personnel Action.

2.1.2 Hours of duty for employees who participate in an AWS may vary from the basic work week in accordance with the provisions of this HQPR.

2.2 Official Business Hour

2.2.1 The official business hours for NASA Headquarters are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

2.2.2 Employees participating in an AWS are subject to the hours of duty contained in the specific work schedule they are approved with regard to both their initial tour of duty and to any subsequent changes in their hours of duty.

2.2.3 Regularly scheduled work hours shall begin no earlier than 6:00 a.m. and end no later than 6:00 p.m.

2.3 Basic Work Requirement

2.3.1 Each work schedule has a basic work requirement in which an employee shall complete his/her tour of duty (i.e., the number of hours and days scheduled in a biweekly pay period during which an employee is required to work, excluding overtime hours).

2.3.2 Employees shall work or account for their basic work requirement by charging annual or sick leave, earned credit hours, earned compensatory time, earned time off award, excused absence, or holiday hours.

2.4 Part-Time Schedules

2.4.1 Part-time schedules may be established when the workload will not support full-time employment. Part-time work schedules consist of a regular tour of duty of not less than 16 hours per week and not more than 32 hours per week.

2.4.2 Part-time employees are not eligible for a First-Forty tour. Part-time employees are eligible to work an AWS. However, an employee working a part-time schedule should schedule at least 16 hours per week. For example, if a part-time employee is hired to work 32 hours a pay period, he/she would not be able to schedule 32 hours one week and 0 hours the next.

2.4.3 Whenever possible, if an employee request to work less than a full-time schedule, he/she should be offered the option of converting to a part-time schedule. Except on a limited basis, regular and recurring leave without pay (LWOP) will not be used as a means to allow an employee to remain on a full-time schedule while working part-time or less than part-time.

2.4.4 At an employee's request, the supervisor may approve LWOP during a pay period (vs. changing to a part- time schedule) for up to two pay periods. After two pay periods, a personnel action should be processed to permanently change the employee's work schedule from full-time to part-time

2.4.5 Exceptions may be made by the supervisor for an employee authorized LWOP under the provisions of the Family Medical Leave Act, for active duty military service, reasonable accommodation, or when an employee is receiving entitlements under the workers' compensation program.

2.5 Variations for Educational Purposes

2.5.1 If a work schedule cannot be accommodated under one of the available AWS tours, an employee may request an exception and be assigned a special tour to allow him/her to take courses at nearby colleges or universities if:

a. The employee is both permanent and full-time;

b. Work conditions and work schedules of other employees are not adversely affected;

c. The course has a work-related purpose or will prepare the employee for more advanced work at NASA;

d. The employee has a performance rating of at least "fully successful;"

e. The employee is participating in a formal competitive NASA-approved academic program;

f. The employee agrees to remain responsible for an 80- hour bi-weekly pay period and the scheduled hours and days are not subject to premium pay (i.e., prior to 6:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m., or Saturdays or Sundays); and

g. The immediate supervisor approves the hours of duty. The decision to approve/disapprove an employee's request for academic training during duty hours rests with the immediate supervisor.

2.5.2 A written request for a special tour, addressing paragraphs a. through e. approved by the immediate supervisor shall be submitted to the Director, HQ HRMD, for approval of an exception to the available tours at HQ. Exceptions to the limitations to HQ work schedules for educational purposes will be made on a case-by-case basis.

2.6 Lunch Period

2.6.1 For all tours, a mandatory 30-minute lunch period is built into the work schedule if an employee is scheduled to work 8 or more hours a day. A 30-minute lunch period may be built into the work schedule if an employee is scheduled to work 6 but less than 8 hours a day. Lunch periods are unpaid time and are in addition to an employee's regularly scheduled work hours.

2.6.2 The first 30 minutes of the work day and the last 30 minutes of the work day cannot be considered a lunch period (i.e., an employee cannot skip a lunch period in order to arrive late or leave early).

2.6.3 An employee working a Standard, Compressed, or First Forty tour may, with supervisory approval, choose a lunch period of up to one hour, but should adjust his/her arrival and/or departure an equivalent amount of time, ensuring that the work is performed during the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. For an employee on a Standard or Compressed tour, once the lunch period is chosen (i.e., 30 minutes, 45 minutes, an hour, etc.) and the arrival and/or departure time is adjusted, the schedule becomes fixed.

2.6.4 An employee working a Flexitour tour may, with prior supervisor approval, choose a lunch period of up to two hours, but should adjust his/her arrival and/or departure an equivalent amount of time, ensuring that the work is performed during the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Once the lunch period is chosen (i.e. 30 minutes, 45 minutes, an hour, etc.) and the arrival and/or departure time is adjusted, the schedule becomes fixed.

