Administrative Handbook

Last Modified: 11/18/2008

Purpose

The purpose of this handbook is to provide guidance and information regarding various commonly encountered administrative matters in the areas of human resources, financial management, procurement, employee responsibilities and conduct, etc. Information in these documents supplement the General Manual and questions regarding its contents should be directed to the appropriate staff person identified in this hand book on the following pages. If you choose to contact someone other than who is identified on the following pages for your particular question, this may result in a delayed response.

Human Resources

Personal Records

The following records should be maintained by employees as a part of their personal files: Personnel Actions

• Time and Attendance Reports
• Performance Standards & Appraisals
• Position Descriptions
• Training Documents
• Awards Documents

Employee Personal Page (EPP) – You can change your Residence Address, Federal and State Tax withholding, Financial Allotments, and Direct Deposit information. It also allows you to view your payroll, leave, travel, life/health insurance, savings bonds, and other personal information. EPP is accessed through the NFC home page at (www.nfc.usda.gov). You will need your social security number (SSN) and Password. This system can also be set up to use your Eauthentication credentials. Instructions are provided on the website.

Employment Verification (The Work Number for Everyone) – provides employment and salary verification information through a touch-tone phone or computer to credit and reference verifiers upon request. This service is used to secure a loan or rent an apartment. Information on this service can be accessed at http://www.nfc.usda.gov/worknum/index.htm.

My NRCS Employee Intranet – http://my.nrcs.usda.gov/ - provides important information for NRCS employees and has links to various other web sites.

Computer IDs/Passwords

The following information is provided in an effort to clarify the identification of persons responsible for various computer IDs/passwords:

Information System Security Point of Contacts (ISSPOC) - to process requests to add, modify, and/or delete user access to network login IDs, email accounts, and remote access (dial up and VPN). In other words, for initial computer access, employee moves, employee removals from system, etc. Laurie Blasky (Laurie.Blasky@md.usda.gov) is your contact.

Departmental Computer Center (DCC) Access Coordinators – to process requests to add, modify, and/or delete user access to National Finance Center (NFC) accounts and National Information Technology Center (NITC) accounts, password resets and VPS printer issues – Laurie Blasky (Laurie.Blasky@md.usda.gov) is your contact.

For EmpowerHR passwords – used primarily to input performance standards and ratings, performance appraisals, training, and award nominations. There is also a screen for self-profile where you can update emergency contacts, education level and other personal information. Supervisors can make supervisory queries to obtain retirement information, training history, and other information about employees under their supervision. Holly Marken (Holly.Marken@md.usda.gov) is your contact. New and current employees must contact the Eauthentication (Eauth) Help Desk at eAuthHelpdesk@usda.gov  to set up this ID and password. Please make your Eauth ID the same as your ICAMS ID. Passwords can be the same as the ICAMS password but not required. Visit https://my.nrcs.usda.gov/  for a copy of the Eauthentication Job Aid, located under the Field Tools tab. New employees will not be able to set up an Eauth account until after they have received their first check. Contact the Eauth help desk also to have these passwords reset. Include in your request your name, ICAMS ID, work phone number, state, office (i.e., Jackson Field Office), and email address. In the subject line type “Eauth Password” and in your request, state that you need your Eauth password reset.

Benefits

Personal Benefits Statements

The Personal Benefits Statement is the annual notification of employee compensation and fringe benefits. The Benefits Statement provides employees with an estimate of their benefits relating to their current position. Employees who are retirement eligible should also visit the USDA Self-Service Dashboard website at https://asp.gdcii.com/dashboard/usdaoa/  and/or contact the Human Resources Staff for a more comprehensive review of their retirement options.

The Benefits Statement describes the estimated value of benefits available to an employee or his/her survivors in the event of voluntary retirement, disability, or death in service as well as annuity benefits and account balances from the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), and Social Security and/or Medicare benefits.

These statements will be mailed to the residence address of each employee who is eligible for retirement benefits and is covered by one of the following retirement coverage codes:

C – Social Security System (FICA) and Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS)

K – Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS) and FICA

1 – CSRS

The following are reasons why some employees will not receive the statement:

• The employee is intermittent.
• The employee is not eligible for retirement benefits.
• The employee was separated in Pay Period 26 or Pay period 1 of the current year.

Employees should check his/her residence address on the earnings and leave statement or at the Employee Personal Page (EPP) at www.nfc.usda.gov .

Retirement

Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)

There are three categories of benefits in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) Basic Benefit Plan: Immediate | Early | Deferred

Eligibility is determined by your age and number of years of creditable service.

In some cases, you must have reached the Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) to receive retirement benefits. Use the following chart to figure your Minimum Retirement Age.

Immediate Retirement: An immediate retirement benefit is one that starts within 30 days from the date you stop working.

If you meet one of the following sets of age and service requirements, you are entitled to an immediate retirement benefit:

If you retire at the MRA with at least 10, but less than 30 years of service, your benefit will be reduced by 5 percent a year for each year you are under 62, unless you have 20 years of service and your benefit starts when you reach age 60 or later.

Disability is also an immediate annuity - employee must have at least 18 months of creditable civilian service and must have become disabled while serving in a position subject to FERS.

Early Retirement: Refers to special eligibility rules as follows:

The early retirement benefit is available in certain involuntary separation cases and in cases of voluntary separations during a major reorganization or reduction in force. To be eligible, you must meet the following requirements:

Deferred Retirement: Refers to delayed payment of benefit until criteria are met, as follows:

If you leave Federal service before you meet the age and service requirements for an immediate retirement benefit, you may be eligible for deferred retirement benefits. To be eligible, you must have completed at least 5 years of creditable civilian service. You may receive benefits when you reach one of the following ages:

If you retire at the MRA with at least 10, but less than 30 years of service, your benefit will be reduced by 5 percent a year for each year you are under 62, unless you have 20 years of service and your benefit starts when you reach age 60 or later.

Sick leave is not used in the computation of annuity benefits under FERS. A retirement annuity supplement is payable under certain conditions.

Retirement on Immediate Annuity – CSRS

Employees are eligible to retire on an immediate annuity if the following conditions are met:

Credit for Unused Sick Leave

When retiring on an immediate annuity under CSRS, an employee's unused sick leave balance is credited to his or her length of service. This additional credit is used only in counting the number of years and months of service for annuity computation. It is not added in computing the employee's "high-three" average pay or in meeting the minimum length of service requirement. Employees retiring on disability may elect to use their sick leave prior to the effective date of retirement or have it credited to the length of service for annuity computation.

Deposits for Creditable Service and Redeposits for Refunded Service under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)

Deposits for Creditable Service

FERS employees may make a deposit into the retirement fund to cover any period of creditable Federal civilian service that was performed before January 1, 1989. This would include service such as a temporary appointment performed before 1989 during which FERS deductions were not taken out (hereafter referred to as non-deduction service). You may make a deposit to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in order to receive credit for that period of time. The deposit is 1.3% of the basic pay you received, plus interest. Non-deduction service performed before January 1, 1989, does not count for eligibility or computation purposes unless you make a deposit before retirement.

There is no choice regarding non-deduction service performed on or after January 1, 1989; it does not count for eligibility or computation purposes.

Redeposits for Refunded Service

Employees who were previously employed and covered under the CSRS or CSRS Offset and who received a refund of retirement contributions may make a redeposit for the refunded retirement contributions. The amount of redeposit is the amount of the refund received plus accrued interest. The redeposit must be made before final adjudication of your retirement to receive credit. If the employee does not make the redeposit prior to the final adjudication of his or her retirement claim, the service for which the employee received the refund will not be creditable for eligibility or computation purposes.

An employee who receives a refund of FERS retirement contributions may not make a redeposit. All credit for FERS refunded service is lost for both eligibility and computation purposes.

To apply to make Deposit or Redeposit, complete the front of the attached SF-3108, Application to Make Service Credit Payments for Civilian Service, and submit to Human Resources. A SF 3108 should be filed ONLY when you intend to make payment. If you are within 6 months of retiring, do NOT file a SF-3108, OPM will give you the opportunity to make payment at retirement.

Some of the advantages of making a deposit or redeposit BEFORE retirement include:

• Less total interest to pay on the deposit/redeposit;
• The retirement application may be processed faster if the deposit/redeposit is already paid; and
• You can make installment payments (of $50.00 or more) to lessen the financial strain of paying large deposits or redeposits.

Service Credit Deposits for Creditable Service and Redeposit Service for the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS)

Employees may pay deposit into the retirement fund to cover any period of creditable Federal civilian service (such as a temporary appointment) that was not subject to civil service retirement deductions (hereafter referred to as non-deduction service). You may make a deposit to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in order to receive credit for that period of time. The amount of the deposit is the sum of the deductions that would have been withheld from your pay during the period of non-deduction service, plus interest. The deductions are based on a percentage of basic pay. The applicable percentages for different periods of service are noted below.

