Article 24
Travel
Section 1. General
The Department will adhere to all Government-wide and Departmental rules and
regulations and the provisions in this Article in the administration of travel.
Section 2. Scheduling Travel
a. Consistent with Management’s right to assign work and direct employees
and in accordance with law and Government regulations, Management will
consider employees’ personal needs with respect to scheduling travel, and
Management will not ordinarily require travel on the weekends for activities
over which the Department has control.
b. Management agrees, if administratively controllable, to schedule and
arrange for travel of employees to occur within each employee’s standard
workweek, to the extent practicable.
c. Insofar as practicable, travel during non-duty hours shall not be required of
an employee. When it is essential that this be required and the employee
may not be paid overtime under 5 CFR 550.112(e), the official shall record
his reasons for ordering travel at those hours and shall, upon request,
furnish a copy of his statement to the employee concerned.
d. When travel results from an event which cannot be scheduled or controlled
administratively, such travel may be considered hours of employment for
pay purposes pursuant to appropriate provisions of Title 5 of the FLSA.
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e. If the travel is expected to require an employee to be absent from their
permanent duty station for three (3) or more months, the employee shall be
given at least two weeks advance notification of the date of departure when
practicable.
Section 3. Travel Advances
Employees are required to use the U.S. Government contractor-issued travel
charge card for all official travel expenses unless the employee has an exemption.
Exceptions to using the Government contractor-issued travel charge card are set
forth in DLMS-7, Section 1-1.105b. Eligible employees can request travel advances
in accordance with DLMS-7, Section 1-10.3.
Section 4. Use of Privately Owned Vehicles
a. When use of an employee’s privately owned vehicle (POV) is authorized as
advantageous to the Government, the employee shall be reimbursed at the
mileage rate in effect at the time of the travel.
b. No employee shall be required to use his or her POV in the course of
business unless such use was made a formal condition of employment.
Section 5. Use of Government vehicles
a. When Government vehicles are authorized for use for official travel on
successive days, with supervisory approval employees may be permitted to
keep the car overnight.
b. Employees shall be responsible for any additional cost resulting from
unauthorized use of a Government vehicle and may be subject to
administrative and/or criminal liability for misuse of Government property.
Section 6. Hours of work
Employees on travel status will normally be on a fixed 8½-hour schedule. If any
time is worked in addition to the fixed 8½-hour schedule, employees may be
entitled to credit hours and/or overtime in accordance with appropriate
regulations.
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