Official Time Usage in the Federal Government
|
DEPARTMENTS |
FY 2003 |
FY 2002 |
1998[1] |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Official Time (hours) |
# of Bargaining Unit (BU) Employees[2] |
Official Time per BU Employee |
Official Time (hours) |
Official Time per BU Employee[3] |
Annualized Official Time (hours) |
Official Time per BU Employee |
|
Agriculture[4] |
170,370 |
43,367 |
3.93 |
127,188 |
2.92 |
164,482 |
4.23 |
Commerce |
46,191 |
14,977[5] |
3.08 |
47,238 |
2.66 |
18,566 |
1.24 |
Defense |
1,199,419 |
405,995 |
2.95 |
1,301,718 |
3.20 |
1,360,120 |
2.82 |
Education |
14,538 |
3,287 |
4.42 |
16,373 |
4.98 |
21,904 |
6.98 |
Energy[6] |
22,885 |
7,071 |
3.24 |
17,400 |
2.46 |
17,626 |
1.95 |
HHS |
46,194 |
27,501[5] |
1.68 |
54,289 |
1.91 |
64,766 |
2.65 |
Homeland Security[7] |
156,510 |
45,488 |
3.44 |
|
|
|
|
HUD |
27,471 |
7,409[5] |
3.71 |
20,062 |
2.77 |
37,340 |
3.78 |
Interior |
26,754 |
21,911 |
1.22 |
33,669 |
1.54 |
49,188 |
2.21 |
Justice |
90,072 |
24,884 |
3.62 |
164,504 |
3.11 |
105,150 |
2.42 |
Labor |
89,714 |
11,762[5] |
7.63 |
98,340 |
8.16 |
101,500 |
9.16 |
State |
13,192 |
12,936 |
1.02 |
8,917 |
0.69 |
3,714 |
0.33 |
Transportation |
682,228 |
40,276 |
16.94 |
803,475[8] |
18.18 |
193,728 |
5.72 |
Treasury |
748,793 |
98,721[5] |
7.58 |
846,910 |
7.21 |
955,666 |
8.11 |
VA |
791,188 |
162,240 |
4.88 |
756,407 |
4.66 |
606,150 |
3.66 |
AGENCIES |
|||||||
EPA |
52,441 |
12,519 |
4.19 |
54,740 |
4.37 |
20,408 |
10.87 |
EEOC |
17,810 |
2,075 |
8.58 |
12,238 |
5.90 |
42,152 |
5.06 |
FDIC |
9,104 |
4,349 |
2.09 |
13,636 |
3.14 |
16,308 |
2.77 |
GSA[9] |
40,877 |
8,245 |
4.96 |
41,606 |
5.05 |
43,236 |
4.66 |
GPO |
9,785 |
2,193[5] |
4.46 |
13,108 |
5.42 |
17,380 |
5.84 |
NASA |
11,672 |
10,579 |
1.10 |
13,620 |
1.29 |
19,194 |
1.62 |
NRC |
5,214 |
1,974 |
2.64 |
5,173 |
2.62 |
13,530 |
6.23 |
OPM |
6,738 |
1,562 |
4.31 |
8,733 |
5.59 |
14,330 |
7.96 |
SSA |
420,779 |
51,532 |
8.17 |
431,316 |
8.37 |
395,384 |
7.68 |
All Others |
58,208 |
16,579 |
3.51 |
66,266 |
2.42 |
50,786 |
3.44 |
TOTAL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT |
4,758,147 |
1,039,432 |
4.58 |
4,954,704 |
4.71 |
4,332,608 |
3.99 |
Nine agencies, encompassing 207,999 bargaining unit employees, had rates of between 7.5 and nearly 17 official time hours per bargaining unit employee and reported a total of 1,991,151 official time hours� percent of all reported official time hours. Twenty-two agencies, encompassing a total of 752,914 bargaining unit employees, reported a rate of between 2 and 5 hours per bargaining unit employee and 2,663,205 total official time hours� percent of all reported official time hours. This group includes 72.4 percent of all bargaining unit employees in reporting agencies. Fifteen agencies, encompassing 78,519 bargaining unit employees, reported per bargaining employee rates from 0 to 2 hours and 103,791 official time hours.
Total reported official time hours and the rate of hours expended per bargaining unit employee remained stable between FY 2002 and FY 2003. In fact, there were decreases in both measures. Total official time hours decreased by 4 percent over the year, from 4,954,704 hours in FY 2002 to 4,758,147 hours in FY 2003. Official time hours expended per bargaining unit employee decreased Government-wide by 2.9 percent, from 4.71 hours per employee in FY 2002 to 4.58 hours in FY 2003.