Your choices concerning deposit and the effect on your annuity are as follows:

Employees may make a redeposit to the retirement fund to cover any period of Federal service for which a refund of retirement contributions has been made. If you received a refund for service ending before October 1, 1990, and the redeposit is not paid prior to retirement, the annual annuity will be subject to an actuarial reduction based on the amount of the redeposit due at the time of retirement. If you received a refund for service on or after October 1, 1990, the service covered by the refund is creditable for determining eligibility to retire. However, it is not creditable for annuity computation purposes unless a redeposit is paid. The amount of redeposit equals the amount of the refund received plus accrued interest. The amount of interest is a variable rate determined by the Department of Treasury each year.

To apply to make Deposit or Redeposit, complete Part A of the attached SF-2803, Application to Make Deposit or Redeposit, and submit to Human Resources. An SF-2803 should be filed ONLY when you intend to make payment. If you are within 6 months of retiring, do NOT file an SF 2803, OPM will give you the opportunity to make payment at retirement.

Some of the advantages of making deposits or redeposits BEFORE retirement include:

• Less total interest to pay on the deposit/redeposit;
• The retirement application may be processed faster if the deposit/redeposit is already paid; and you can make installment payments (of $50.00 or more) to lessen the financial strain of paying large deposits or redeposits.

Thrift Savings Plan

It is extremely important that FERS employees contribute as much as they are able to their Thrift Savings Plan Accounts (TSP). This is a major portion of the FERS 3-tiered benefit package. The other 2 components are the Basic Annuity and Social Security. Contributions can be made to TSP at any time through EPP or by submitting TSP-1 to the Human Resources Section. There are no longer open seasons and the maximum amount that can be contributed each year is the IRS limit. Eligible employees can make “Catch Up” contributions. Visit www.tsp.gov for more details.

Work Schedules

Customer service hours in Maryland are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. These are the hours when office coverage should be provided. An employee’s work schedule is established to accomplish the mission of the NRCS and the office to which assigned. An employee’s regularly scheduled workweek should correspond with the actual work requirements that are known at the time the tour is determined. You are reminded that if you need to take a portion of the day that you are to charge leave. You are not permitted to make up those hours after 6:00pm that day or on another day.

It is understood that offices with one or two employees will have difficulty at times ensuring an NRCS employee is "on duty" and there might be a need to have another NRCS employee on call to provide emergency customer assistance. Office supervisors should work with district employees and other agency service center employees to inform them of who to contact for emergency service when the NRCS employees are unavailable.

Your outlook calendar will be maintained to document how you are spending your time. The outlook calendar will be used when time and attendance audits are being performed. Your supervisor will have access to your calendar and will be able to ascertain your whereabouts and productivity that is being achieved on a daily basis. All employees will work to ensure that their outlook calendars are kept up to date.

The following are authorized work schedules:

• Basic 40-hour work requirement schedule - 5 days, Monday through Friday when possible, with the 2 days outside the basic workweek being consecutive; the working hours in each day in the basic workweek are the same; employees cannot earn credit hours.
• Flexitour Schedule - Full Time Employees choose a biweekly schedule within the flexible work schedule, 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. consisting of an 8-hour day, 5-days a week, 40-hours a week, and 80-hours in the biweekly pay period. Employees must have an established tour of duty; however, they are allowed to occasionally vary their starting and ending times up to 30 minutes but the employee must make up this time at the end of the day or take approved leave. Employees must complete their scheduled number of hours by 6:00 p.m. Employees must be present during the core hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. (unless their tour of duty has been changed on a temporary basis) or must be approved for leave during the portion of the core hours they are absent. Employees are allowed to request a change in their permanent flexitour tour of duty up to four times per year. Employees are eligible to earn credit hours up to 2 hours per day between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. An employee may be permitted to earn credit hours for work that begins before 6:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m. with prior approval from the State Conservationist. Credit hours during these periods of time should only be approved on a case by-case basis for special projects. Employees may adjust their starting and ending time to enable them to travel within an 8 hour day and earn credit hours while working at the temporary duty site. Credit hours can only be earned between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Compressed Work Schedule (CWS) - 5-4/9 biweekly fix work schedule with a work requirement of 9-hour days during 8 days of the biweekly pay period and 8 hours on a 9th day to complete the 80-hour biweekly work requirement. The 8-hour day can be any pre-scheduled workday in the pay period and must cover the core hours. The basic workweek requirement shall consist of the number of hours the employee must work each day and the number of hours the employee must work during 9 days in a biweekly pay period. Employees select a starting time each day that does not vary. The working hours in each day in the basic workweek are the same, with the exception of the 9th day. A non-workday must be scheduled in the same pay period as the nine workdays. Non-overtime work is performed during the schedule that does not exceed the daily work requirement or 80 hours in the biweekly pay period. Employees are not eligible to earn credit hours and employees are allowed to request a change in their compressed work schedule up to four times per year.
• Four-day workweeks- The basic work requirement shall consist of a 10-hour daily work requirement, a 40-hour weekly work requirement, and an 80-hour biweekly work requirement. The occurrence of holidays may not affect the designation of the basic workweek. Employees are not eligible to earn credit hours and part-time employees must have a pre-scheduled number of hours and days to work in the administrative workweek that do not exceed 10 hours in a day or cover more than four days of the workweek. Supervisors have the authority to approve or deny changes in tour of duty requests except for the approval of the 4-10 hour workweek schedule. This schedule must be approved by the State Conservationist.

Credit Hours

•  Employees may work up to 2 credit hours per day between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. with supervisory approval. Credit hours are not an entitlement.
• Credit hours may be earned by employees on a flexible work schedule (flexitour).
• Employees on the traditional work schedule or fixed compressed work schedules (5-4/9, 4 10) may not earn credit hours.
• Credit hours cannot be used until they are earned.
• Using credit hours requires supervisory approval.
• Full-time employees may not carry over more than 24 credit hours from pay period to pay period.
• Credit hours may be earned in 15 minute increments.
• Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that work is being performed when credit leave is being earned. The earning of credit leave is not for prolonged early morning or late afternoon personal conversations, eating breakfast, personal phone calls, reading newspapers, etc.

Supervisors are responsible for approving or disapproving the biweekly schedule submitted by the employee. Requests should be honored except for reasons such as need for office coverage or other reasons such as unique requirements of the position, etc. A supervisor may make changes to an employee’s work schedule to ensure adequate coverage or may make changes due to workload, training needs, attendance at meetings, travel, an operational exigency, etc.

Employees must request their biweekly schedule in writing and receive approval from their supervisor. This schedule remains in effect until the employee submits a new schedule in writing to his or her supervisor and receives approval.

Changing Tour of Duty

Whenever possible, changes from one tour of duty to another are to be made before the beginning of the pay period. No tour changes are allowed after the pay period has begun, unless there is an emergency or a special situation. Tour changes based on holidays or “in lieu of” holidays are not permitted. Requests for permanent changes in a tour of duty must be in writing to the supervisor. Supervisors have the authority to approve or deny changes in tour of duty requests except for the approval of the 4-10 hour workweek schedule. This schedule is not authorized in Maryland except by approval of the State Conservationist. Employees on military leave or who are in travel status who are on an CWS are not required to change to the traditional 40-hour workweek for any part of a pay period for which they are on military leave or in travel status.

Emergency Situations

Nonstandard tours of duty may be established in emergency situations. The State Conservationist must authorize or establish non-standard tours of duty.

Establishment of Lunch-Time Periods

The lunch-time period must be for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 1 hour, (employees do not get paid for their lunch period). Established lunch periods must be on a regular and recurring basis. An employee who works more than 6 hours in a day MUST take a lunch-time period. The lunch-time period must be taken within the established lunch band of 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., meaning the latest an employee can report back to work is 2:00 p.m. Employees may expand their lunch period from 30 minutes up to 1 hour within the established lunch band, (11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.) with supervisory approval, and make up the additional time taken at the end of the day without charge to leave. However, employees with a fixed work schedule; i.e., Alternative Work Schedule, Traditional, or 4-10 hour days, are not eligible for a flexible lunch schedule.

Overtime

The federal government complies with the Fair Labor Standards Act, which provides for minimum standards for both wages and overtime entitlement, and spells out administrative procedures by which covered work time must be compensated. Under the law, overtime is computed at 1-1/2 times the rate of basic pay for work exceeding 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week. In order to be entitled to overtime pay, the work must be officially ordered or approved. Employees on flexi-tour who volunteer to work over his scheduled tour are entitled to credit leave.

Employee Development

Due to the number of participant cancellations from the NRCS National Employee Development Center (NEDC) courses, it became necessary to adopt a cancellation policy. The policy states enrollment cancellation can be made at any time up to 30 days prior to the beginning of an individual class with no penalty involved. Participant cancellations (excluding substitutions) within 30 days of the start of class will result in a financial penalty. The penalty for FY05 is $750.00 per cancellation. Conservation Partnership participants are exempt from the penalty cost.