2.6.5 An employee working a Variable Week or Maxiflex tour may, with prior supervisory approval, take advantage of flexilunch and extend his/her lunch period on any given workday of up to two hours, but should adjust his/her arrival and/or departure an equivalent amount of time that day, ensuring that the work is performed during the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

2.7 Rest Periods

2.7.1 Rest periods (breaks) are applicable to all tours and are granted at the discretion of the supervisor for the efficiency, health, or safety of employees, and as such are an employee benefit, not an entitlement. Examples would include breaks to provide relief from work which require continual or considerable mental exertion, promote safety by removal of fatigue or to maintain a high quality of work.

2.7.2 Rest periods are a normal part of the work schedule and cannot be accumulated or otherwise included in computing lunch periods or the arrival/departure time of an employee.

2.7.3 The aggregate period of rest should not exceed 15 minutes during each 4 hours of continuous work.

2.8 Overtime and Compensatory Time

2.8.1 If an employee is required by management to work hours which are in excess of his/her basic work requirement, these hours will be compensated as either compensatory time or overtime in accordance with the premium pay provisions of Title 5 and Title 38 of the United States code, the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and in accordance with NPR 3530.1, NASA Pay and Compensation Policy. This does not apply to SES employees who are not entitled to overtime or compensatory time.

2.8.2 For Standard, Flexible and First Forty tours, overtime work refers to all hours of work in excess of 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week which are officially ordered and approved in advance. Employees on a Flexible tour may be ordered to work hours that are in excess of the number of hours the employee planned to work on a specific day. If the hours ordered to be worked are not in excess of 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week at the time they are performed, the supervisor shall permit the employee to:

a. modify his/her work schedule and take time off from work on a subsequent workday for a period of time equal to the number of extra hours of work ordered;

b. voluntarily complete his/her basic work requirement as scheduled and count the extra hours of work ordered as credit hours; or

c. complete his/her basic work requirement as scheduled. This will result in an employee entitlement to be compensated at the rate of basic pay for any hours of work equal to or less than 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week. An employee also would be entitled to overtime pay for hours of work ordered in excess of 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week.

2.8.2.1 The hours should be documented in WebTADs according to the option permitted above.

2.8.3 For Compressed tours, overtime work for full-time employees refers to all hours of work in excess of the compressed work schedule which are officially ordered and approved in advance. For part-time employees, overtime hours are hours worked in excess of the compressed work schedule for a day (but should be more than 8 hours) or, for a week (but should be more than 40 hours).

2.8.4 Work schedules should not create a pattern of overtime or compensatory time. For example, if an employee is required by management to regularly work on the employee's non-workday(s) there by accumulating overtime or compensatory hours, the employee's schedule shall be changed where the employee is required to report to work five days a week.

2.9 Telework

2.9.1 An employee may telework under any of the available work schedule options, with management approval. An employee is still responsible for meeting the hour requirements of his/her work schedule the day(s) that they telework. Telework guidance can be found in HQPR 3611.1, Telework Policy.

2.10 Closing of NASA Headquarters

2.10.1 OPM coordinates and announces dismissal and closure decisions concerning Federal employees when emergency conditions affect a significant number of employees in the Washington, D.C. area and cause disruptions to government operations. NASA HQ will follow the instructions in these OPM announcements and the guidance provided in the Washington, D.C., Area Dismissal or Closure Procedures during emergency situations.

2.10.2 The Executive Director, HQ Operations, in collaboration with the Director, HQ HRMD, shall notify the Office of Human Capital Management in writing of any necessity to exclude certain offices, activities, or categories of employees from the Washington, D.C. dismissal plan.

2.10.3 The Executive Director, HQ Operations, in collaboration with the Director, HQ Facilities & Administrative Services Division, and the lease holder, shall make a decision if NASA HQ will be closed fully or partially due to a facility problem such as water, power failure or heating problems or other type of emergency situation that affects the NASA HQ facility. The Assistant Administrator for Human Capital Management shall be notified at the earliest possible time of the decision to close NASA HQ, or a major portion of NASA HQ.

2.10.4 If the emergency is due to a facility failure, the Executive Director, HQ Operations, shall notify affected employees by the most appropriate means (i.e., Notices via HQ-NASA INC, phone call to the Officials- in-Charge of HQ offices, InformaCast, via Public Address system, or the Emergency Notification System).

2.10.5 If an emergency situation occurs during off hours, information will be communicated via the Emergency Notification System, a recorded message on the HQ Center Operations Information line (202-358- 3000), and/or an announcement in the news media.


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