The total estimated cost of official time to agencies also remained stable, increasing only 1.6 percent, from $126,570,125 in FY 2002 to $128,637,162 in FY 2003. Central Personnel Data File (CPDF) pay data, upon which our cost estimates rest, show a Government-wide 5.7 percent increase in average adjusted base pay over the time period. The increase in total cost, in spite of a decrease in total official time hours, can clearly be attributed to the concomitant increase in Federal pay.
TABLE 2 - OFFICIAL TIME ESTIMATED COSTS
BY MAJOR AGENCY 2003, 2002 AND 1998
DEPARTMENTS |
Cost of Official Time 2003[10] |
Cost of Official Time 2002[11] |
Cost of Official Time 1998[12] (annualized) |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agriculture |
$ |
3,589,696 |
$ |
2,422,075 |
$ |
3,471,000 |
Commerce |
1,280,415 |
1,224,152 |
363,000 |
|||
Defense |
28,318,283 |
29,175,228 |
31,603,000 |
|||
Education |
473,939 |
502,092 |
701,000 |
|||
Energy |
807,612 |
575,142 |
632,000 |
|||
HHS |
1,363,185 |
1,468,778 |
3,128,000 |
|||
Homeland Security |
3,580,949 |
|
|
|||
HUD[13] |
896,653 |
621,160 |
1,188,000 |
|||
Interior |
615,342 |
704,707 |
1,177,000 |
|||
Justice |
2,195,055 |
3,678,413 |
2,647,000 |
|||
Labor[13] |
3,008,375 |
2,721,938 |
3,468,000 |
|||
State |
412,646 |
271,052 |
129,000 |
|||
Transportation |
27,725,746 |
29,559,382[14] |
7,671,000 |
|||
Treasury |
18,517,651 |
19,628,768 |
20,855,000 |
|||
VA |
18,482,152 |
16,859,148 |
12,867,000 |
|||
AGENCIES |
||||||
EPA |
1,895,742 |
1,881,187 |
1,260,000 |
|||
EEOC |
558,878 |
356,200 |
643,000 |
|||
FDIC |
378,635 |
538,288 |
N/A |
|||
GSA |
1,171,535 |
1,090,906 |
471,000 |
|||
GPO |
239,635 |
305,675 |
1,143,000 |
|||
NASA |
452,640 |
496,766 |
752,000 |
|||
NRC |
215,182 |
203,901 |
602,000 |
|||
OPM |
142,778 |
174,568 |
394,000 |
|||
SSA |
10,389,034 |
10,267,187 |
11,255,000 |
|||
All Other Agencies |
1,925,408 |
1,843,412 |
1,877,000 |
|||
TOTAL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT |
$ |
128,637,162 |
$ |
126,570,125 |
$ |
108,297,000 |
While total official time hours remained stable over FY 2002, some agencies did experience notable changes. The Departments of Agriculture and Energy cited significant labor union involvement in A-76 competitive sourcing initiatives, realignments and re-organizations as a major source of increases in their official time hours.
Agencies losing bargaining units to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) generally did show a decrease in their official time hours, with the hours for the entire fiscal year for most of the units involved in the move being included in DHS's report. However, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Federal Protective Services (FPS) bargaining units' FY 2003 official time data continued to be included in their previous home agencies' reports, the Department of Agriculture and the General Services Administration, respectively.
Agencies with higher levels of union penetration did note it as a contributing factor in the magnitude of their official time hours, with the Department of Transportation continuing to report significant hours and the highest rate of official time hours expended per bargaining unit employee. Some agencies showing decreases in official time hours cited the completion of term bargaining as a factor in that decline.
While the anecdotal narratives a few of the agencies included in their official time reports did provide some insights into labor-management relations activities and factors that affected the agencies' official time usage, the narratives do not provide sufficient information for a more comprehensive and detailed analysis of official time usage in the Federal Government. With the upcoming requirement for more detailed categorical information, we anticipate being able to provide a more comprehensive analysis of official time usage in next year's FY 2004 official time report.
Summary
Government-wide official time hours, the rate of official time hours expended per bargaining employee, and estimated official time costs remained relatively stable between FY 2002 and 2003. Total hours decreased by 4 percent, and the rate of official time hours expended per bargaining unit decreased 2.9 percent. Total estimated costs increased by only 1.6 percent, which can easily be attributed to the Government-wide annual increase in pay. This relative stability in official time usage took place even in an environment of enormous challenges having a direct impact on bargaining unit employees and necessitating the involvement of employee union representatives. These challenges included: the integration of several major established bargaining units from their previous agency homes into the Department of Homeland Security, the collaborative design of a new DHS personnel system, increasing Government operations becoming subject to the A-76 contracting-out process, and a number of agency reorganizations and realignments.