Career Development Plans

All employees are required to have a current Individual Development Plan (IDP). This is a written schedule or plan of systematically planning for training and experience to develop the specific skills and knowledge employees need to perform their job. IDP’s or Career Plans should be entered using EmpowerHR and can be entered by either the supervisor or the employee.

The IDP planning process includes both the supervisor’s and the employee’s perspective as to what training is needed for job performance. The employee has a chance to get information and feedback so that achievable goals can be set. IDP/career plans are developed using proficiency models as a guide; however, these are not available for all positions. IDP/career plans should be reviewed and updated annually during performance evaluation time.

Training is not limited to formal classroom, but also includes self-development, on-the-job training, details, computer based, self-paced, and others. Please note that attendance at organizational, professional, or society meetings will no longer be approved under the category of training unless it is documented in a formal IDP. Employees are limited to one such meeting annually under the category of training.

Workers’ Compensation

The Federal Employee's Compensation Act (FECA), also known as Workers' Compensation, provides compensation benefits to employees for disability due to personal injury or disease sustained while in the performance of duty.

Notice of Injury

When an employee sustains a traumatic injury in the performance of duty, the employee should notify his/her supervisor as soon as possible, but not later than 30 days from the date of injury. Notification should be in written form on a CA-1, Federal Employee's Notice of Traumatic Injury and Claim for Continuation of Pay/Compensation. The original signature of the employee giving notice and the supervisor's signature on the form are required. Even if medical expenses are not anticipated, a CA-1 should be filed and sent to Human Resources to be retained in the individual's Employee Medical Folder in the event at some future date medical treatment relating to the injury is required.

Medical Treatment

Should medical treatment be needed the supervisor should immediately complete the front portion of a CA-16, Request for Examination and/or Treatment. The employee needs to have his/her attending physician complete Part B of the CA-16. All medical expenses incurred must be itemized on a Health Insurance Claim Form, HCFA-1500, before the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) will reimburse the provider. The exceptions are prescription, hospital statements, and ambulance service which do not require submission on a HCFA-1500.

The employee may use a physician of his/her choice. The term "physician" includes surgeons, osteopathic practitioners, podiatrists, dentists, clinical psychologists, optometrists, and chiropractors within the scope of their practice as defined by state law. Note, however, under FECA, the services of chiropractors may be reimbursed only anatomically, which must be demonstrable on any x-ray film to individual’s trained in the reading of x-rays.

Lost Wages

An employee who loses wages due to disability and/or medical treatment is entitled to continuation of pay (COP) for up to 45 days. If the disability is expected to continue beyond the period of COP entitlement, the employee may claim compensation or use leave to cover his/her absence from work. When claiming COP a CA-7, Claim for Compensation on Account of Traumatic Injury or Occupational Disease must be filed. All forms completed in the event of an injury must be submitted to the Human Resources Office. The forms may be obtained from the HR Staff.

Leave

Approval of leave is a discretionary matter reserved to the supervisor. Approval of leave is a discretionary matter reserved to the supervisor. The taking of leave is not an absolute right afforded an employee, but is conditioned on the needs of the Federal service. Supervisors have the authority to approve or deny all types of earned leave, i.e., annual, sick, and credit based on the workload and work requirements to accomplish the Agency’s mission. All leave requests exceeding three days must be submitted to the supervisor no later than four weeks prior to the beginning date requested. Unexpected circumstances do occur and leave requests should be submitted as soon as possible to your supervisor. Advanced annual/sick and Leave Without Pay (LWOP) must be approved, through channels, by the State Conservationist. To the maximum extent possible, the leave schedule should allow an employee, upon request, at least one continuous period of 80 hours of annual leave per year. Employees should observe designated duty hours and be punctual in reporting for work and returning from lunch. Employees should also obtain advanced authorization for absence from duty from their supervisor and correctly report all leave taken. Employees are not authorized to miss break or lunch period in an effort to reduce/eliminate charging leave.

When employees are absent from duty as a result of illness or an emergency, they are required to notify their supervisor or other appropriate official with delegated authority to approve leave as soon as possible. When an employee fails to properly notify his or her supervisor, the absence may be charged as unauthorized absence (AWOL), which may result in disciplinary action.

All leave will be charged in increments of 15 minutes. Any type of leave used in excess of 3 consecutive workdays must be requested on Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 71, Request for Leave or Approved Absence form.

Annual Leave

Annual leave is provided to allow employees an annual vacation period of extended leave for rest and recreation and/or periods of time off for personal business or emergencies which must be handled during working hours. Full-time employees, with appointments of 90 days or more, accrue leave at the beginning of the full, biweekly pay periods of employment as follows:

Part-time employees, with appointments of 90 days or more, accrue leave at the end of the full, biweekly pay period of employment as follows:

Note: If an original appointment is for less than 90 days and is then extended beyond 90 days, an employee may be entitled to retroactive accruals.

Changes in rates of accrual are effective the beginning of the pay period following the date on which the employee completes the required period of creditable service. Generally, the maximum amount of annual leave employees may carry forward from 1 leave year to the next is 240 hours and a new leave year begins with the first full pay period in January.

Annual leave in excess of the maximum carryover is forfeited at the end of the leave year. All “use or lose” annual leave must be scheduled and approved in writing no later than 3 pay periods before the end of the leave year so that forfeited annual leave may be considered for restoration. Terminal leave, or annual leave granted just before separation from Federal service without return to duty, should not be granted in most instances where additional annual leave will not accrue. Annual leave will be liquidated by a lump-sum payment to the employee.

Employees are entitled to a lump sum payment for all “accumulated annual leave” to their credit at the time of separation. Accumulated annual leave consists of the following:

• Regular carry-over balance from the previous leave year.
• Annual leave accrued and unused during the current leave year.
• Unused restored annual leave.

Restoration of Annual Leave

Forfeited leave may only be restored and credited to an employee’s leave account for one of the following reasons:

• Administrative error
• Illness
• Exigency of public business

Restoration of annual leave cannot be requested until forfeiture after the end of the leave year, but no later than April 1. Requests should be forwarded through supervisory channels to the State Office for processing and approval by the State Conservationist. Employees who are directly supervised by the State Conservationist must have their restoration approved by the Regional Assistant Chief. In order for forfeited annual leave to be restored, the scheduled leave must be canceled, or disapproved, in writing. This may be done by memorandum to the employee stating that scheduled leave is being canceled, or by designating “disapproved” on the OPM 71, Request for Leave or Approved Absence, if the leave is not approved when the employee submits the request.

The employee’s request for restoration of forfeited annual leave should include:

• Leave ceiling and balance at the end of the leave year.
• Number of hours of scheduled annual leave forfeited.
• Time and Attendance (T&A) Input Records showing dates of sickness (if applicable).
• Written evidence (normally OPM 71, Request for Leave or Approve Absence) of the scheduled and approved annual leave that was canceled.
• A copy of determination of exigency of public business (if applicable). The exigency must be dated and include a beginning and ending date, a description of the emergency situation, and be signed by an individual above the first line supervisor with appropriate delegated authority. An example of a situation that may cause an exigency includes a hurricane, earthquake, flood, or tornado. The exigency may not be made by an official in the immediate organizational unit affected by the decision.

Restored leave is to be placed in a separate leave account and not added to the employee’s regular annual leave balance. Restored annual leave must be scheduled and used no later than the end of the leave year ending 2 years after:

1. The date of restoration due to administrative error;
2. The date fixed by the head of the agency or designee as the date of termination of the exigency of the public business; or
3. The date the employee is determined to be recovered from illness or injury.

Advancing Annual Leave

Advance annual leave must be approved by the supervisor and will only be approved in unusual circumstances. Permanent employees may be advanced the leave they will accrue for the remainder of the leave year if they expect to remain in service throughout the leave year.

Sick Leave

Sick leave is approved absence from scheduled duty granted when an employee is unable to work due to illness, injury, pregnancy and confinement, or is undergoing medical dental or optical examination or treatment.

A full-time employee, whose appointment is 90 days or more, accrues four (4) hours of sick leave every full pay period. The accruals are credited to the employee’s account at the beginning of the pay period. A part-time employee, whose appointment is 90 days or more, accrues one (1) hour of sick leave for every 20 hours worked during a pay period. The accruals are credited to the employee’s account at the end of the pay period.

Note: If the original appointment is for less than 90 days and is extended beyond 90 days, an employee may be entitled to retroactive leave accruals.

