Federal Employees Flexible and Compressed Work Schedules Act of 1978

(Measure passed House, amended, roll call #377 (288-57))

Federal Employees Flexible and Compressed Work Schedules Act - Allows each agency to establish a flexible scheduling or compressed work schedule experimental program covering a sufficient number of positions and work time alternatives on which to base an evaluation of the effectiveness of such program.

Requires the Civil Service Commission to render educational and technical assistance to agencies for such programs. Requires the Commission to establish a master plan to study and evaluate experiments conducted under this Act.

Sets forth the procdure whereby an agency head may seek an exemption from the requirements of this Act.

=Title I: Flexible Scheduling of Work Hours= - Requires that the experimental testing of flexible work schedules include designated periods of required presence of employees and designated periods during which employees may choose arrival and departure times or accumulation of credit hours.

Permits an agency head, upon a determination that the agency's functions are being handicapped or its costs are increasing, to restrict choice of arrival and departure time or credit hours, or to exclude any employees.

Prescribes the method of computation of overtime under such a schedule, granting employees a choice of compensatory time in lieu of overtime. Limits premium pay for night-work under such a schedule. Requires payment to employees prevented from working on holidays because of such schedule.

Permits use of time clocks under such experiments.

Prohibits carryover of more than ten credit hours from one biweekly period to the next.

=Title II: Four-Day Week and Other Compressed Work Schedules= - Permits agencies to conduct experiments with four-day workweeks or other compressed schedules.

Stipulates that an employee in a unit not represented by an employee organization having exclusive recognition, will not be required to participate in any program under this Act unless the majority of employees in such unit have voted to so participate.

Requires an agency, upon finding that participation in such a program would impose a personal hardship on an employee who has requested exemption from such program, to either except or reassign such employee.

Exempts the hours of compressed schedules from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act relating to premium pay for overtime work. Allows overtime pay for hours worked in excess of the hours of such compressed schedules.

=Title III: Administrative Provisions= - Includes employees in labor organizations in experiments under this Act only to the extent provided in an agreement between such organizations and the agencies involved.

Prohibits threats or coercion by fellow employees against employees regarding the choice of work hours and credit hours.

Requires an interim and a final report by the Commission to the Congress on results of and recommendations relating to the experiments conducted under this Act.

=Title IV: Adjustment of Work Schedules for Religious Observances= - Directs the Civil Service Commission to prescribe regulations providing for work schedules permitting an employee to engage in overtime work, in lieu of overtime pay, for time lost due to personal religious requirements.