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agreement expires. VRWS ending balances must be segregated for each

fiscal year.

c. There is no requirement that existing paid leave credits (including
previously earned and banked VR credits) be exhausted prior to the

beginning of the new VRWS agreement. However, agencies should
encourage employees to use carried-over VR credits on a priority basis.

6. Advancing of VR Credits: Recovering a VR Credit Debit
a. To accommodate an employee whose VRWS agreement calls for an

extended absence during the agreement period, an agency may advance VR
credits in an amount not to exceed the number of hours for which the

employee is paid in one payroll period.
b. If an employee terminates his or her employment and has a VR debit,

the agency shall recover the debit from the employee’s lagged salary
payment for his or her last payroll period at work.

7. Coordination with Alternative Work Schedules
It is possible to coordinate VRWS agreements with Alternative Work

Schedule arrangements when desired by the employee and consistent with
operating needs. For example, a VRWS agreement may be combined with

four-day week scheduling for a 37.5 hour/ week employee by the employee
opting for a 10 percent reduction to produce a workweek of 3 days of 8.5

hours and 1 day of 8.25 hours. Such a schedule would generate savings for
the employee of commuting expenses, childcare costs, etc. An alternative

work schedule which applies to a single employee is considered to be an
individualized work schedule and does not require approval through the

normal Alternative Work Schedule approval process.
8. Effect on Benefits and Status

The effect of participation in the VRWS program on benefits and status is
outlined in Appendix A.

9. Effect on Overtime Payment for Overtime Eligible Employees

Scheduled absences charged to VR credits, unlike absences charged to
leave credits, are not the equivalent of time worked for purposes of

determining eligibility for overtime payments at premium rates within a
workweek. For example, an employee who, under an 80 percent VRWS

schedule, works four days, charges the fifth day to VR credits, and is called
in to work a sixth day, will not be considered to have worked the fifth day

and thus will not be entitled to premium rate payments on the sixth day.

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