U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

CPM 2003-18

December 10, 2003

MEMORANDUM FOR HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

The President has issued an Executive order excusing Executive branch non-Postal Service employees from duty on Friday, December 26, 2003, except those who, in the judgment of the head of the agency, cannot be excused for reasons of national security, defense, or other public need. For pay and leave purposes, December 26, 2003, will be treated as falling within the scope of statutes and Executive orders governing holidays for Federal employees.

Most employees who are excused from duty on December 26th will receive the basic pay they would have received if no Executive order had been issued. An employee who was previously scheduled to take annual leave on December 26th will not be charged annual leave (or any other form of paid leave, compensatory time off, or credit hours). (This policy does not apply to employees who receive annual premium pay for standby duty under 5 U.S.C. 5545(c)(1) or to firefighters who are covered by the special pay provisions of 5 U.S.C. 5545b.) An employee who is required to work nonovertime hours on December 26th is entitled to holiday premium pay under 5 U.S.C. 5546(b).

For general pay and leave administration instructions, please refer to our fact sheets on:

• Federal holidays at http://www.opm.gov/oca/worksch/HTM L/HOLIDAY.HTM,
• compressed work schedules at http://www.opm.g ov/oca/worksch/HTML/AWScws.htm, and
• flexible work schedules at http://www.opm.gov/oca/worksch/HTML/awsfws.htm.

Employees of the U.S. Postal Service and contract employees should contact their supervisors (or contract officers) to obtain information on their pay and leave entitlements for December 26th.

Attachment:

• Executive order