Official Time Usage in the Federal Government, Fiscal Year 2003
ATTACHMENT 1
November 3, 2003
MEMORANDUM FOR HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
FROM: KAY COLES JAMES
Director
SUBJECT: Official Time for Union-Related Activities
Background
On June 17, 2002, I issued a memorandum to agency and department heads describing my expectations when it comes to granting and using official Government time for union-related activities. I emphasized that labor and management officials are equally accountable to the taxpayer and have a shared responsibility to ensure that official time is authorized and used appropriately. To achieve greater accountability in this area, I instructed agencies to report to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) at the end of each fiscal year on the number of hours of official time used by employees to perform representational activities.
Discussed in more detail below are OPM's summary of official time reports for FY 2002; the official time information that agencies will be expected to submit for FY 2003; and the additional measures I plan to take to address official time practices in the Federal Government.
Summary Report for FY 2002
Agencies reported 4,765,848 hours of official time in FY 2002. This is an increase of 10 per cent since 1998, the last time that OPM collected official time data. The estimated cost of official time for FY 2002 is $114,280,000, an increase of 5.52 percent since 1998. The average amount of official time per bargaining unit employee in FY 2002 was 4.21 hours. In FY 1998, the average amount was 3.99 hours per employee.
OPM's complete agency-by-agency summary report for FY 2002 is attached. See Attachment 1.
Collection of FY 2003 Official Time Data
For FY 2003, OPM is again asking agencies to report the number of hours of official time used by employees to perform union-related activities. Agencies must submit their reports to OPM by January 30, 2004. We have prepared the attached guidance to help you prepare your reports and to answer any questions you may have. See Attachment 2.
Collection of Official Time Data For FY 2004 and Beyond
As OPM's summary report makes clear, there has been a significant increase in both the number of hours of official time and the cost of such time since 1998. I believe that new measures are needed to ensure the level of accountability that the Administration and Congress insist upon and that the American people expect when it comes to taxpayer dollars. That is why OPM will be taking the following steps to address official time use in the Federal Government:
I have strongly supported the right of Federal employees to use official time to represent bargaining unit employees. At the same time, I have been clear that the right to official time carries with it a responsibility to use that time appropriately, efficiently, and when workload conditions permit. I believe the new initiatives outlined above will strengthen accountability to the taxpayer and substantially improve the tracking and reporting of official time.
If you have any questions, please contact Jeffrey Sumberg, Deputy Associate Director, Center for Workforce Relations and Accountability Policy, at 202-606-2639. He may also be reached via e-mail at jsumberg@opm.gov.
2 Attachments
CC: Chief Human Capital Officers
Official Time Usage in the Federal Government, Fiscal Year 2003
ATTACHMENT 2
DETAILED AGENCY LISTING - FY 2003 OFFICIAL TIME
DEPARTMENTS |
Official Time Hours |
Number of Bargaining Unit (BU) Employees[2] |
Official Time per BU Employee |
Agriculture[4] |
170,370 |
43,367 |
3.93 |
---|---|---|---|
Commerce |
46,191 |
14,977[5] |
3.08 |
Defense |
1,199,419 |
405,995 |
2.95 |
Education |
14,538 |
3,287 |
4.42 |
Energy [6] |
22,885 |
7,071 |
3.24 |
Health & Human Services |
46,194 |
27,501[5] |
1.68 |
Homeland Security[7] |
156,510 |
45,488 |
3.44 |
Housing & Urban Development |
27,471 |
7,409[5] |
3.71 |
Interior |
26,754 |
21,911 |
1.22 |
Justice |
90,072 |
24,884 |
3.62 |
Labor |
89,714 |
11,762[5] |
7.63 |
State |
13,192 |
12,936 |
1.02 |
Transportation |
682,228 |
40,276 |
16.94 |
Treasury |
748,793 |
98,721[5] |
7.58 |
Veterans Affairs |
791,188 |
162,240 |
4.88 |
AGENCIES |
|||
African Development Foundation[15] |
|
|
|
Agency for International Development |
4,680 |
1,947 |
2.40 |
Armed Forces Retirement Home |
424 |
516 |
0.82 |
Broadcasting Board of Governors |
9,050 |
1,210 |
7.48 |
Commission on Civil Rights [15] |
|
|
|
Commodity Futures Trading Commission |
168 |
162 |
1.04 |
Consumer Product Safety Commission |
378 |
365 |
1.04 |
Corporation for National Service |
