Alternate Work Schedule (AWS) Program and Flexible Work Schedule

DFAS has established an AWS program which allows qualified employees the flexibility to arrange their work schedules to achieve a more desired balance between work and family or personal responsibilities. DFAS also offers a flexible daily schedule. Your flexible work schedule is subject to core hours and supervisor approval. Case in point, you can take from 30 to 120 minutes of time off for lunch as long as you work a minimum 8-hour workday. Examples of an 8-hour work day with a 30 minute or 60 minute lunch respectively are:
• Arrive at 6:30 and leave at 3;or arrive at 7 and leave at 3:30, etc.
• Arrive at 6 and leave at 3 or arrive at 7:30 and leave at 4:30, etc. Authorized time worked in excess of your approved schedule, generally 80 hours every 2 weeks, is credited as compensatory time, overtime, or credit hours. A maximum of 24 credit hours can be carried over every two weeks. 

Annual (Vacation) Leave

Annual leave may be used for vacations, rest and relaxation, personal business, and emergencies. You earn annual leave every two weeks and when it is used, it is paid at the same rate as your regular pay. The amount earned is based on years of service:

• Employees with less than 3 years of service earn 4 hours every 2 weeks or 13 days/year.
• Employees with 3 to 15 years of service earn 6 hours every 2 weeks or 20 days/year.
• Employees with 15 or more years of service earn 8 hours of leave every 2 weeks or 26 days/year.

As illustrated in the table below: DFAS offers an average of 40% more Annual leave than the national average offered by private industry.
 

	Length of Service at DFAS
Full Time EE	Less than 3 Years	3 to 15 Years	15 or More Years
Annual (Vacation) Leave	13 Days per Year	20 Days per Year	26 Days per Year
	Length of Service in Private Industry*
Full Time EE	Less than 3 Years	3 to 15 Years	15 or More Years
Annual (Vacation) Leave	9.5 Days per Year	14 Days per Year	18.6 Days per Year

*National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in Private Industry in the United States, March 2007, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics

• Part-time employees earn leave on a pro-rated basis depending on the number of hours worked every two weeks.

Holidays

There are 10 legal Federal holidays . If a holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is used. If a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is used. Most employees receive holiday pay equal to their regular pay for each holiday.

Court Leave

An employee is entitled to paid time off without charge to leave for service as a juror or witness.

Bone Marrow or Organ Donor Leave

An employee may use up to seven days of paid leave each calendar year to serve as a bone-marrow donor. An employee also may use up to 30 days of paid leave each calendar year to serve as an organ donor. Leave for bone marrow and organ donation is a separate category of leave that is in addition to annual and sick leave.

Voluntary Leave Transfer Program

This program allows Federal employees to donate annual leave to other Federal employees who have exhausted their paid leave and are in a non-pay status due to a medical emergency.

Wellness and Physical Fitness Programs

DFAS promotes and supports health services and disease prevention activities for its employees. Policies and programs have been designed to support a healthy working environment, foster healthy lifestyles, and reduce the risk of injury. Several DFAS locations have on-site physical fitness centers. Facilities at the fitness centers vary, including:

• Basketball Courts
• Racquetball Courts
• Volleyball Courts
• Weights
• Fitness Machines
• Indoor and/or Outdoor Tracks
• Judo/Aerobics Rooms
• Swimming Pools

Through a partnership with the American Red Cross, each DFAS site has arrangements to conduct regular, scheduled blood drives. Donors are provided with "time off" to donate blood and recuperate.

Employee Assistance Program

In today’s society, employees are busy juggling work and family and it is not unusual to encounter difficulties with stress, family, relationships, alcohol, work, or other concerns, which can have an effect on your overall quality of life. To address these concerns, DFAS has partnered with Federal Occupational Health (FOH), to provide employees with a wide range of Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services at no cost. All appointments are confidential. These are just some of the services that are available:

EAP Services - Access to licensed counselors who provide in-person, one-on-one short term counseling.

Sample Topic Areas
• Crisis Management
• Addictions
• Relationship Issues
• Legal Concerns
• Financial Issues

EAP Website: FOH4you.com               
• EAP Information & Services
• Self-Assessment Tools
• Mental Health Articles
• Prevention Information
• Child & Elder Care search tool
• On-Line presentations

Family Source

Family Source work-life and personal convenience programs offer a consultative team of experts who provide information and referrals in areas such as child care, adoption, elder care and personal convenience services. Each employee receives personalized attention and consultation on all aspects of their work-life needs. Services include online expert guidance and resource searches; personalized, prescreened referrals for child and elder care services; and extensive, in-depth online content including video, audio, articles and recommended books.

Forums on Topical Subjects

Designed for the employee on the go, the forums offer the chance to get timely information first-hand. Topics include Smoking Cessation, Child Safety, Bring Your Child to Work Day, Prevention of Violence in the Work Place, Preventing Domestic Abuse, and Financial Planning.

Family Events

All DFAS locations have yearly events such as picnics, golf outings, Holiday parties, and Morale Welfare Recreation activities to help foster the rich tradition of balancing work and family life.

Transportation Subsidies

The transportation subsidy is a benefit available to DFAS employees nationwide. The benefit serves our country by limiting traffic congestion and lessening air pollution. The benefit pays commuters for their actual mass transportation cost up to $100 per month.

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