An employee who becomes ill is responsible for notifying his or her supervisor or other appropriate official delegated with authority to approve leave as soon as practicable, but no later than the start of core time. If the employee is incapacitated, another individual may notify the appropriate supervisor. An OPM 71, must be completed for any sick leave usage in excess of three (3) consecutive workdays. The OPM 71 must be completed the day the employee returns to duty, or sooner, if the leave request is for an extended period of time. Leave for prearranged medical, dental, or optical examination or treatment should be requested in advance. If an employee becomes ill while on annual leave, the employee may request to substitute sick leave for the period of illness.

Advancing Sick Leave

Sick leave may be advanced in cases of disability or ailment that incapacitates an employee for duty. Advanced sick leave must be approved by the supervisor and will not be approved for routine doctor’s visits or in cases of leave abuse. The maximum amount that permanent employees may be advanced is 30 days or 240 hours. Advanced sick leave must be requested in writing and supported by medical documentation. The medical documentation must state the nature of the condition, that the employee is incapacitated for duty, and the duration of the incapacitation.

Sick Leave for Family Members

A full-time, leave-earning employee may use up to 104 hours (13 workdays) of earned or advanced sick leave per year for the following:

1. Care for a family member who is incapacitated as a result of physical or mental illness injury, pregnancy or childbirth;
2. Care for a family member as a result of medical, dental, or optical examination or treatments; or
3. Make arrangements necessitated by the death of a family member or attend the funeral of a family member.

Sick Leave for Family Members with a Serious Health Condition

Employees may use up to a total of 12 administrative workweeks of sick leave each leave year to care for a family member with a serious health condition. Any portion of the 13 days of sick leave for general family care or bereavement purposes in a leave year must be subtracted from the 12 week entitlement. If an employee has already used 12 weeks of sick leave to care for a family member with a serious health condition, he or she cannot use an additional 13 days of sick leave in the same leave year for general family care.

A serious health condition has the same meaning as defined in Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) which includes such conditions as cancer, heart attacks, strokes, severe injuries, Alzheimer’s disease, pregnancy, childbirth, etc. Contact the Financial Management Staff for questions regarding the coding of sick leave on your Time and Attendance for this purpose.

Sick Leave for Adoption

All leave-earning employees may use earned sick leave for purposes related to the adoption of a child.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

FMLA provides eligible employees with a total of up to 12 administrative workweeks of leave without pay (LWOP) for one of the following reasons:

1. birth of a child and care of the newborn (within 1 year of birth);
2. placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care (within 1 year after placement);
3. care for those of a family relationship with a serious health condition; or
4. a serious health condition that prevents the employee from performing essential duties.

Leave for Parental Purposes

There will be no specified time granted for absence for maternity reasons. The length of time will be determined by the employee, her supervisor, and her physician. Various combinations of leave may be used to cover this absence.

Leave Without Pay (LWOP)

LWOP is a temporary non-pay status and absence from duty granted to an employee upon request. Authorizing LWOP is a matter of administrative discretion. An employee cannot generally demand that they be granted such leave as a matter of right. In most cases, LWOP is the result of a lack of sufficient annual or sick leave in the employee’s accounts to cover all or a portion of the requested period of absence. LWOP is an approved leave status, such as sick or annual, and does not have a disciplinary connotation. Appropriate reasons to grant LWOP can be found in General Manual 360, Part 415.2L.

The following are examples of potentially improper approvals of LWOP requests:

1. Vacations or to extend vacation periods not covered by annual leave.
2. Absence from duty in lieu of or in absence of accrued annual leave for non-emergency reasons.
3. Personal business reasons in lieu of or in absence of accrued annual leave.

Leave Without Pay must be approved by the State Conservationist.

Absence Without Leave (AWOL)

AWOL is a non-pay, non-duty status. Unlike LWOP, it is an UNAUTHORIZED absence. AWOL should be charged when an employee is gone from the work site without being on approved leave. AWOL is not a disciplinary action but can form the basis for disciplinary action.

Excused Absence

Excused absence, sometimes referred to as administrative leave, is an absence from duty, administratively authorized, without loss of pay and without charge to leave. The State Office should be consulted prior to granting excused absence.

Court Leave/Witness Service

Court leave

The authorized absence of an employee from work, without charge to leave or loss of pay, for jury duty or for attending judicial proceedings in a nonofficial capacity as a witness on behalf of either party, as long as one of the parties is a Federal, State, or local government. An employee is expected to report for duty when he or she is excused from jury duty for a day or substantial portion of a day. Supervisors should also be notified of any upcoming jury duty.

Witness service

1. Official capacity: An employee called as a court witness to testify in an official capacity, no matter on whose behalf, is in an official duty status rather than on court leave. The employee must be paid government travel expenses as appropriate.
2. Nonofficial capacity: An employee summoned as a witness to testify in a nonofficial capacity on behalf of either party, as long as one of the parties is Federal, State, or local government, is entitled to court leave during the time absent as a witness.
3. If the witness service is on a nonofficial capacity on behalf of a private party and the government is not one of the parties, the employee’s absence must be charged to annual leave.
4. When court leave is granted, employees are allowed to keep fees paid for reimbursement of expenses but are not allowed to keep fees paid for jury/witness services.
5. As a U.S. citizen, it is an employee’s responsibility to serve on jury duty when requested. Court leave should be requested in advance on an OPM 71, Request for Leave or Approved Absence. A copy of the notice of jury duty or court summons must be submitted with the leave request, or as soon as possible upon return to duty. The supervisor must ensure that the documentation is adequate to support the use of court leave.

Subpoenas

All subpoenas received by employees should immediately be forwarded to the State Office along with the attached transmittal in order for a decision to be made regarding employee appearance.

Compensatory Time Off (Comp Time)

Comp time is time off granted to an employee in lieu of payment for overtime work. All comp time requests must be forwarded, through supervisory channels, to the State Conservationist, prior to earning of Comp time. Comp time must be used before an employee may be granted annual leave provided it will not result in the employee forfeiting accrued annual leave. Once an employee has taken compensatory time, he or she may not request overtime pay for the work. Compensatory time off must be used by the end of the leave year following the leave year in which it was earned.

Military Leave

Military leave is absence with full pay for certain types of active duty, active duty training, and inactive duty training. An employee receives 120 hours (15 calendar days) of military leave during each fiscal year and may carry over a maximum of 120 hours (15 calendar days) of military leave from prior years. The full 120 hours is credited to the employee the 1st pay period of each fiscal year. The minimum charge to military leave is 1 hour.

1. Military leave may be used during one (1) or more periods of military duty during the fiscal year. The employee may also take the full 120 hours (15 days) of military leave immediately at the beginning of a fiscal year, even if up to a maximum of 240 hours (30 days) had been taken during the prior year and even if the military duty is continuous. An employee does not need to return from military duty to a civilian position before additional military leave, earned during a new fiscal year, may be used.
2. Employees who request military leave for inactive duty training (which generally is two (2), four (4), or six (6) hours in length) will now be charged only the amount of military leave necessary to cover the period of training and necessary travel. Members of the Reserves and/or National Guard will no longer be charged military leave for weekends and holidays that occur within the period of military service.
3. Military leave must be supported by a copy of the employee’s military orders directing him or her to report for active duty or training.
4. Reservists are entitled to up to an additional 176 hours (22 workdays) of leave each calendar year to assist civil authorities in emergencies. The Reservist must be activated by order of the President or State Governor to provide military aid to enforce the law, or in the protection or saving of life and property, or the prevention of injury. The provision is intended for military Reservists who are called to active duty to assist law enforcement officials with riots or other forms of interference with State and Federal law, and to help when natural disasters occur such as floods, tornadoes, etc.
5. Federal employees using emergency military leave must refund, through their servicing human resources office, any monies received for emergency military leave, with the exception of monies paid for travel, transportation, and per diem allowances. No refund is necessary if the employee uses annual leave.
6. If the employee does not have sufficient military leave to cover the absence, the employee may use other leave, as appropriate. First-line supervisors may approve military or other leave upon an employee’s submission of proper documentation.

Voluntary Leave Transfer Program

The Voluntary Leave Transfer Program (VLTP) allows Federal employees to voluntarily donate earned annual leave to another Federal employee with a medical emergency. The employee must exhaust all earned annual and sick leave to qualify for a personal medical emergency or if it is a family medical emergency, the employee must exhaust all earned annual leave and family friendly sick leave (which is usually about 12 weeks of sick leave).

A medical emergency is a medical condition of an employee or an employee’s family member that is likely to require the employee’s absence from duty for a prolonged period of time (24 hours for a full-time employee) and result in a substantial loss of income to the employee because of the lack of paid leave.

Documentation justifying the medical emergency must:

1. Be on a doctor’s, hospitals, or clinic’s letterhead.
2. Be signed and dated by a practicing physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, physician’s assistant, or practitioner.
3. Include the beginning date of the medical emergency and the approximate date the emergency should end.
4. Include a diagnosis or prognosis of the employee’s or family member’s condition.

