Part 1: Personnel Systems & Procedures

Chapter 2: Employment

Section 2: Part-Time Employment

1. What is the purpose and scope of this section? The purpose of this section is to establish procedures and guidance for administering the Part-Time Employment Program in the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This section implements the requirements of the Federal Employees Part-Time Career Employment Act of 1978, which encouraged a greater Federal commitment to utilizing employees who need or wish to work less than the traditional 40-hour workweek. This section applies to all FHWA organizational entities employing personnel under the Federal Employees Part-Time Career Employment Act of 1978.

2. Does this directive cancel an existing FHWA directive? Yes. This directive cancels FHWA Personnel Management Manual (PMM) Part 1, Chapter 2, Section 3, Part-time Employment Program, dated June 28, 1996. Information from PMM Part 1, Chapter 2, Section 3, has been revised and renumbered as Part 1, Chapter 2, Section 2.

3. What references were used when writing this section?

   1. Part 1405 of Title 29, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part-Time Employment.

   2. Public Law (P.L.) 95-437, Federal Employees Part-Time Career Employment Act of 1978.

   3. Title 5, CFR, Part 340, Other Than Full-Time Career Employment (Part-Time, Seasonal, On-Call, and Intermittent).

   4. Title 5, United States Code (U.S.C.) Chapter 34.

   5. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Part-Time Employment and the Job Sharing Guide (http://www.opm.gov/wrkfam/jobshare.asp).

   6. OPM Guide to Processing Personnel Actions, Chapter 24, Change in Work Schedule/Change in Hours.

4. What are the objectives and advantages of the Part-Time Employment Program? The objectives of the Part-Time Employment Program are to provide increased part-time career employment opportunities throughout the Federal government. Some advantages of the Part-Time Employment Program, according to Congressional findings, are that the program:

   1. Provides parents with opportunities to balance family responsibilities with the need for additional income;

   2. Provides employment opportunities to disabled individuals or others who require a reduced workweek;

   3. Provides older individuals a gradual transition into retirement;

   4. Benefits employees who need to work less than the traditional 40-hour workweek in order to recover from an illness, pursue an education, balance routine and/or unexpected workload and family demands, devote time to a volunteer activity in the community, participate in a special activity, etc;

   5. Benefits students who must finance their own education or vocational training;

   6. Benefits the Federal government, as an employer, by:

      
      

      1. (1)  Increasing productivity and job satisfaction while lowering turnover rates and absenteeism;

      2. (2)  Offering management more flexibility in meeting work requirements and filling shortages in various occupations;

      3. (3)  Retaining highly qualified employees or those with special skills who may not be able or may not want to work a full-time schedule;

      4. (4)  Serving as a performance incentive;

      5. (5)  Increasing employee effectiveness;

      6. (6)  Providing work coverage during recurring workload surges;

      7. (7)  Reducing employment expenditures; and

      8. (8)  Supporting agency affirmative action goals; and

   7. Benefits society by offering a needed alternative for those individuals who require or prefer shorter hours (despite the reduced income), thus increasing jobs available to reduce unemployment while retaining the skills of individuals who have training and experience.
      
      

5. What are the key definitions used in this section?

   1. Part-Time Career Employment. "Part-Time Career Employment" means regularly scheduled work from 16 to 32 hours each week (or between 32 and 64 hours a pay period) performed by an employee who has a career or career-conditional appointment (or the equivalent in the excepted service). Employees on a part-time schedule are eligible (on a prorated basis, in most cases) for the same benefits as full-time employees: leave, retirement, health and life insurance coverage (see paragraph 9).

   2. Job Sharing."Job Sharing" is a form of part-time employment in which the schedules of two or more part-time employees are arranged to cover the duties of a single full-time position. Typically, a job sharing team consists of two employees at the same grade level, but other arrangements are possible. Job sharers are subject to the same personnel policies as other part-time employees. Under a job sharing agreement, where there is limited Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) ceiling, the two job-share employees may be restricted to working a total number of hours not to exceed 80 hours in a pay period.

6. Who is covered under the Part-Time Career Employment Program? The FHWA Part-Time Career Employment Program applies to individuals eligible for, or already employed in, positions up to and including grade GS-15. Included are employees on career or career conditional (or equivalent excepted service) appointments whose regularly scheduled work is from 16 to 32 hours per week (or 32 to 64 hours during a bi-weekly pay period).