846 |
406 |
2.08 |
Environmental Protection Agency |
52,441 |
12,519 |
4.19 |
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission |
17,810 |
2,075 |
8.58 |
Export-Import Bank [15] |
|
|
|
Federal Communications Commission |
4,187 |
1,382[5] |
3.03 |
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation |
9,104 |
4,349 |
2.09 |
Federal Election Commission |
689 |
225 |
3.06 |
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission |
152 |
884 |
0.17 |
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service |
0 |
38 |
0.00 |
Federal Trade Commission |
466 |
450 |
1.04 |
General Services Administration[9] |
40,877 |
8,245 |
4.96 |
Government Printing Office |
9,785 |
2,193[5] |
4.46 |
Holocaust Memorial Museum [15] |
|
|
|
International Boundary and Water Commission [15] |
|
|
|
International Trade Commission |
231 |
266 |
0.87 |
Library of Congress [15] |
|
|
|
Merit Systems Protection Board |
769 |
88 |
8.74 |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
11,672 |
10,579 |
1.10 |
National Archives and Records Administration [15] |
|
|
|
National Endowment for the Humanities |
125 |
113 |
1.11 |
National Gallery of Art |
1,585 |
369 |
4.30 |
National Labor Relations Board |
14,016 |
1,337 |
10.48 |
National Science Foundation |
1,920 |
788 |
2.44 |
National Transportation Safety Board [15] |
|
|
|
Nuclear Regulatory Commission |
5,214 |
1,974 |
2.64 |
Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission [15] |
|
|
|
Office of Government Ethics [15] |
|
|
|
Office of Personnel Management |
6,738 |
1,562 |
4.31 |
Overseas Private Investment Corporation |
100 |
92 |
1.09 |
Peace Corps [15] |
|
|
|
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation |
813 |
508 |
1.60 |
Presidio Trust [15] |
|
|
|
Railroad Retirement Board |
7,992 |
998 |
8.01 |
Securities and Exchange Commission |
3,122 |
2,198 |
1.42 |
Small Business Administration |
6,495 |
2,237 |
2.90 |
Smithsonian Institution [15] |
|
|
|
Social Security Administration |
420,779 |
51,532 |
8.17 |
Trade and Development Agency [15] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTALS |
4,758,147 |
1,039,432 |
4.58 |
[1] 1998 data was collected for a 6-month period and annualized to provide 12-month data.
[2] Source for 2003 bargaining unit employee numbers: January 2004 Labor Agreement & Information Research System (LAIRS) data search. Appropriated fund bargaining unit employees only.
[3] This rate is adjusted from original 2002 report, as it appeared in Summary Report-Official Time for Union Representation FY 2002, to consider appropriated fund agency bargaining units only. Original 2002 rate was based on both appropriated and non-appropriated fund employees, even as 2002 official time hours reported were for appropriated fund employees only.
[4] 2003 data includes the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) which moved to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) within the fiscal year.
[5] Source for 2003 bargaining unit employee number: FY 2003 OPM Official Time Survey agency response.
[6] Official time hours annualized from 9-month data.
[7] Official time hours and bargaining unit employee numbers for APHIS and FPS bargaining units not included here. They are included in their previous agency homes, Agriculture and GSA respectively.
[8] FY 2002 official time hours adjusted upward from original 2002 report through agency amendment. The effect was to raise the agency's rate of official time used per bargaining unit employee.
[9] 2003 data includes Federal Protective Service (FPS) which moved to DHS within the fiscal year.
[10] Cost figures were estimated by agency, multiplying (1) December 2003 Central Personnel Data File average Agency bargaining unit employee annual salary divided by 2080 hours by (2) the number of official time hours in FY 2003.
[11] Cost figures were estimated by agency, multiplying (1) September 2002 Central Personnel Data File average Agency bargaining unit employee annual salary divided by 2080 hours by (2) the number of official time hours in FY 2002.
[12] In 1998, agencies reported the cost of official time for only the 6 month data collection period. 6 month 1998 data was doubled and adjusted for annual Federal pay raises using 3 percent annual growth to derive 12 month data for the year.
[13] 2003 cost figure source: FY 2003 OPM Official Time Survey agency response.
[14] FY 2002 official time hours originally reported were adjusted upward from original 2002 report through agency amendment. The effect was to raise the agency's previously reported costs for 2002.
[15] No submission.