Federal employees seeking to become a leave recipient, or the applicant’s designee, should contact the leave transfer coordinator in the human resources office to apply. Employees, or their designees, should submit a completed AD-1046, Leave Transfer Program – Recipient Application, along with medical documentation, to the employee’s immediate supervisor for concurrence.

Recipients will continue to accrue up to a maximum of 40 hours each of sick and annual leave while receiving and using donated or paid leave. These hours will be placed in a separate account and can not be used until the medical emergency terminates or the employee has exhausted all donated leave. When an employee uses leave from this separate account, they can not accrue leave to replace the leave they used.

1. Example: An employee has 30 hours of sick leave in their separate account and they use 5 hours which leaves a balance of 25 hours. They are only eligible to accrue 10 more hours of leave, not 15 hours because they had already earned 30 hours.
2. Part-time employee’s hours are pro-rated based on the weekly scheduled tour of duty.
3. Recipients, whose medical emergency only required intermittent use of donated leave, shall have their donated leave tracked separately from their regular earned leave.

The applicant’s immediate supervisor shall:

1. Verify, review, sign, and fax or send the AD-1046, Leave Transfer Program Recipient Application, and the associated medical documents, to the leave transfer coordinator in the employee’s servicing human resources office for approval within five (5) working days of receipt.
2. Monitor the use of donated leave by an approved leave recipient.
3. Forward questionable employee requests to the leave transfer coordinator with an explanation of the concerns.
4. Request a second medical opinion, or require medical certification more frequently than described in Recipient’s Responsibilities, in conjunction with the leave transfer coordinator, if the validity of the medical emergency is in question.

The recipient’s timekeeper shall:

1. Code all donated leave into the recipient’s account as “annual” leave.
2. Exhaust the recipient’s accrued leave before using donated leave when the medical emergency causes the recipient to be continuously absent from work.
3. Track a recipient’s regular leave separately from donated leave when the medical emergency requires only intermittent use of donated leave.
4. Note: Tracking of the donated leave may be done on the Time and Attendance (T&A) Input Records, in the Remarks section.
5. Attach all leave transfer documents to the employee’s T&A for the pay period.
6. Make appropriate leave adjustments to the recipient’s automated T&A records.
7. Enter either of the following on the T&A in the Remarks section:
   • The number of leave hours donated by the leave donor
   • • The number of leave hours received by the leave recipient.
8. Contact the recipient’s leave transfer coordinator for instructions regarding accrual limitations if the recipient remains absent from work continuously for more than 10 pay periods for leave category 4 employees; 7 pay periods for leave category 6 employees; and 5 pay periods for leave category 8 employees.

Donor’s timekeeper shall: Make appropriate leave adjustments to the donor’s automated Time and Attendance (T&A) Input Records.

Employees wanting to donate annual leave to an employee within the Agency shall:

1. Obtain and complete AD-1043, Leave Transfer Program – Donor Application, specifying the number of accrued annual leave hours to be transferred to the recipient.
2. Donate annual leave in increments of one hour.
3. Sign and date AD-1043.
4. Fax, mail, or deliver AD-1043 to the leave transfer coordinator in the donor’s servicing human resources office.

Employees wanting to donate to a Federal recipient outside of their Agency who is a family member shall contact the HR Staff for guidance.

A donor may donate earned annual leave, but is limited to:

1. One-half of the annual leave that will be earned in the donation leave year. Example: A leave category 8 employee will earn 208 hours during a leave year and may donate up to 104 of those earned hours.
2. The number of work hours remaining in the leave year.
3. Example: At the end of the leave year with one (1) pay period remaining to be worked, a full-time employee may donate a maximum of 80 hours.
4. Exception: A donor may submit a written request to his or her leave transfer coordinator to waive these limitations, if the intended recipient is still in need of leave for the medical emergency.
5. Donors may not donate leave to their immediate supervisor.

When leave recipients return to work, they must contact and advise their leave transfer coordinator of:

1. Their desire to terminate their participation in the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program.
2. The status of their medical emergency.

Recipients who return to work, but have not received enough donated leave to cover the leave hours used for their medical emergency, may request and shall be granted up to 90 calendar days to solicit and receive additional donated leave hours. A recipient may remain in the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program until all aspects of the medical emergency, such as therapy and doctor visits, have been completed.

A recipient’s leave transfer eligibility terminates and no further leave donations may be accepted when one of the following occurs:

1. End of the pay period in which the leave transfer coordinator received written notice or determines that the recipient is no longer impacted by the emergency.
2. 90 calendar days from the date the leave transfer coordinator grants an eligibility extension to the recipient to solicit and receive additional donated leave hours.
3. Employee resigns, retires, or is separated from the Federal service.
4. Recipient’s application for disability retirement is approved.
5. Recipient begins to receive unemployment benefits or Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Program (OWCP) benefits for the medical emergency.
6. Death of the recipient.
7. Death of the family member with the medical emergency.

Note: The leave transfer coordinator will ensure that the National Finance Center (NFC) database is updated for recipient status.

When a leave recipient is no longer eligible for the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program and has excess (unused) donated leave hours, the leave transfer coordinator shall request a leave audit from the recipient’s timekeeper and ensure that all leave hours, such as advanced annual leave, advanced sick leave, or leave without pay (LWOP) used in conjunction with the recipient’s current medical emergency, have been covered with donated leave.

Employees in the VLTP who are working part of a bi-weekly pay period will earn annual leave and sick leave. Employees will earn “regular” annual leave and “regular” sick leave based upon the number of hours they have actually worked in a bi-weekly pay period as well as earning annual and sick leave in their “separate” account.

Employees must use all of their “regular” leave prior to using donated leave and may use “regular” annual leave or “regular” sick leave for reasons not pertaining to medical conditions for which they are in the VLTP. Annual leave and sick leave in an employee’s separate account can not be used unless the employee has withdrawn from the program or does not have any donated or regular leave available.

Employees are eligible to earn the maximum amount of annual leave and sick leave per pay period that they would regularly earn if they were not in the VLTP. An employee who earns 8 hours of annual leave per pay period can only earn a maximum of 8 hours of annual leave between their “regular” account and their “separate” account. Their “separate” account is still subject to the maximum 40 hours limitation. Example: An employee is working 20 hours per pay period; therefore, 20% of his or her 8 hours of annual leave will be credited to his or her “regular” account and 80% would be credited to his or her “separate” account. In this case, the employee would receive 1.60 or 2 hours of annual leave in their “regular” account and 6.40 or 6 hours in their “separate” account. The two accounts add up to the employee’s 8 hours of leave. The same process is used to calculate sick leave for each account. When an employee reaches the maximum amount of 40 hours of annual leave and 40 hours of sick leave in their “separate” account, they will no longer earn “separate” leave, they will only earn leave in their “regular” account based upon the number of hours they actually worked in the pay period. Employees who are working part of the time while participating in the VLTP are eligible to earn credit hours. Employees may use their credit hours for reasons not pertaining to their medical condition for which they are in the VLTP; however, the hours must be used prior to the employee using donated leave.

Employee Assistance Program

The Federal Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a problem-solving resource that is available to you or members of your family. A professional counselor will assist you in assessing your situation, finding options, making choices or locating further help.

Some common concerns include, stress or burnout, financial concerns, marriage and family problems, alcohol or chemical dependency, work-related problems, parent-child difficulties, and emotional problems.

NRCS covers the cost of initial assessment, a limited number of additional problem solving sessions and referral services. If there is a need for long-term counseling or treatment, your counselor will help you explore the various insurance and/or payment options available.

Your Employee Assistance Program has been set up with The Sand Creek Group, Ltd., an outside counseling resource to assure confidentiality. No one at work will know that you have chosen to seek help unless you choose to tell them. Nothing concerning your use of EAP will appear in your personnel file. You will be told how the program works to make sure your privacy is protected.

Usually you are the person that is first aware of some stress or problem and will call for an appointment. Occasionally, a manager or supervisor may suggest that you contact the Employee Assistance Program. That person may be aware you are trying to cope with a complex problem or simply observe you are troubled. The choice to use the program is up to you.

The Sand Creek Group's Employee Assistance Program is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-888-243-5744; TDD # 1-800-627-3529 or http://www.sandcreekeap.com.

The Sand Creek Group, Ltd. provides a full range of Employee Assistance Programs. Their services address employee personal and work related problems. The counselors are highly credentialed and experienced. Each one of their employee assistance counselors holds at least a Masters Degree, (many have Ph.D.s), required licenses and state certification to practice, and many years of experience. The Sand Creek Group, Ltd. is a behavioral health care corporation and a leading provider of employee assistance services. Their counselors are highly trained, caring professionals who are dedicated to bringing the highest quality of assistance to you and your family members. The Sand Creek Group specializes in Employee Assistance Services to government employees.