7. What are the procedures for filling positions under the Part-Time Employment Program?

   1. Participation. Participation in the Part-Time Employment Program is voluntary. An employee desiring a change in employment from full-time to part-time (or vice versa) should submit a formal written request to the first level supervisor. The first-level supervisor will evaluate the request in terms of workload, potential benefits, retention of a valuable employee, and the best interest of the Federal government, and will then make his/her recommendation to the second-level supervisor. The second-level supervisor evaluates the employee's request, organizational needs, employment ceilings, and any other pertinent considerations, and he/she approves or disapproves the employee's request. A decision should be made, and the employee should be notified in writing within 15 workdays from the date of the formal written request.

      1. (1)  Covered Positions. There are no regulations that limit part-time employment to specific jobs or grade levels, but arrangements should meet the needs of the organization and the employee.

      2. (2)  Approved Requests. The employee's request, an approved Standard Form (SF)-52, Request for Personnel Action, and any related documents should be forwarded to the appropriate servicing Human Resources Office.

      3. (3)  Denied Requests. The employee's request and any related documents will be forwarded to the servicing Human Resources Office and retained for one year.

   2. Reassignments A part-time employee can be reassigned to a position with promotion potential no higher than his/her current position, provided the employee meets the qualification requirements for the position.

   3. Promotions If the position being sought by a part-time employee requires a promotion or has promotion potential beyond that contained in the employee's current position, there must be competition in accordance with the merit promotion procedures outlined in the PMM, Chapter 3, Section 1, Merit Promotion Guidelines. Part-time experience will be credited on a prorated basis when evaluating specialized experience required for promotion to higher graded positions. Time-in-grade requirements for part-time employees are not prorated.

   4. Newly Hired Employees The Part-Time Employment Program can be utilized when hiring new employees into the FHWA workplace. One of the primary purposes of this program is to provide new employment opportunities for those individuals unable to work a full 40 hours per week schedule (or 80-hour biweekly schedule). Supervisors should review each vacant position to determine whether or not a part-time employee could be utilized for that position.

   5. Service Credit A part-time employee receives a full year of service credit for each calendar year worked, regardless of tour of duty, for the purpose of computing career tenure, service for retention, completion of probationary period, and leave accrual rates. Waiting periods for within-grade increases are not affected by part-time status since they are based on calendar weeks of creditable service.

   6. Job Sharing Job sharing offers supervisors considerable flexibility in scheduling and matching work schedules to meet workload peaks, and it provides a built-in backup system.

   7. Coordination. Specialists from the servicing Human Resources Office are available to provide advice and assistance to both management officials and employees regarding part-time employees.

8. How is pay set under the Part-Time Employment Program? The hourly pay rate is the same for full-time and part-time employees.

9. What are the employee benefits under the Part-Time Employment Program?

   1. Leave

      1. (1)   Annual leave is earned on a pro-rated basis as determined by years of service. For example, a part-time employee with less than 3 years of service earns 1 hour of annual leave for each 20 hours worked. For 3 to 14 years of service, 1 hour of annual leave is earned for each 13 hours worked. For 15 or more years of service, 1 hour of annual leave is earned for each 10 hours worked. The maximum carryover of annual leave at the end of the leave year is 240 hours, the same as for full-time employees.

      2. (2)   Sick leave is earned at a rate of 1 hour for every 20 hours worked.

      3. (3)   Other leave categories (e.g., absence without leave, leave without pay, court leave, excused absences) are not affected by part-time status.

      4. (4)   Part-time employees are also eligible for other leave flexibilities that are covered by the rules governing the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.

   2. Holidays If a holiday falls on a day in which the employee normally works, the employee is paid for the number of hours he or she was scheduled to work, not to exceed 8 hours.

   3. Health Benefits Part-time career and career-conditional employees are entitled to enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. However, instead of the full Federal government contribution received by full-time employees, the amount of the Federal government contribution for part-time employees will be an amount that is in direct proportion to the percentage of full-time service they regularly perform. This ratio is determined by dividing the average number of hours scheduled to be worked during the pay period by the average number of hours worked by a full-time employee (normally 80 hours per biweekly pay period). Part-time employees must pay the difference between the health plan premium amount and the pro-rated Federal government contribution. The part-time employee must pay a greater percentage of the premium because the Federal government's share is prorated based on the number of hours the employee is scheduled to work each week. For example, an employee on a 20-hour-per-week schedule receives one-half of the Federal government contribution toward the premium.

