HRDG 4610 - Tours of Duty - Section A

Each agency head (authorizing official):

• Determines policy in regard to use of standard, nonstandard, and alternate work schedules; and
• Monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of tours of duty in terms of set objectives.

Managers and supervisors:

• Are ultimately responsible for setting up tours of duty for their employees, in accordance with agency guidelines, Activity delegations of authority, and mission requirements;
• Plan and organize work assignments to utilize work schedules to the best advantage;
• Establish tour expectations including policies for recording attendance;
• Ensure that employees who are nonexempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act regulations do not exceed an 8-hour workday except when overtime is officially authorized or as permitted by regulations governing flexible or compressed tours;
• Ensure that the office is covered during customer service hours; and
• Review the accuracy of T&A reports and initial via electronic or original signature T&A reports before they are certified and sent to the National Finance Center (NFC).

For organizations using alternative work schedules, managers and supervisors also:

• Attempt to schedule meetings and other all-employee functions during core times;
• Resolve differences between employees and subordinate supervisors on tour of duty requests; and
• Approve the tour of duty for each employee and any changes in the schedule.

Employees are responsible for:

• Reporting to work on time and following applicable tour rules,
• Preparing and validating the T&A report or other appropriate document (timecard, logsheet, WebTA etc.) to verify that it accurately reflects hours actually worked; and
• Maintaining appropriate documentation to support scheduled and performed work.

For employees where flexible or compressed work schedules are approved and where work requirements allow employees to have input into the scheduling of their tour, responsibilities include:

• Establishing a written or electronic schedule using MRP Form 346 (181.08 KB), or equivalent, in conjunction with the supervisor, that reflects the ability to accomplish the job requirements in the most efficient and effective manner.

AMS and APHIS Only:

Note:

• When using WebTA the recording of clock hours (e.g., 8:00 to 5:30 p.m.) function is not required.
• The use of WebTA for leave and premium pay requests is required when connectivity to the internet is available.

This chart applies to all APHIS employees regardless of tour of duty.

For employees on flexible work schedules:

• Signing in and out on a daily basis on the logsheet (or via other supervisory approved methods) is only required if employees have extended or shortened their work day by, e.g., gliding, using leave, or earning credit hours, compensatory time, or working overtime. Supervisors may still choose to establish an office policy requiring daily signing in and out. Signing in and out procedures must include Telework program participants.

Note: AMS employees must maintain a daily log. Each manager/supervisor will determine the appropriate format to be used in recording daily attendance.

• Recording time for the lunch break is only required if employees have taken more than 30 minutes for lunch and this causes a deviation from the established TOD. It also is not required if employees have already scheduled a longer lunch, i.e., 45 or 60 minutes and do not deviate from this schedule.
• Recording hours absent and type of leave used in the appropriate column on the day it is used (the leave may need to be adjusted at the end of the pay period if employees work under maxiflex);
• Recording overtime, compensatory time, and other special situations in the appropriate section WebTA may be required;
• Signing the log sheet and the T&A at the end of each pay period may not be required if WebTA is used; and
• Recording work hours may be accomplished through traditional sign in/out forms, electronically, by phone, or other supervisory approved method.

T&A Clerks:

• Accurately complete the T&A form,
• Review attendance at the end of each pay period to ensure each employee has recorded work hours,
• Perform T&A audits when required, and
• Retain all T&A logs for 6 years.

Note: The General Services Administration requirement for retention of T&A records is 3 years; however, the statute of limitations on pay claims against the Federal Government is 6 years. It is necessary to have to detailed records in order to adjudicate claims. NFC served as a retention point for such T&A records in the past. With the change to electronic records, however, sufficient data is not available to reconstruct work records for adjudication of claims. The absence of agency records will not excuse the agency or cause the Office of Personnel Management to dismiss the pay claim. Logsheets and any supporting data, therefore, must be maintained locally for a 6-year period.

For flexible schedules, T&A clerks:

• When required, use the logsheet (hardcopy or electronic form) to help complete the T&A
• Ensure permanent changes in tours of duty are supported by an approved written or electronic request for permanent change in tour of duty
• Ensure temporary changes in schedule are documented
• When required by the supervisor, review and validate employee entries in WebTA
• Bring any discrepancy to the supervisor's attention before validating transferring the data in WebTA

Note: In locations without T&A clerks, employees are responsible for completing the T&A's in accordance with these guidelines.

Detailed instructions on timekeeping requirements are available in the T&A manual published by the National Finance Center (NFC). Timekeepers should review this manual on-line for answers to specific timekeeping problems.

In addition WebTA FAQs (Employees Only ) are available on-line.