Applying for Federal Vacancies

Most federal vacancies are posted on the USA Jobs Website at http://www.usajobs.gov/. There is no longer a single “civil service” exam and to apply for most Federal jobs, you do not have to take any kind of test at all. Search the USAJOBS database for opportunities that match the type of job you are interested in. Then, follow the “How to Apply” instructions within each vacancy announcement. Some vacancies require an online application process; others require the applicant to submit an application package through the mail. If you have questions about individual application procedures, contact the agency directly for assistance. The agency's contact information is provided at the bottom of the USAJOBS job announcement page. NRCS also maintains registers of candidates for soil conservationist and soil scientist positions. The announcement numbers are UK535257 and UK535258 respectively and are also posted on USA Jobs.

Within-Grade Increases

General Schedule employees are eligible for within-grade increases, unless they are denied for poor performance, after the following waiting periods: 52 weeks for advancement to steps 2-4; 104 weeks for advancement to steps 5-7; and 156 weeks for advancement to steps 8 10.

Financial Management

Time and Attendance

NRCS is now operating under Direct Charge accounting procedures. Under Direct Charge NRCS must charge time and procurement activities to the appropriate program fund code. Several of our Farm Bill Program technical assistance allocations are small and must be managed carefully to ensure enough funds are available to service participants of those programs. Hour allocations are being given to field offices to assist in managing time. Employees may not exceed those allocations or charge time to a program they do not have an allocation for without first getting permission from their supervisor. Time should be recorded in WebTCAS daily.

These hours represent an estimate of the percentage of time by field office staff required to carry out the farm bill programs. The District Conservationist will have authority and responsibility to manage the hours of their staff. In the event hours for a program are not allocated, or additional hours for an allocated program are needed, the District Conservationist will be required to contact the Assistant State Conservationists for Operations to transfer additional hours to cover anticipated overage. If additional funds are not available, NRCS employees must discontinue working in that particular program until adjustments can be made. On the other hand, employees must work and charge time to the programs they receive hours to ensure fund integrity and avoid a deficit in other program allocations. Due to the limited funding within these programs, each employee will manage their time accordingly to the allocation of hours allotted and all time charges will be recorded in 15 minute increments. Field employees must plan their work to optimize fund usage. When going to the field to service an EQIP application for example, employees should schedule other work, such as CTA planning or Watershed O&M to distribute time charges and meet work load demands.

Budgets

Managers should ensure that the budget amount allocated is not exceeded. Budget deficits can result in the loss of your budget.

All employees should be good stewards of federal funds. The following are suggestions for monitoring expenses:

• Limit overnight and air travel • Improve Fleet Management
• Use monthly schedules to consolidate rides
• Use the most efficient vehicle for the job – Use sedan versus SUV • Observe posted speed limits
• Use Ethanol Fuel in E85 capable vehicles
• Carpool when possible
• Combine planning and application visits when possible
• Maintain proper tire pressure, change oil and air filters as recommended by the manufacturer
• Minimize and monitor excessive use of telephones (watch for roaming signals especially out of state)
• Send mail going to the same location in one envelope
• Use required sources of supply (Office Max and GSA) when using the procurement credit card
• Monitor spending on supplies, materials and equipment

Discretionary/Mandatory Funds

The following is a list of discretionary and mandatory funds used in Maryland:

Discretionary Funds

• Conservation Operations Technical Assistance C0-01
• Soil Survey C0-02
• Plant Materials C0-46
• Resource Conservation & Development RCD-11

Mandatory Funds

• Conservation Reserve Program CRP-67
• Environmental Quality Incentive Program EQ-76
• Wetland Reserve Program WR-77
• Farm and Ranchland Protection Program FP-69
• Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program WH-75
• Conservation Security Program CS-85
• Grassland Reserve Program GR-86
• Agricultural Management Assistance Program AMA-87

Travel

Many employees travel to attend training courses or to conduct official Government business. All travel must be approved by your supervisor. Employees on official travel are expected to exercise the same care in incurring expenses that persons would when traveling on personal business. All travel is to be coordinated with your supervisor to avoid overtime compensation (when possible) and high travel costs. Discuss travel with your supervisor prior to making final travel plans.

The following are general information and guidelines for temporary duty travel.

1. It remains the employee's responsibility to ensure a travel authorization is in place prior to travel.
2. Travelers are required to submit a travel voucher within 5 days of completion of trip or period of travel, or every 30 days if employee is in continuous travel status.
3. There can be only one purpose code and one travel authorization number per voucher.
4. Employees accompanied by family members sharing the same hotel room are limited to reimbursement for a single room.
5. Employees are reminded that when the Government furnishes meals at nominal or no cost or meals are included in registration fees or lodging cost, the appropriate amount should be deducted from M&IE. Complimentary meals offered by hotels and airlines do not have to be deducted.
6. Employees are responsible for ascertaining applicable per diem rates for travel locations prior to traveling. Per diem is lodging costs plus a fixed rate for meals and incidental expenses such as tips. GSA sets the per diem rate. The maximum lodging rate is the basic lodging charge before taxes. Secretaries, or financial management can provide information on per diem rates or may be found at the following web site: http://www.govtrip.com/govtrip/site/index.jsp
7. Actual Subsistence requires the Chief’s approval.
8. POV mileage rates can be found at gsa.gov.
9. Employees are required to use GovTrip for booking common carrier transportation, out of state hotel/motel accommodations and rental cars except in the following situations:
   • Any travel for which advance reservations are impractical, e.g., when a traveler is on the road and does not know where lodging will be available (most in-state travel will fall under this exception).
   • For travel situations where only a rental car is needed, travelers may deal directly with the appropriate company.
   • Hotel accommodations for a conference, seminar, etc., where the sponsoring organization has arranged for special rate and ensured that the facility complies with the Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act’s (HMFSA) standards.

GovTrip is our current travel management center. They may be contacted at: www.govtrip.com.

10. A government issued travel credit card is required to book all airline tickets and should be used for other travel related expenses such as lodging.
11. GSA negotiates a contract with airlines for travel on frequently used flights between certain cities. These are called contract city-pairs. Government travelers are required to use a contract city-pair fare, if available.
12. Promotional items, including frequent flyer miles earned on official travel may be retained for personal use if such items are obtained under the same conditions offered to the general public at no additional cost to the government. Each traveler is responsible for handling personal frequent flyer mileage accounts. Travelers may not select airlines or other travel services based upon frequent flyer programs or other promotional items. Travelers are still expected to select the method of travel most advantageous to the government.
13. Reimbursement for telephone calls of a personal nature are authorized when an employee travels for more than one night, i.e., two or more nights on government business, to the employee's residence to speak to members of the immediate family. The total amount that may be approved for each travel period cannot exceed an amount equal to $5.00 multiplied by the number of lodging nights.
14. Itemized receipts are required for lodging and for any expenses costing over $25. Credit card receipts are not sufficient for vouchering.

Government Travel Credit Card

Employees are mandated to use their government-issued Bank of America travel charge card to pay for reimbursable travel expenses. All permanent employees who travel at least twice a year must participate in the government travel charge card program.

The Government issued charge card is embossed with the statement: “For Official U. S. Government Travel Only”. This means that the card may be used only for official travel and travel related expenses away from the official duty station. This card is required to purchase all airline tickets and lodging expenses for official travel. Cash advances can be obtained with the travel card just prior to the travel for miscellaneous travel expenses and meal expenses. Travel card cash advances should not exceed estimated M&IE amount, less meals charged. Travel card and/or cash advances may not be used to pay meeting/conference registration fees.

Official travel is travel of more than one day for which a travel voucher will be filed. The charge card should not be used for travel authorized at government time/personal expense or during one day trips away from the employee’s duty station.

Government issued travel charge cards should not be used to purchase items of a personal nature such as clothing or gifts while in travel status or for personal, family, or household purposes. If a travel card is inadvertently used for personal expenses, the employee should immediately contact the vendor and have the charge switched to his/her personal credit card, then send an email of action taken to the State Administrative Officer.

Employees are required to pay undisputed travel card bills in full by the due date, regardless of whether reimbursement has been received. Because this card is issued in the employee’s name, this payment record will appear on the employee’s personal credit reports. Once a cardholder account has been cancelled, the account cannot be reopened. The agency is allowed to collect undisputed delinquent amounts owed to the Government travel charge card contractor from the employee’s disposable pay upon written request from the contractor.

Employees who use the charge card for inappropriate or non-official purposes or who fail to pay their account balance in a timely manner will be subject to disciplinary action, which can range from a letter of reprimand to removal from duty. Employees who have lost their charge card privileges due to card cancellation by the bank because of delinquency or use of the card for non official purposes and need to perform official travel must charge their common carrier transportation to the agency centrally billed account. All other travel related costs must be paid by the employee using a personal charge card or with personal funds.

