HR Order DOJ1200.1: Chapter 6-2, Flexible Work Options Program (Jun. 17, 2005)

A.   References.

B.   Policy.

1. Program.   The Flexible Work Options Program is part of the overall Department of Justice Worklife Program which promotes efficiency, productivity, and employee effectiveness by accommodating individual employee needs through one or more optional working situations, e.g., flexible work schedules, compressed work schedules, part-time employment, job sharing, telecommuting, and credit hours. Flexible work options are not an entitlement, but are encouraged to the extent that they sustain or enhance accomplishment of mission requirements.
2. Component Heads.   Component heads shall establish, maintain, and evaluate a Flexible Work Options Program Plan within their organization. As a minimum, each plan must contain the following:
    
   1. Designation of employees not subject to one or more flexible work options, if any (e.g., occupational groups, organizational groups, positions performing specific functions which would be incompatible with approval of the flexible work options);
   2. Explanation of exemptions specified in paragraph B.2.a.;
   3. Designation of critical times, such as core hours or core days, to the extent deemed necessary;
   4. Delegation of authority to determine flexible work options for individual employees or employee groups;
   5. Application procedures and processing timeframes which will include, but not be limited to, the specific timeframe for supervisors to review and approve/disapprove flexible work option requests. Management processing times shall not exceed 6 weeks or 30 work days;
   6. Process for reviewing denied requests;
   7. Method(s) of tracking, reporting, and analyzing plan effectiveness; and
   8. Employee eligibility goals, i.e., the percentage of employees who will be deemed eligible to participate in one or more flexible work options within a specified timeframe.

   Component heads will submit Flexible Work Options Plans for review in accordance with paragraph C.1.

3. Departmental Worklife Coordinator.   The Department Worklife Program Manager, Human Resources Staff, JMD, serves as the Departmental coordinator for all of the Department's flexible work options initiatives.
4. Component Coordinators.   Each Department component will appoint a Worklife Program Coordinator to manage, track, and report on component flexible work options programs.

C.  Documentation and Reporting.

1. Flexible Work Option Plan Review.   Within six months of the effective date of this chapter, components will submit a Flexible Work Options Plan to the AAG/A for approval. Flexible Work Option Plans are subject to periodic review by the Department Worklife Program Manager.
2. Annual Reports.   Components will report annually, as part of the DOJ Worklife Report submitted at the end of each calendar year, on achievement of annual Flexible Work Options Program goals and objectives. Reports will be submitted to the Director, Human Resources, JMD.
3. Document Retention.   Components will maintain relevant flexible work options documentation, e.g., written agreements, DOJ Flexible Work Option Request forms, DOJ Telecommuting Agreement forms, and related records. Flexible work options records for each participating employee will be kept for one year after the end of the employee's participation. Unapproved requests to participate will be destroyed one year after a request is rejected. Forms and records evaluating the flexible work options program will be destroyed when one year old, or when no longer needed, whichever is later.

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