Credit Hours Fact Sheet

Under a flexible work schedule (FWS), a credit hour is an hour in excess of an employee’s basic work requirement which the employee elects to work so as to vary the length of a workday or a workweek.  (Exception:  Members of the Senior Executive Service may not earn credit hours.)

Note: Not all FWS allow employees to earn credit hours.

There is no limit on the number of credit hours an employee may earn in a pay period. However, see the next block for the limits on carryover to a subsequent pay period.

A full-time employee may carry over up to 24 credit hours to a subsequent pay period.

A part-time employee may carry over up to one-quarter the number of hours in his or her bi-weekly work requirement.

Example:  A part-time employee who normally scheduled to work 40 hours per pay period may carry over up to 10 credit hours to a subsequent pay period.

Credit hours enable employees to take time off from their basic work requirement. Therefore, credit hours are not used on a holiday since employees are already excused from duty.

When an employee uses one or more credit hours on a Sunday, he or she does not receive Sunday pay for those hours. An employee receives night pay when he or she uses credit hours for any hours of the basic work requirement that could not have been scheduled during daytime hours.

When an employee leaves a FWS—e.g., through retirement, reassignment, etc.—he or she will be paid for accumulated, unused credit hours at his or her current rate of basic pay.

Limit:  A full-time employee will be paid for up to 24 hours. A part-time employee will be paid for up to one-quarter the number of hours in his or her bi-weekly work requirement.

Statute:  5 U.S.C. 6121    5 U.S.C. 6122    5 U.S.C. 6126

Regulations:  5 CFR 610.408

DOJ Order:  none

DOJ Guidance:  memo to Personnel Directors (January 21, 1994)

OPM Handbook on Alternative Work Schedules