       

   4. Life Insurance Part-time career and career-conditional employees are entitled to coverage under the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program. The actual amount of insurance for which an employee is eligible is based on annual salary.

   5. Retirement Benefits Retirement benefits are pro-rated for part-time service under both the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). Computation formulas and simplified examples are provided in the appendices to this section. Because these formulas are complicated, part-time employees should contact their servicing Human Resources office for assistance in evaluating their own personal situations.

      1. (1)   FERS Annuity benefits for employees under the FERS are pro-rated to reflect the proportion of total actual hours worked under FERS (part-time and full-time combined) as compared to the total full-time hours possible over the same period of service. See Appendix 1 for more information about the annuity computation for part-time FERS service.

      2. (2)   CSRS Under the CSRS, annuity benefits for part-time service result from the sum of two computations: a pre-April 7, 1986, basic annuity computation and a post-April 6, 1986, basic annuity computation. The pre-April 7, 1986, computation does not pro-rate the annuity computation for part-time service, but the high-3 average salary reflects actual earnings (which in turn reflects part-time service) rather than the equivalent full-time salary. The post-April 6, 1986, computation uses the equivalent full-time salary for the high-3 average, but it pro-rates the annuity computation based on part-time and full-time hours worked as a percentage of full-time hours possible, similar to the FERS computation. See Appendix 2 for more information and examples of the CSRS annuity computation for part-time employees.

10. What are the hours of work for part-time employment?

    1. A regular tour of duty must be established for the employee in line with OPM regulations, which is no less than 16 hours per week and no more than 32 hours per week. An increase in the tour of duty above 32 hours per week is not usually permitted for more than two consecutive pay periods. If an increase above 32 hours per week to full-time employment is necessary for more than two consecutive pay periods on a short term or permanent basis, the action must be documented on an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action.

    2. The overtime provisions for part-time employees are the same as those for full-time employees.

    3. Compensatory time may be earned at the discretion of the leave-approving official.

    
    
    

11. What is the impact of part-time employment on personnel ceilings? Regular non-overtime hours worked by part-time employees count toward the FHWA's FTE work year personnel ceiling. Part-time career employees are charged against the "Other than Full-Time Permanent Employment" ceiling. This ceiling is expressed in FTE terms, i.e., compensable work years. A part-time position counts as a percentage of a full-time job.

12. What other personnel policies are affected by the Part-Time Employment Program?

    1. Reduction-in-Force (RIF).In a RIF, part-time employees compete separately from full-time employees. A part-time employee can compete only for other part-time jobs, and he/she has no assignment rights to full-time positions. Similarly, a full-time employee has assignment rights only to full-time positions and cannot displace a part-time employee.

    2. Adverse and Performance-Based Actions. Part-time employees have the same rights as full-time employees when disciplinary actions or performance-based actions are taken against them. Adverse and/or performance-based actions include suspensions, removals, furloughs, and reductions in grade.

13. What are the reporting requirements regarding part-time employment? Upon request, the FHWA will report its progress in meeting the part-time employment goals established by the Department of Transportation's Office of Human Resources.

FERS Annuity Computation–Part-time Employee

Computation Formula

Computation Criteria

1. (High-3 Average Salary)

   X

2. (Years of FERS Service)

   X

3. (Percentage Factor for Each Year of Service)

   X

4. (Pro-ration Factor)

   =

Tentative FERS Annuity

1. High-3 salary is full-time salary.
   
   
2. Years of FERS service.
   
   
3. 1.0% per year if under age 62;
   1.1% per year if 62 or older.
   
