Recording Furlough on Time and Attendance Reports

To: "DC - All District Chiefs"<distribution>,
        "B  - Branch Chiefs and Offices"<distribution>
Subject: Recording Furlough on T&A Reports
Cc: "A  - Division Chief and Staff"<distribution>,
        "TK - Time Keepers"<distribution>,
        "Alice C Dilandro, Secretary (S), Reston, VA" <dilandro>
Date: Mon, 20 Nov 1995 14:46:16 -0500
From: "Catherine L Hill, ACH/Operations, Reston, VA" <clhill>

In Reply Refer To:
Mail Stop 442



			MEMORANDUM


To:	  District Chiefs
	  Branch Chiefs

From:	  Catherine L. Hill
	  Assistant Chief Hydrologist for Operations

Subject:  Recording Furlough on Time and Attendance Reports

We have received many questions on how to record the furlough on time and
attendance reports and which account numbers should be charged for the
furlough time.  We have not yet had any guidance from the department on these
issues, but we have begun some internal discussion.  The following represents
the best guidance we can give at the present time.

Time and attendance reports for pay period 25 are not due early.  Your final
transfer of data is due on Monday, November 27, 1995.  We recognize that many
timekeepers want to prepare the time and attendance reports before the
Thanksgiving holiday, but it is not a requirement.

The furloughed hours will most likely be recorded as administrative leave
(hours code 060). Time for employees that worked during the furlough will most
likely be recorded as regular hours (hours code 010).  This would include time
for employees traveling back to the home office on Tuesday after receiving
notice of furlough.  Furlough hours should account for no more than 3-1/2 days
(28 hours) for employees on Eastern Standard Time and 4 days for those on
Pacific Standard Time.

No charge should be made to annual or sick leave during the furlough even in
situations where the annual and/or sick leave was approved in advance or begun
prior to the furlough.  So, any annual and/or sick leave should cease by
mid-day on Tuesday, November 14.

Employees should charge to the account number normally charged for annual
leave or holiday pay.  There should be no attempt to divert all furlough hours
to the common services account or to charge all hours to Federal program
accounts.  We recognize that some cooperators may question this practice, but
we believe it is the only prudent course of action that we can take.  We do
not have Federal program reserves that can cover the salary costs accrued
during this furlough (approximately $3.2 million).  If questioned, we should
remind our cooperators that we intend to deliver our products within the
scheduled time frames and that we are partners with them in work efforts, and
not contractors that are paid by the hour.  Also, it is the usual practice for
employees to charge annual or sick leave to project accounts, and
administrative leave for this furlough, although unplanned, is another type of
leave.  We have no other way of accounting for it.

We suggest that the preparation of the time and attendance reports proceed as
normal with the hours codes left blank until definitive guidance is received
from the Interior Department.

As an additional note of caution, there is uncertainty as to the level of
spending authority in this Continuing Resolution.  We will clarify this within
24 hours, but in the interim, spending on discretionary items should be
resumed with caution.


Copy to:  WRD Senior Staff  
	  Timekeepers


***************************************************
*  Cathy Hill                                     *
*  Assistant Chief Hydrologist for Operations     *
*  U.S. Geological Survey                         *
*  441 National Center                            *
*  Reston, VA  22092                              *
*  Phone: (703) 648-5031                          *
*  Fax:   (703) 648-5295                          *
***************************************************