Holiday Pay for Gov Civilians on Orders

[BigTooona]

For any reservists on here that are also gov civilians, if you've ever been on long-term orders have you tried to claim holiday pay? I've been on ADOS for most of this FY and extending through next FY, and since it was voluntary I'm not eligible to claim pay differential.

I've heard of folks in this situation claiming holiday pay as long as they used leave before or after a federal holiday, and I brought it up to my HR folks months ago but they said since I was in a military furlough status I wasn't eligible. That being said, they've been wrong on some other things regarding this ADOS (like they initially put me on LWOP (KA) and instead of mil furlough (KG)). The only thing I can find on the OPM site is "Employees must be in a pay status or a paid time off status (i.e., leave, compensatory time off, compensatory time off for travel, or credit hours) on their scheduled workdays either before or after a holiday in order to be entitled to their regular pay for that day. The minimum time in a pay status required to receive regular paid holiday time off is one hour." I learned that you can even use civilian sick leave while on orders for illness/med appointments/etc, anything that you can generally charge to sick leave.

Has anyone on here successfully claimed holiday pay, and if so, how did you go about it? Just wondering if I'm leaving money on the table by not trying harder to claim this. Thanks!

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Are you asking if the military provides holiday pay or are you asking if your CIV employer can provide benefits?

 

[BigTooona]

Asking if any government civilians that are reservists on voluntary long-term orders (like ADOS) have tried to claim LH holiday leave on their civilian timesheet/LES. I’m aware you can use other forms of leave (LM, LA, LS comp/credit time) on your civilian timesheet when on orders, but can’t seem to find anything that says you can’t claim LH if you’re KG but in a pay status (by using at least one hour of leave before/after a federal holiday). I know you still get paid for holidays on your mil LES, this question is regarding your civ LES. I know this probably only applies to a small fraction of folks on this site.

 

[fieldrat]

Asking if any government civilians that are reservists on voluntary long-term orders (like ADOS) have tried to claim LH holiday leave on their civilian timesheet/LES. I’m aware you can use other forms of leave (LM, LA, LS comp/credit time) on your civilian timesheet when on orders, but can’t seem to find anything that says you can’t claim LH if you’re KG but in a pay status (by using at least one hour of leave before/after a federal holiday). I know you still get paid for holidays on your mil LES, this question is regarding your civ LES. I know this probably only applies to a small fraction of folks on this site.

It’s what you said. Just use some form of paid leave either before or after the holiday and you can claim it.

 

[HSMPBR]

Double-suckling on that sweet, sweet government teat. Brilliant!

 

[BigTooona]

It’s what you said. Just use some form of paid leave either before or after the holiday and you can claim it.

Is there any written guidance that says this explicitly other than what I already quoted? HR shot me down when I asked about this late last year, but now that I’m extending I wanted to revisit it.

Double-suckling on that sweet, sweet government teat. Brilliant!

Ha ha ha.

 

[fieldrat]

The relevant policy from OPM - Effect of Being in Pay or Non-Pay Status Before or After the Holiday

 

[Griz882]

First off I just want to say that this is total bullshit! I fought the first half of GWOT as a federal employee on LWOP/Military and didn’t get a penny. All federal employee pay and leave accrual stopped while I was on active duty. The 2009 law changed all of that and, yes, I am jealous so fuck all of you.

Now I feel better.

The answer to your question is “no.” The police reads… “The receipt of a reservist differential does not affect an employee’s civilian pay and leave status. While absent from the civilian job, the employee is considered to be on leave without pay unless the employee takes civilian paid leave or other paid time off. The employee may use paid time off (e.g., military leave, annual leave, credit hours, compensatory time off), as available to the employee, subject to the normal conditions governing use of the particular paid time off. However, as required by 5 U.S.C. 6323(b), sick leave may not be used during a period of duty as a reservist that meets the conditions in that subsection.”

It doesn’t mention LH and the assumption is that it doesn’t qualify. Of course, in the end, it is up to your civilian payroll manager.

 

[BigTooona]

The relevant policy from OPM - Effect of Being in Pay or Non-Pay Status Before or After the Holiday

Thanks, yeah that's what I had quoted in my initial post without the reference, just wasn't sure if there was anything else that specifically mentions employees out on KG.

All federal employee pay and leave accrual stopped while I was on active duty.

