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Post by bartleby on Nov 13, 2014 11:22:44 GMT -5
The 4 - 10 schedule does not allow you to work credit hours. Working credit hours is much more flexible and you can be off more of the time. You can work credit hours during the week and pick up 16 on the weekends and then have 3-5 days off depending how you plan it. You can easily pick up 8 hours or more during 4 days of the week, so why lock yourself into the 4 - 10? You just have to be careful how you schedule your hearings and keep up on your docket, moving cases as needed..
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Post by bartleby on Nov 13, 2014 11:29:25 GMT -5
Section 4 – Credit Hours
Consistent with 5 U.S.C. §5547, the Parties acknowledge that a Judge cannot work overtime or earn compensatory time, except for religious compensatory time and travel compensatory time. Credit hours are available to give credit for work performed by a Judge in excess of his or her basic work requirement.
A. Procedures
1. A Judge can earn up to three (3) credit hours per workday, Monday through Friday.
2. A Judge can earn up to eight (8) credit hours on a non-regular work day, excluding holidays (5 U.S.C. §6103) as follows:
a. A Judge can earn no more than a total of eight (8) credit hours on non-regular work days in any calendar week; and
b. One of the following conditions apply:
i. Other hearing office employees are working in the hearing office on the non-regular work day;
ii. When utilities (including heat and air conditioning) are normally available in the hearing office on non-regular workdays regardless of whether other hearing office employees are working in the hearing office; or
iii. With the concurrence of his/her HOCALJ or Judge designee a Judge may work credit hours in the Hearing Office on a non-regular workday, excluding holidays.
c. Credit hours may be earned between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on a non-regular work day, excluding holidays, consistent with Section 4(A)(2)(b)(i-iii).
3. A Judge may earn credit hours when working at a temporary duty station in travel status. When a Judge on FWA is required due to a hearing trip to revert to a regular 5/8 (five eight-hour days) schedule for an entire pay period, the Judge may earn credit hours at the temporary duty station (including weekends, subject to the maximum of earning no more than 8 credit hours on non-regular work days in any calendar week).
4. A Judge may earn no more than thirty-three (33) credit hours per pay period.
5. Credit hours may be earned in one-quarter (1/4) hour increments.
6. The maximum number of credit hours a Judge may carry over from one (1) pay period to the next is twenty-four (24).
7. Use of earned credit hours will be requested by submitting a form SSA-71 or electronic equivalent. The Judge will check the block to the left of "Other" and write out credit hours to the right of "Specify."
8. Accrued credit hours may be used alone or in combination with annual leave, sick leave, when appropriate, or compensatory time for travel if approved by management. A Judge may use all or any of his or her accumulated credit hours in a single pay period.
9. Accrued credit hours may be used by a Judge in the same manner as any leave.
10. Judges will provide annual written notice to the HOCALJ or Acting HOCALJ of the Judge's request to work credit hours. The Parties acknowledge that given the
Employer's current workload, appropriate work is typically available for credit hours work. In the event a HOCALJ or Acting HOCALJ makes a reasonable and good faith determination that work appropriate for credit hours is not available for Judges assigned to the hearing office, the HOCALJ or Acting HOCALJ will so notify the hearing office Judges in writing regarding the basis for, and duration of that determination.
11. Starting and leaving times are determined by Section 2 above.
12. Judges electing to earn credit hours will continue to sign-in at the beginning of their workday and sign-out at the end of their workday at their official duty station. Judges' serial sign-in/sign-out sheets will be separate from the sign-in sheets used by other hearing office employees. Credit hours earned on a daily basis will be recorded in block 14 of the SSA-30.
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Post by tinman on Nov 13, 2014 12:24:16 GMT -5
So if I understand it, an ALJ could work 4 10 hour days, working 2 credit hours per day. The fifth day would be a day of leave, using the 8 accrued credit hours? But instead of being stuck w/ the rigidity of a 4/10 schedule, credit hours allow more flexibility on a daily and weekly basis. This is a nice perk, to say the least. As you point out, I could work like a dog one week and take 5 day weekends every other weekend. Or I could alternate between 3 and 4 day weekends until my wife and I figure things out. This is huge. And purely theoretical of course. One, I don't have an offer. And two, doing good legal work during hours 9, 10, and 11 of a long day in a field I know nothing about will be tough.
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Post by grassgreener on Nov 13, 2014 12:28:36 GMT -5
Does anyone know if "temporary duty station in travel status" also refers to when you're in training at Falls Church?
3. A Judge may earn credit hours when working at a temporary duty station in travel status. When a Judge on FWA is required due to a hearing trip to revert to a regular 5/8 (five eight-hour days) schedule for an entire pay period, the Judge may earn credit hours at the temporary duty station (including weekends, subject to the maximum of earning no more than 8 credit hours on non-regular work days in any calendar week).
