You have a certain amount of flexibility regarding your work schedule, depending on the needs of your organization. Review the topics listed below, then discuss your options directly with your Supervisor.

While specific implementation is left at the discretion of the agency, there are various Alternate Work Schedule (AWS) options that may be available to you per Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Guidelines:

An agency may implement for its employees an alternative work schedule (AWS) instead of traditional fixed work schedules (e.g., 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week). Within rules established by the agency, AWS can enable employees to have work schedules that help the employee balance work and family or personal responsibilities.

FWS consist of workdays with (1) core hours and (2) flexible hours. Core hours are the designated period of the day when all employees must be at work. Flexible hours are the part of the workday when employees may (within limits or "bands") choose their time of arrival and departure. Within limits set by their agencies, FWS can enable employees to select and alter their work schedules to better fit personal needs and help balance work, personal, and family responsibilities.

CWS are fixed work schedules, but they enable full-time employees to complete the basic 80-hour biweekly work requirement in less than 10 workdays.

There are a variety of ways that you can meet your basic work requirements via a schedule that is best for you. Depending on the specific needs of your office, you may be able to take advantage of a compressed or flexible work schedule at the discretion of your Supervisor.

For more information regarding the work schedules (including AWS options) as specified by OPM, please visit: http://www.opm.gov/oca/worksch.

Federal Holidays

There are twenty Federal Holidays for which Federal employees receive holiday pay. For the current Calendar of Federal Holidays, please click on the "Current Federal Holidays" button to your right, or visit http://www.opm.gov/Operating_Status_Schedules/fedhol/.

Weather Emergency Days

Recently, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) updated government-wide policies regarding how agencies deal with weather and other emergencies. The result was the OPM Washington, DC, Area Dismissal and Closure Procedures booklet. You can download a copy by clicking on this link.

Another option for that can provide you flexible options for meeting work requirements is Telework. Telework is an arrangement that allows employees to conduct some or all of their work at a location other than their official worksite. Telework can be completed in an employee’s home, a telework center, or an alternately approved worksite.

Similar to AWS, telework is implemented by individual organizations depending on their operational requirements and staffing needs. You will need to discuss your telework options with your Supervisor.

The Federal Government provides a wide range of benefits to civilian employees to help them meet their personal and family needs. Information about civilian leave entitlements is provided so that you can easily see what is available to help you balance your work and personal life — whether you plan to take time off for a vacation, go to the doctor's office, or help take care of a family member with a serious medical condition.

Here is some information regarding the various forms of leave available to federal employees:

• Annual Leave is time off with pay that may be used for vacations, rest and relaxation, and personal business or emergencies
• Sick Leave allows employees to take time off from duty with pay to deal with their personal medical needs and the medical needs of family members
• Organ/Bone Marrow Donor Leave allows employees to take certain amounts of paid leave each calendar year to serve as a bone marrow or organ donor
• Administrative Leave is a period of administratively authorized absence from official duties without loss of pay and without charge to an employee's leave account
• Leave Without Pay (LWOP) is a temporary non-pay status and absence from duty that, in most cases, is granted at the employee's request
• Court Leave entitles an employee to paid time off without charge to leave for service as a juror or witness
• The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides most full time Federal employees with an entitlement to a total of 12 weeks (480 hours) of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for certain medical situations affecting them or member of their family
• Military Leave entitles National Guard members or military reservists be absent from work for certain types of active or inactive duty

There is no separate leave category for Parental Leave. Instead, employees are entitled to use paid and unpaid leave, along with workplace scheduling flexibilities, to meet their family obligations.

For Office of Personnel Management (OPM) documentation regarding leave, please refer to: http://www.opm.gov/oca/leave/HTML/factindx.asp.