This is still essentially the case, unless you take leave (15 days of mil leave each FY, or LA, LS, etc.), you don't get civilian pay otherwise if you're on voluntary orders. You don't earn any leave unless you cross the 80 hr threshold during a pay period (e.g. 8 hrs of leave in one pay period combines with 72 hrs of leave in prior pay periods that hasn't been put towards a leave accrual yet, you'll earn LA and LS that pay period).

The answer to your question is “no.” The police reads… “The receipt of a reservist differential does not affect an employee’s civilian pay and leave status.

So I think this only applies if you're receiving pay differential, which you only qualify for if your orders are involuntary. I volunteered for an ADOS and took a pay cut, so I'm not eligible for the differential. According to https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-administration/fact-sheets/military-leave/, "an employee may choose not to take military leave and instead take annual leave, compensatory time off for travel, or sick leave, if appropriate, in order to retain both civilian and military pay."

 

[Griz882]

Thanks, yeah that's what I had quoted in my initial post without the reference, just wasn't sure if there was anything else that specifically mentions employees out on KG.



This is still essentially the case, unless you take leave (15 days of mil leave each FY, or LA, LS, etc.), you don't get civilian pay otherwise if you're on voluntary orders. You don't earn any leave unless you cross the 80 hr threshold during a pay period (e.g. 8 hrs of leave in one pay period combines with 72 hrs of leave in prior pay periods that hasn't been put towards a leave accrual yet, you'll earn LA and LS that pay period).



So I think this only applies if you're receiving pay differential, which you only qualify for if your orders are involuntary. I volunteered for an ADOS and took a pay cut, so I'm not eligible for the differential. According to https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-administration/fact-sheets/military-leave/, "an employee may choose not to take military leave and instead take annual leave, compensatory time off for travel, or sick leave, if appropriate, in order to retain both civilian and military pay."

Got it, and you are correct. I assumed you were getting the pay differential. But…it is still true that the final decision rests with your payroll manager.

 

[BigTooona]

I assumed you were getting the pay differential.

Gotcha, yeah that would have been sweet to get differential AND paid leave and holidays, I'd have been pissed if I were you too!

But…it is still true that the final decision rests with your payroll manager.

Agreed, just trying to get some justification to back up my interpretation before talking with them. The now-11 federal holidays is a decent chunk of money.

 

[fieldrat]

Your Dept./agency controls the "justified" use of Sick Leave (LS); If your HR says it's good, then it's good.

Per the policy, as long as you assign at least one hour of paid leave on the adjacent workday preceding or following the holiday, then you are allowed to claim the Holiday Leave (LH) depending on your specific work schedule.

 

[BigTooona]

Your Dept./agency controls the "justified" use of Sick Leave (LS); If your HR says it's good, then it's good.

Per the policy, as long as you assign at least one hour of paid leave on the adjacent workday preceding or following the holiday, then you are allowed to claim the Holiday Leave (LH) depending on your specific work schedule.

Yeah, I haven't tried using LS or needed to, my concern was more on the LH. I'll try with Labor Day coming up and see what happens. If it works out, I wonder if I can get back pay for the holidays I didn't claim.. Thanks dude!

 

[Squirrel Girl]

I had a sit down meeting last week to discuss this exact situation. I am slated for multiple Navy things next FY that will exhaust my Military Leave (LM) almost immediately. I also take a pay cut when I go on orders and was asking how I can help lessen the blow. Point blank, my timecard certifier told me I can put in LA/LM/etc (not sick leave) the day before or the day after a holiday and get LH and the leave day paid out. This is with using Military Furlough as well. Pretty sure this is what many do on long-term orders when they get their 15 days annual military time each October vs using all 15 days at once. Make them deny it. It is YOUR leave to do with as you please and until I see specific guidance saying I cannot do this... well..

 

[BigTooona]

I had a sit down meeting last week to discuss this exact situation. I am slated for multiple Navy things next FY that will exhaust my Military Leave (LM) almost immediately. I also take a pay cut when I go on orders and was asking how I can help lessen the blow. Point blank, my timecard certifier told me I can put in LA/LM/etc (not sick leave) the day before or the day after a holiday and get LH and the leave day paid out. This is with using Military Furlough as well. Pretty sure this is what many do on long-term orders when they get their 15 days annual military time each October vs using all 15 days at once. Make them deny it. It is YOUR leave to do with as you please and until I see specific guidance saying I cannot do this... well..

Thanks, that's my plan, since like you said, there doesn't seem to be any official instruction saying it's not permitted.