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Post by bartleby on Nov 13, 2014 12:35:27 GMT -5
Also, you are given compensatory travel time when in travel status to and from Falls Church, etc..
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Post by carrickfergus on Nov 13, 2014 12:53:31 GMT -5
Echoing Bart's thoughts (I posted this previously):
When I was hired, I worked a couple of credit hours each day and drove home (5 hours) each Friday after work and used the previous week's credit hours to take the following Monday off, and drove back to the office that afternoon. This was actually better than 4/10 as it allows for more flexibility. And if you travel for hearings, you can also accrue significant travel comp time. Unlike credit hours, travel comp time is not capped. Using CHs and TC, and some annual leave at times if needed, you can work 4 days a week no problem. Much better than locking yourself into 4/10.
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Post by hopefalj on Nov 13, 2014 13:00:55 GMT -5
The 4 - 10 schedule does not allow you to work credit hours. Working credit hours is much more flexible and you can be off more of the time. You can work credit hours during the week and pick up 16 on the weekends and then have 3-5 days off depending how you plan it. You can easily pick up 8 hours or more during 4 days of the week, so why lock yourself into the 4 - 10? You just have to be careful how you schedule your hearings and keep up on your docket, moving cases as needed.. I'm assuming this might be office-by-office or HOCALJ-by-HOCALJ, but are ALJs not subject to possible deemed schedule changes? I feel like I've been warned taking off every Friday could result in me being deemed to have changed my work schedule, so I generally mix my days off as a result.
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Post by bikingnut on Nov 13, 2014 14:26:49 GMT -5
This could be a particularly great option to be able to take some four-day weekends when there are federal holidays on Mondays, considering most on the Board will be new and won't have the big bank of leave time built up yet. Use the credit time to take the Friday off before the Monday holiday.
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Post by bartleby on Nov 13, 2014 15:40:30 GMT -5
Hopefalj, This is part of the perplexities of SSA-ODAR, Some will, some won't, so what... Anything can be deemed, anything can be ignored. From what I can see as a Judge, the big emphasize right now is making sure you have at least 50% of the Judges in the office daily. So, if 55% want to take off on Friday regularly, it could be a problem, but maybe not, depending on if your HOCALJ is a funnel or a filter.... I haven't seen a problem with it since I was an AA or SA.
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Post by hamster on Nov 13, 2014 19:30:56 GMT -5
"A Judge can earn up to eight (8) credit hours on a non-regular work day, excluding holidays (5 U.S.C. §6103) as follows: ... A Judge can earn no more than a total of eight (8) credit hours on non-regular work days in any calendar week...."
Bart posted the above language from the Agreement. I just want to point out a peculiarity that is not immediately apparent. That is, the SSA calendar week runs Sunday through Saturday. So, based on the above provision, you can work a consecutive Saturday and Sunday and accrue 16 credit hours. However, if you worked the PRIOR Sunday, then you couldn't work the following Saturday because you have already accrued eight hours on Sunday--a "non-regular work day[ ]." So, you gotta be careful that you don't "work for free," unless that is your intention.
I like the flexibility that credit hours afford. One can accrue and carry over 24 from one pay period to the next, and accumulate up to 9 more and then spend them. One can accumulate up to 33 credit hours--slightly more than four days. So, if the stars align and you're able to accumulate 32 hours, and there's a federal holiday during the relevant pay period, you could go on holiday from Saturday until that next Sunday without taking any annual leave--a total of 8 nights. That's a decent bit of time. Just wear your sunscreen and eat and drink sensibly.
Credit hours are great! Just learn the peculiarities, pace yourself when accruing them, and then spend them like a drunken sailor! One of the real perks of the job.
Best, Hamster
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Post by bartleby on Nov 13, 2014 20:50:08 GMT -5
Hamster, I am not sure I understand your message. I have worked Saturdays and Sundays without trouble. I think it means you cannot earn more than 8 hours on non-regular work days. There are only 2 non-regular work days in each calendar week, so how can it be a problem? Also, according to MCB, my Buddy, one can carry over 24 hours and then earn more the following week so they can have over 40, and use a whole bunch at once. Someone or MCB can update his post, but he used to run to the West Coast at least once a month from the lovely Toledo..
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Post by cubbietax on Nov 14, 2014 8:34:18 GMT -5
bump
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Post by jd on Nov 14, 2014 10:52:06 GMT -5
However, travel comp time does have to be used within a year of when accrued, otherwise it is forfeited.
