Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience.  Q: I work for U.S. forces in Europe (USAREUR). There is a policy here which allows German nationals who work for the U.S. military to work an additional 15 minutes per day so that they can take off the U.S. holidays. However, I am not permitted to work 15 minutes a day more to take off their holidays, such as Veterans Day or some of their religious holidays, such as Three…

Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience.  Q: I am a federal employee and on occasion request travel compensation, including for time spent travelling to the airport and waiting at the airport. I am not aware of any established policy on documentation required to support the compensation. Is this type of documentation required and are there any regulations that show whether my department can or cannot ask for this? A: Per 5 C.F.R. § 550.1404(b)(1), “travel status” includes…

Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience. Q: I thought that the same official duty station would be used for both travel comp and local travel reimbursement, but I am confused. Is it true that I would never earn travel comp for time spent in the county designated as the “official duty station?” How does designation of the county as the official duty station impact my entitlement to reimbursement for local travel? Specifically, would I be entitled to…

Leave management is a constant challenge for most front-line supervisors. As leave use increases during flu season and year-end vacations, supervisors should understand a few basic rules about the different types of leave and the extent and limits of their authority in leave management. In making leave determinations, it is generally the supervisor, not the employee, who calls the shots. The first principle is that being absent from work without leave or authority is a serious matter. It is the supervisor’s discretion whether to approve leave for an unauthorized absence. An employee who just does not show up is absent…