The Alternative Work Schedule (AWS) program provide tools, beyond compensation, for managers and supervisors to use in meeting program or mission responsibilities while allowing civilian and military members to have greater control over work-life and family balance needs. These work schedule flexibilities also support the Coast Guard’s ability to acquire and retain a diverse, talented workforce.
With the approval of a supervisor or management official, a civilian employee or military member may elect to participate in an AWS program. AWS refers to both Compressed and Flexible Work Schedule programs.
- Compressed Work Schedule (CWS): The CWS is a fixed schedule established by an authorized official as defined below. By law, an appropriated fund civilian working a CWS is prohibited from participating in a Flexitour, Gliding or a Maxiflex FWS option, and no allowance for Credit Hours. The CWS allows a full-time civilian or military member to meet an 80-hour, bi-weekly work requirement in fewer than 10 work days. Based on management’s schedule, a part-time civilian may also meet his/her hourly work requirements in fewer than 10 work days.
- 5/4-9 CWS: A full-time civilian or military member must work eight, nine-hour days and one, eight-hour day for a total of 80 hours in a biweekly civilian pay period. The work week is established by the authorized official before the civilian pay period begins.
- 4/10 CWS: A full-time civilian or military member must work four, 10-hour days, 40 hours a week, for a total of 80 hours in a biweekly civilian pay period. The work week is established by the authorized official before the civilian pay period begins.
- Flexible Work Schedule (FWS) Program: A civilian employee or military member, with the approval of his/her supervisor, may choose his/her work schedule within locally designated flexible and core time bands. Local management may also specify a midday flexible time band. The midday time band must include a lunch break of at least 30 minutes, which, for a civilian employee, is uncompensated. A flexible midday time band allows a civilian employee or military member to extend the workday to accommodate personal needs such as exercise programs, appointments, or other short-term errands. Local management also identifies core time bands and the required times and days when a civilian employee or military member must be present at work or using approved leave. The FWS options below are available for any civilian employee or military member not participating in a CWS program. The FWS program consists of the following options:
- Flexitour FWS: Allows a civilian employee or military member working a Flexitour FWS to request changes to start and stop times within hours defined by local management (flexible time bands). Once selected and approved by local management, the schedule becomes fixed for the biweekly pay period. The Flexitour FWS requires a full-time civilian employee or military member to meet a basic work requirement of eight work hours per day and 40 work hours per week, excluding meal breaks.
- Gliding FWS: Allows a civilian employee or military member working a Gliding FWS to make daily changes in start and stop times within hours defined by local management (flexible time bands). The Gliding FWS program requires a full-time civilian employee or military member to meet a basic work requirement of eight work hours per day and 40 work hours per week, excluding meal breaks.
- Maxiflex FWS: A FWS option containing core hours for less than 10 workdays in the biweekly pay period. A full-time employee has a basic work requirement of 80 hours for the biweekly pay period but can vary the number of hours worked by workday or each week within the established core and flexible hours.
- Credit Hours: Applicable to civilian employees on an FWS only, credit hours are non-overtime hours (up to 24 hours for full-time employees) which an employee elects to work, with supervisory approval. These hours can only be earned during daily flexible hours identified. Credit hours must be considered daytime hours whenever possible. Requests to use credit hours follow the same procedures to request use of other leave e.g., sick, annual, and compensatory hours, etc. Credit hours earned may not be used until officially credited to the employee’s leave account in the timekeeping system. An employee is entitled to his or her rate of basic pay for credit hours, and credit hours may not be used by an employee to create or increase entitlement to overtime pay. An employee may not be paid overtime pay, Sunday premium pay, or holiday premium pay for credit hours. Senior Executive Service (SES) and military members may not earn credit hours.