Management Services

Government-Owned Vehicles (GOV)

Government-owned vehicles (GOV), when available should be used by employees for official purposes only. When possible, as assigned, the GOV will be shared with other employees to eliminate the use of a privately-owned vehicle and the need for several vehicles traveling to the same destination. If an employee is required to be an incidental motor vehicle operator they will be required to maintain a valid State Driver’s License. Employees who fail to maintain a valid driver’s license or who misuse a GOV may be subject to disciplinary action including possible removal. Employees who use government vehicles to run personal errands or go to lunch (if not in official travel status) are guilty of misuse of the government vehicle. Willful misuse of government-owned vehicles carries a mandatory penalty of 30 days suspension without pay.

Current NRCS policy states that non-Federal individuals should not be transported in U.S. government vehicles unless for official purposes and prior written approval has been obtained from the State Conservationist. This includes spouses or family members. Exceptions would include a family member who is officially signed up and acting in an Earth Team Volunteer capacity. Earth Team Volunteers are considered Federal personnel. Transporting of producers around their operations in a government vehicle while conducting official business does not require written approval. Transporting conservation district employees and directors in a government vehicle while conducting official business does not require written approval.

Government vehicles are not to be used for transporting employees between their residence and their official duty station, except in cases of employees engaged in field work, the nature of whose duties make such transportation necessary, and then only when authorized through channels by the State Conservationist. Only the State Conservationist has delegated authority to approve occasional home to work use of a Government-owned vehicle. Government vehicles are to be parked overnight at the employee's official duty station, unless the employee is in official travel status, or has received specific approval for temporary storage of the vehicle from the State Conservationist. Exceptions to this policy will be rare and must demonstrate a true benefit to the agency.

All requests shall be made through supervisory channels for alternative vehicle basing. Form AD-728 will be used for temporary or occasional storage of a vehicle at a location other than the employee's official duty station. Form AD-728 is for a specific time period not to exceed six months. Written requests can be made for longer term (i.e., more than 6 months) basing of vehicles at locations other than employee's official duty station.

While in official travel status, employee may use a government vehicle for official purposes, which include transportation:

1. Between places of official business,
2. Between places of official business and temporary lodging when public transportation is unavailable or its use is impractical, or
3. Between places of official business or temporary lodging and restaurants, drugstores, barber shops, places of worship, cleaning establishments, and similar places necessary for sustenance, comfort, or health of the employee to foster the continued efficient performance of Government business.

Employees shall exercise discretion to avoid, whenever possible, any situation which may tend to convey an impression to the public that the Government vehicle is being used for anything other than official purposes.

Voyager Fleet Charge Cards

Authorized Voyager fleet charge card purchases are for fuel, maintenance, tires, batteries, and car washes. The fleet charge card will not be used for any personal purchases. Offices will maintain a folder on each vehicle to track and document maintenance and repairs. Receipts for transactions including fuel should be kept in this vehicle folder. Offices may be asked to send in invoices for transactions that are flagged by the charge card system as “suspect”.

When using the Voyager fleet charge card for fuel, purchase regular fuel unless the owner’s manual directs otherwise.

Enter an accurate odometer reading. Odometer readings and fuel amounts are used to determine progress on improving fuel consumption.

The Voyager fleet charge card will be used only for the vehicle for which it is issued. If a card fails to work, ask for a replacement promptly. Pool cards can be used for backup until a new card arrives.

Requests for reimbursement of funds due to non-acceptance of the Voyager fleet charge card should be made only in emergency situations. Employees should attempt to utilize vendors who accept the fleet charge card and use those who do not only as a last resort.

Insurance Coverage for Accidents and/or Liability Government-Owned Vehicles

Government-Owned Vehicles (GOV) are to be used only for official business as defined by the Federal Travel Regulations (301-2.6). If an employee is involved in an accident while using a GOV, the employee would be covered during such official travel when performing duties within the scope of his or her employment. The Government is self-insured. When an employee is traveling on official business and performing duties within the scope of his or her employment, liability would not fall on the employee, but upon the Government. Any claim arising from this situation would be handled under Federal Tort Claims Act procedures.

Privately-Owned Vehicles

If an employee is involved in an accident while using his or her POV when on official business performing duties within the scope of his or her employment, the Government may be responsible for any tort liability (but not damage to the employee's personal vehicle since the mileage reimbursement by the Government for use of POV includes costs for the employee's insurance to cover such occurrences). If an accident occurs during personal travel after work hours or on the weekend, the employee, not the Government, would be responsible for any tort liability.

Commercially-Leased Vehicles

Travelers can use a commercially-leased vehicle at government expense only if the agency determines that use of the rental vehicle is advantageous to the government. The use of a rental vehicle must be specifically authorized. Use of a rental vehicle should be authorized by the appropriate State Leadership Team member.

Employees should not take/pay the collision damage waiver (CDW) or theft insurance when renting a vehicle for official government business. Employees will not be reimbursed for CDW or theft insurance for travel within CONUS for the following reasons: (1) The Government is a self-insurer. (2) Rental vehicles available under agreement(s) with the Government include full coverage insurance for damages resulting from an accident while performing official travel. Personal accident insurance is considered a personal expense and is not reimbursable.

When an employee is traveling on official business and performing duties within the scope of his or her employment, liability would not fall on the employee, but may fall upon the Government. Any claim arising from this situation would be handled under Federal Tort Claims Act procedures.

When an employee mixes official and personal travel, the situation is more complicated. In these cases, liability arising from claims related to the official travel duties and responsibilities may rest upon the Government. The employee would be responsible for any liability arising from claims related to his or her personal travel.

If the traveler obtains a short-term leased vehicle from a commercial vendor and the traveler is involved in an accident, the Government may be responsible for any tort liability for the claim ONLY if the traveler was on official business performing his or her duties. However, if they use the commercially-leased vehicle for strictly personal use after-hours or on the weekend the employee, not the Government, would be responsible for any tort liability for any claim that may arise from an accident with the vehicle. For example, a traveler attending a week long conference rents a car but stays until Sunday. After the employee's temporary duty ends on Friday, the rental car becomes both an expense and responsibility of the employee and not of the Government. The employee would be personally liable for additional costs or accidents occurring on the weekend.

Under Federal Travel Regulations (FTR), it is permissible for an employee to use short-term commercial-leased vehicles for personal use. If an employee does so, however, he or she must deduct any increased costs for the rental from his or her reimbursement claim (extra daily charge, extra mileage charge, etc., if applicable).

To be in compliance with the FTR, NRCS travelers should use the government issued travel card to pay for the rental vehicle when the vehicle is needed to conduct official business. To be in compliance with Department of Agriculture Travel Regulations, NRCS employees should make all travel arrangements through their Travel Management Center (TMC). Any additional costs incurred for personal use of a rental vehicle should be charged to the employee's personal credit card.

Because of the potential for personal liability in such rentals, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) suggests an employee not use a commercially obtained vehicle for mixing official business and personal use. However, if an employee does plan to use such a vehicle for personal use, OIG recommends that the individual obtain additional insurance to cover his or her personal liability in case of an accident. The Government will not reimburse the employee for this insurance cost. Another option could be that the employee return the vehicle after official business and obtain another one for personal use.

Procurement

No employee may place orders to vendors or otherwise obligate funds unless they have the appropriate procurement authority. Warranted contracting officers are authorized to obligate funds in accordance with applicable regulations up to the level of their specific warrant. Purchase Card Management System (PCMS) cardholders may only make purchases for supply and or service procurements valued at $2,500 or less.

Any employee who places an order with a vendor without having appropriate procurement authority is committing an unauthorized commitment. Not only is an unauthorized commitment a violation of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, but also a violation of the standards of ethical conduct for employees of the Executive Branch.

The PCMS cardholder is issued an individual purchase card. The only individual authorized to make purchases using the card is the person whose name is imprinted on the card. Cardholders must ensure that the single purchase dollar limit and/or monthly purchase limit is not exceeded.

Quarterly, PCMS cardholders should print a Cardholder Transactions Report for review, approval, and certification by the appropriate Supervisor to ensure the purchases are for official government use.

Mandatory Procurement Source

USDA has established a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) with Boise Cascade Office Products (BCOP) to provide Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act (JWOD) products and has requested that all USDA agencies use the BPA. NRCS has, therefore, made use of the BCOP BPA mandatory. Each BCOP online ordering account is linked to a purchase cardholder and all general office supplies, selected information technology items, and furniture will be procured from BCOP.

Business Cards

NRCS has determined that business cards can be purchased for employees who regularly deal with the public or organizations outside their immediate office. The Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act (JWOD) Program offers business cards which may be acquired with Federal Funds. The JWOD Program is a mandatory source. The General Services Administration (GSA) has issued a mandatory Federal Supply Schedule (14F-0721G) to the Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc., P.O. Box 14959, Seattle, WA 98114. General Information and USDA Business Card Order Forms showing the approved business card formats can be obtained by contacting the Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc., at 1-800-799-0402, (206) 322-9180 (fax). Orders can be placed by mail or facsimile. Payment can be made by a government purchase card. When purchased at Government expense, business cards are for official use only. The Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind can be accessed on the World Wide Web at http://www.lighthousestore.com.