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Post by cougarfan on Nov 14, 2014 17:17:33 GMT -5
So if I understand it, an ALJ could work 4 10 hour days, working 2 credit hours per day. The fifth day would be a day of leave, using the 8 accrued credit hours? But instead of being stuck w/ the rigidity of a 4/10 schedule, credit hours allow more flexibility on a daily and weekly basis. This is a nice perk, to say the least. As you point out, I could work like a dog one week and take 5 day weekends every other weekend. Or I could alternate between 3 and 4 day weekends until my wife and I figure things out. This is huge. And purely theoretical of course. One, I don't have an offer. And two, doing good legal work during hours 9, 10, and 11 of a long day in a field I know nothing about will be tough. Yes. For example, my current schedule is to schedule 25 hearings one week (M-F). My hearings are held 8:30-12:15. I spend the afternoon working on instructions, editing/signing decisions, reviewing a-e exhibits for the next rounds two weeks away. The other week I work at home reviewing medical records for the next week. During this week I start working the same time I leave for work when going to the office and work until my usual return time. I am able to then take that Friday off. If you were inclined, you could arrange your schedule to take each Friday off.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2014 20:45:26 GMT -5
Hamster, I am not sure I understand your message. I have worked Saturdays and Sundays without trouble. I think it means you cannot earn more than 8 hours on non-regular work days. There are only 2 non-regular work days in each calendar week, so how can it be a problem? Also, according to MCB, my Buddy, one can carry over 24 hours and then earn more the following week so they can have over 40, and use a whole bunch at once. Someone or MCB can update his post, but he used to run to the West Coast at least once a month from the lovely Toledo.. I think you are 100% correct just by the reading of the language, the contract provision limits you to 8 hours on non-work days, that's all. I know that's the way it is in my office and I would fight/argue that in any other office. But either way, it's a great benefit for this new judge.
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Post by hilltopper on Nov 14, 2014 21:48:43 GMT -5
Hamster, I am not sure I understand your message. I have worked Saturdays and Sundays without trouble. I think it means you cannot earn more than 8 hours on non-regular work days. There are only 2 non-regular work days in each calendar week, so how can it be a problem? Also, according to MCB, my Buddy, one can carry over 24 hours and then earn more the following week so they can have over 40, and use a whole bunch at once. Someone or MCB can update his post, but he used to run to the West Coast at least once a month from the lovely Toledo.. I think you are 100% correct just by the reading of the language, the contract provision limits you to 8 hours on non-work days, that's all. I know that's the way it is in my office and I would fight/argue that in any other office. But either way, it's a great benefit for this new judge.
Tiger and Bartleby, I understand what Hamster is saying - and per the precise language in the contract, it would seem that if you worked 8 hours on a Sunday, you are not eligible to work 8 hours the following Saturday because they are in the same work week. From my experience so far, however, enforcement of the requirements is up to the local office. So, as long as the office Admin Assistant keys it in and neither the HOD nor the HOCALJ says anything, you're right as rain. I see it like a speed limit sign. It's the law. But if no one is ticketing you, then there's no fine. And, in this case, it's a union negotiated Speed Limit, not one imposed by Regulaton. ht
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Post by cheesy on Nov 14, 2014 22:37:13 GMT -5
Credit hours are great! Just learn the peculiarities, pace yourself when accruing them, and then spend them like a drunken sailor! One of the real perks of the job. Best, Hamster Hamster, Sounds like a good plan to me... Until we meet once more, here's wishing you a happy voyage home! (The definition of ironic frustration: Having the only service song to acknowledge drinking "to the foam", then banning alcohol from all ships and vessels under the Stars and Stripes. Is it any wonder why every Sailor knows the name and legacy of SECNAV Josephus Daniels?) Cheesy
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Post by bartleby on Nov 14, 2014 23:06:36 GMT -5
Cougarfan, I am confused. Are you working one week hearing cases and then the following working at home? And you are working 9 days in two weeks? I think I am overlooking something?
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Post by hopefalj on Nov 14, 2014 23:44:31 GMT -5
Cougarfan, I am confused. Are you working one week hearing cases and then the following working at home? And you are working 9 days in two weeks? I think I am overlooking something? Sounds like when he works from home, he's working his usual commute time/get ready for work time as credit hours. For instance, on days where he goes into the office, he may wake up at six and get in around 8:30. When he works from home, he's on the computer and working at 6:30 since he doesn't have to get ready for work and commute. He works until he would normally leave (5 pm), and earns two credit hours M-Th. Then he takes off Friday with those credit hours.
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Post by cougarfan on Nov 15, 2014 0:46:02 GMT -5
Cougarfan, I am confused. Are you working one week hearing cases and then the following working at home? And you are working 9 days in two weeks? I think I am overlooking something? You got, Bartleby. Hopefulalj is right. 5 days of hearings followed by a 4 day week at home. I earn enough credit hours to take that fifth day (Friday) off; so yes, 9 days in two weeks. Those 4 days can be long, but not any longer than my complete day including commute time (I am a bus rider, so the commute is perhaps a little longer than it could be); plus I work in the comfort of my own home. It works for me.
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