   
4. Hours worked/Possible Full-time Hours.
   Possible FT Hours per year = 2087
   
   

Sample Computation

Sample Information

Example 1:  

1. $70,000

   X

2. 20
   

   X

3. 0.011 (1.1%)

   X

4. 0.8

   =

   $12,320

Example 1:

Age: 63

FERS Service: 20 years total. All 20 yrs. is PT service at 32 hrs per week

High-3 Salary (Equivalent Full-time salary): $70,000

Pro-ration Factor: 32/40 = 0.8 or

(0.8 x 2087x20)/(1.0x2087x20) = 0.8

Example 2:

1. $70,000

   X

2. 20

   X

3. 0.01 (1.0%)

   X

4. 0.97

   =

   $13,580

Example 2:

Age: 60

FERS Service: 20 years; first 17 years full-time; last 3 years PT at 32 hours per week

High-3 Salary: $70,000

Pro-ration Factor: ((0.8 x 2087 x 3) + (1.0 x 2087 x 17)) / (1.0 x 2087 x 20) = 0.97

CSRS Annuity Computation – Part-time Employee

SUM OF THE FOLLOWING 2 COMPUTATIONS

1. Pre-April 7, 1986, Computation

Computation Formula

Computation Criteria

Sum of the following 3 calculations, if all apply:

1a. (High-3 Average Salary)

X

2a. (First 5 Years of pre-4/7/86 CSRS Service, as many as applicable)

X

3a. (Percentage Factor for First 5 Years of Service) (1.0% or 0.01)

PLUS

1b. (High-3 Average Salary)

X

2b. (Second 5 Years of pre-4/7/86 CSRS Service, as many as applicable)

X

3b. (Percentage Factor for Years 6 – 10) (1.5% or 0.015)

PLUS

1c. (High-3 Average Salary)

X

2c. (Years of pre-4/7/86 Service Greater than 10, as many as applicable)

X

3c. (Percentage Factor for Years Greater than 10) (2% or 0.02)

=

Tentative Pre-4/7/86 CSRS Annuity

High-3 salary for pre-4/7/86 computation is actual earned salary, not equivalent full-time salary.

High-3 salary for pre-4/7/86 computation may, and usually will occur after April 7, 1986. It may or may not be the last 3 years of service, depending upon changes in tour of duty and their effect on actual earned salary.

High-3 salary for pre-4/7/86 computation does not have to be the same amount or the same period of time as for the post-4/6/86 computation (the highest 3 years of the equivalent full-time salary may not be the same as the highest 3 years of actual earned salary received).

Percentage Factor for First 5 Years of Service = 1.0% per year.

Percentage Factor for Years 6 – 10 = 1.5% per year.

Percentage Factor for Years Greater than 10 = 2.0% per year.

PLUS (+)

2. Post-April 6, 1986, Computation

Computation Formula

Computation Criteria

Sum of the following 3 calculations, if all apply, will be multiplied by the pro-ration factor in step 4:

1a. (High-3 Average Salary)

X

2a. (First 5 Years of CSRS service, if not used for pre-4/7/86 calculation, as many as applicable)

X

3a. (Percentage Factor for First 5 Years of Service) (1.0% or 0.01)

PLUS

1b. (High-3 Average Salary)

X

2b. (Second 5 Years of CSRS Service, if not used for pre-4/7/86 calculation, as many as applicable)

X

3b. (Percentage Factor for Years 6–10) (1.5% or 0.015)

PLUS

1c. (High-3 Average Salary)

X

2c. (Years of CSRS Service Greater than 10 (less any used for pre-4/7/86 calculation, as many as applicable)

X

3c. (Percentage Factor for Years Greater than 10) (2.0% or 0.02)

=

SUM of steps 1–3

X

4.       (Pro-ration factor)

=

Tentative Post-4/6/86 CSRS Annuity

THEN ADD:

Tentative Pre-4/7/86 CSRS Annuity

+

Tentative Post-4/6/86 CSRS Annuity

=

TENTATIVE TOTAL CSRS ANNUITY*
*Still to be adjusted for final CSRS Sick Leave Balance, unless accounted for in step 2c above.

High-3 salary for post-4/6/86 computation is the equivalent full-time salary, regardless of the part-time tour of duty worked.

High-3 salary for the post-4/6/86 computation will usually, but not always, be the last 3 years.

High-3 salary for the post-4/6/86 computation does not have to be the same amount or the same period of time as for the pre-4/7/86 computation (the highest 3 years of the equivalent full-time salary may not be the same as the highest 3 years of actual earned salary received).

The Percentage Factors for First 5 Years of CSRS Service and Second 5 Years of CSRS Service are applied only once. If the first 10 years occur under pre-4/7/86 service, the post-4/6/86 computation uses only the Percentage Factor for Years Greater than 10. If part of the first 10 years is used in the pre-4/7/86 computation, then the post-4/6/86 computation picks up the remainder.