Day Planners/Refills

USDA has instructed all USDA agencies to purchase day planners and refills only from the mandatory Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act (JWOD) product source. This mandatory product source is DayMax. Purchase of other planners/refills such as Day Runner, Franklin, etc., is prohibited using Federal funds. The DayMax planners and refills are available for electronic purchase from the Boise Cascade Office Products/Office Max micro-site and may be purchased using the purchase card. Planners and refills can also be procured directly from Easter Seals of Western Pennsylvania by visiting www.daymax.com.

Printing

Purchases for printing are restricted and must be made by the State Offices. The State Office then makes the request to the Forth Worth Printing Plant. "Duplicating" is not printing and can be purchased. "Duplicating" is defined as the reproduction of material using small office-type duplicators for a job that does not exceed 5,000 impressions of any one page or, if more than one page, the job does not exceed 25,000 total impressions. (JCP Regulations Handbook, p. 1, para. 2-1.)

An impression means one sheet, size 8-1/2 x 11 inches (215 x 280mm), one side only, one color. All jobs not included in "duplicating" definition are considered "printing" and must be obtained by the State Office.

Protective Equipment, Clothing, and Supplies

The Comptroller General has ruled that "every employee for the Government is required to present himself for duty properly attired according to the requirements of his position."

There are three statutory provisions, which permit the purchase of items of apparel from appropriated funds in certain circumstances:

In order for an item to be authorized by 5 U.S.C. § 7903, three tests must be met: (1) the item must be "special" and not part of the ordinary and usual furnishings an employee may reasonably be expected to provide for himself; (2) the item must be for the benefit of the government, that is, essential to the safe and successful accomplishment of the work, and not solely for the protection of the employee, and (3) the employee must be engaged in hazardous duty.

The Comptroller General has ruled that raincoats and umbrellas for employees who must frequently go out in the rain are not special equipment, but are personal items which the employee must furnish. Clothing and equipment for comfort, promotional activities, or protection against weather such as heavy woolen garments, T-shirts, caps, overshoes, boots, gloves, etc., are not furnished by NRCS.

Waders and rubber boots may be purchased, as long as they remain the property of the government and are not for the use of any particular employee.

Title 120, Part 406.61-14, of the General Manual identifies protective equipment, clothing, and supplies which can be purchased with government funds. It is state policy that only hard hats; ATV helmets, goggles, and gloves; and the protective gear required for Bio Security may be purchased without pre-approval from the State Administrative Officer in the state office.

Employees should not purchase items of apparel with government funds and will be required to reimburse the government for any unauthorized purchases.

Purchase from Employees

NRCS does not purchase items or services from Federal employees or business concerns owned or controlled by Federal employees except in unusual cases that are approved in advance by National Headquarters.

Procurement of Light Refreshments and/or Meals

The following is guidance on procurement of light refreshments and/or meals for NRCS employee meetings and for meetings outside NRCS.

• Appropriated funds may not be used for entertainment, including free food and refreshments for non-government personnel, except under specific statutory authority (usually at the national level).
• Appropriated funds may be used to provide light refreshments for employees at award ceremonies, under the Government Employees Incentive Awards Act. This will generally be in a zone or state office awards presentation meeting.

The Government can pay for light refreshments for employees at breaks during meetings or conferences, when all of the attendees are in travel status (on per diem). This may be documented with sign-in sheets. If all of the attendees are not on per diem, then light refreshments may not be purchased with government funds.

Light refreshments may include the following: coffee, tea, milk, soft drinks, doughnuts, bagels, muffins, etc.

Application Guidelines for Grants and Agreements

A written proposal should accompany Form SF-424 and should include the following as a minimum: • Proposal Summary • Description of the Organization • Problem Statement • Project Objectives • Plan of Work, (Scope of Work or Performance Work Statement) • Project Budget, SF 424a and SF 424b (non-construction) or SF 424c and SF 424d (construction)

The following provides a brief overview of these components.

Proposal Summary

The proposal summary outlines the proposed project and should be brief – no longer than two or three paragraphs. The summary would be most useful if it were prepared after the application has been developed in order to encompass all the key summary points necessary to communicate the objectives of the project. The applicant must select a fundable project which can be supported in view of the local need. Funding alternatives, in the absence of Federal support, should be pointed out. The influence of the project both during and after the project period should be explained. The consequences of the project as a result of funding should be highlighted.

Description of the Organization

Provide a description of the applicant's organization and describe its relevant past and present operations. Some features to consider are: (i.) A brief biography of board members and/or key staff members. (ii.) The organization's goals, philosophy, track record with other grantors, and any success stories. (iii.) The data should be relevant to the goals and objectives of NRCS.

The Problem Statement: Stating the Purpose at Hand

The problem statement (or needs assessment) is a key element of an application that makes a clear, concise, and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed. The information provided should be both factual and directly related to the problem addressed by the proposal. Areas to document are:

1. The purpose for developing the application.
2. The beneficiaries -- who are they and how will they benefit. Also, what are the mutual benefits of the applicant and NRCS?
3. The nature of the problem (provide as much hard evidence as possible).
4. How the applicant organization came to realize the problem exists, and what is currently being done about the problem.
5. The remaining alternatives available when funding has been exhausted. Explain what will happen to the project and the impending implications.
6. Most importantly, the specific manner through which problems might be solved. Review the resources needed, considering how they will be used and to what end.

Project Objectives: Goals and Desired Outcomes

Project objectives refer to specific activities in the proposal. It is necessary to identify all objectives related to the goals to be reached, and the methods to be employed to achieve the stated objectives. Consider quantities or things measurable and refer to a problem statement and the outcome of proposed activities when developing a well-stated objective. The figures used should be verifiable. If the proposal is funded, the stated objectives will be used to evaluate program progress.

Plan of Work

The Plan of Work identifies what is to be performed, how the project is expected to work and how will the project will solve the stated problem. Applications should describe the following:

1. The activities to occur along with the related resources and staff needed to operate the project.
2. Describe how all activities interrelate, where personnel will be needed, and what they are expected to do. Identify the kinds of facilities, transportation, and support services required.
3. Include a project schedule
4. Explain what will be achieved through 1 and 2 above; i.e., plan for measurable results. Project staff may be required to produce evidence of program performance through an examination of stated objectives during either a site visit by NRCS and or grant reviews which may involve peer review committees.

Project Budget

SF 424, SF 424a and SF 424b (non-construction) or SF 424, SF 424c and SF 424d (construction) A well-prepared budget justifies all expenses and is consistent with the proposal narrative. In preparing the budget it is very important to become familiar with the following applicable Government-wide circular requirements for organizations that will be included in the agreement; The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, 2-CFR Parts 215, 220, 225, 230; 7-CFR Parts 3015, 3017, 3018, 3019, 3052; and The Office of Management and Budget, OMB Circulars A-102, A-133.

Copies of these regulations may be found at the following U.S. Government web sites: U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/retrieve.html  OMB Circulars at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/index-education.html 

Safeguarding Sensitive Information

It is important that we protect employee and customer personal data including names, social security numbers, addresses, etc. It is imperative that we ensure the information is guarded and accessed only when necessary in conducting official business.

Access to employee or customer personal information should be located in locked file cabinets and should be limited to those individuals who have a legitimate need to know in order to fulfill their official job duties. Requests for further release of personal information should be referred to individual employees and/or denied without an employee's written consent.

Miscellaneous

Telephone Tips

Every effort must be made to maintain good customer service. Listed below are several tips for a successful telephone conversation.

• Check voice mail frequently throughout the day.
• Maintain an up-to-date and accurate message at all time.
• Answer your phone personally whenever possible.
• Promptly return phone calls.
• Learn to ignore people’s indifference. People will provoke you only if you let them.
• Make a brief apology if there is a problem and do it with a smile. Callers can always hear it.
• Improve listening by taking accurate notes.
• Always remember, you are a representative of the Agency.
• Personal calls should be kept to a minimum and should be as brief as possible. This includes the use of personal cell phones during official work hours. (Cell phone ringers should be set to low or vibrate.)

Discourteous treatment to our customers and fellow employees will not be tolerated and will result in disciplinary action.

Office Mail

Mail will be reviewed on a daily basis. The flow of office procedures should not stop because someone is not available in the office. Do not use Government letterhead and postage-paid privileges for personal business. Unless it is an emergency, you should not have personal mail or packages sent to your office. It is a violation of Federal laws and regulations to use postage-paid Government envelopes to file job applications. Email should be read several times daily.

Contact

Malcolm Reeves
State Administrative Officer
Phone: 443.482.2926
Email: malcolm.reeves@md.usda.gov

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