Percentage Factor for First 5 Years of Service = 1.0% per year .

Percentage Factor for Years 6–#10 = 1.5% per year.

Percentage Factor for Years Greater than 10 = 2.0% per year.

Pro-ration factor = Hours worked/Possible Full-time Hours over entire period of post-4/6/86 service.

Possible FT Hours per year = 2087

SAMPLE COMPUTATONS FOR CSRS SERVICE

Sample Computation

Sample Information

Example 1:  

Pre-4/7/86 Tentative Annuity:

$56,000 X 5 X 0.01 = $2,800 +

$56,000 X 5 X 0.015 = $4,200 +

$56,000 X 1 X 0.02 = $1,120 =

 $8,120 +

Post-4/6/86 Tentative Annuity:

$70,000 X 20 X0.02 = $28,000 X

Pro-ration factor =       0.8   =

$22,400 =

Total Tentative CSRS Annuity = $30, 520*

*Still to be adjusted for additional credit for final sick leave balance.

Example 1:

Age: Retirement-eligible

CSRS Service: 31 years; all 31 yrs. is PT service at 32 hrs per week. 11 years is pre-4/7/86 service; 20 years is post-4/6/86 service.

High-3 Salary: Last 3 years for both computations;

Pre-4/7/86 High-3 (Actual Earned Salary): $56,000 ($70,000 x 0.8);

Post-4/6/86 High-3 (Equivalent Full-time salary): $70,000

Pro-ration Factor for Post-4/6/86 Computation: 32/40 = 0.8 or

(0.8 x 2087x20)/(1.0x2087x20) = 0.8

Example 2:

Pre-4/7/86 Tentative Annuity:

$70,000 X 5 X 0.01   = $3,500 +

$70,000 X 5 X 0.015 = $5,250 +

$70,000 X 1 X 0.02   = $1,400 =

$10,150 +

Post-4/6/86 Tentative Annuity:

$70,000 X 20 X0.02  = $28,000 X

Pro-ration factor = 0.83  =

$23,240 =

Total Tentative CSRS Annuity = $33, 390*

*Still to be adjusted for additional credit for final sick leave balance.

Example 2:

Age: Retirement-eligible

CSRS Service: 31 years; first 28 years is part-time service at 32 hours per week; last 3 years is full-time at 40 hours per week. 11 years is pre-4/7/86 service; 20 years is post-4/6/86 service.

High-3 Salary: Last 3 years for both computations;

Pre-4/7/86 High-3 (Actual Earned Salary): $70,000 ($70,000 x 1.0);

Post-4/6/86 High-3 (Equivalent Full-time salary): $70,000

Pro-ration Factor for Post-4/6/86 Computation: ((0.8 x 2087x17) + (1.0 x 2087x3)) / (1.0 x 2087x20) = 0.83

Example 3:

Pre-4/7/86 Tentative Annuity:

$60,000 X 5 X 0.01   = $3,000 +

$60,000 X 1 X 0.015 = $  900 =

$ 3,900 +

Post-4/6/86 Tentative Annuity:

$70,000 X  4 X 0.015 = $ 4,200 +

$70,000 X 21 X 0.02   = $29,400 =

$33,600 X

Pro-ration factor = 0.968 =

$32,525 =

Total Tentative CSRS Annuity = $36, 425*

*Still to be adjusted for additional credit for final sick leave balance.

Example 3:

Age: Retirement-eligible

CSRS Service: 31 years; first 7 years is part-time service at 32 hours per week; next 21 years is full-time service at 40 hours per week; last 3 years is part-time at 32 hours per week. 6 years is pre-4/7/86 service; 25 years is post-4/6/86 service.

High-3 Salary: Last 3 years for post-4/6/86 computation; the 3 years before the last 3 years (the last 3 years of full-time service) for the pre-4/7/86 computation. Assume the average salary for the last 3 years of full-time service (years 26–28) is $60,000 per year.

Pre-4/7/86 High-3 (Actual Earned Salary): $60,000 ($60,000 x 1.0 for the last 3 years of full-time service, compared to actual earned salary of $56,000 for last 3 years of part-time service);

Post-4/6/86 High-3 (Equivalent Full-time salary): $70,000

Pro-ration Factor for Post-4/6/86 Computation: ((0.8 x 2087x4) + (1.0 x 2087x21)) / (1.0 x 2087x25) = 0.968