Article 24
Travel

Section 1. General

The Department will adhere to all Government-wide and Departmental rules and regulations and the provisions in this Article in the administration of travel.

Section 2. Scheduling Travel

a. Consistent with Management's right to assign work and direct employees and in accordance with law and Government regulations, Management will consider employees' personal needs with respect to scheduling travel, and Management will not ordinarily require travel on the weekends for activities over which the Department has control.
b. Management agrees, if administratively controllable, to schedule and arrange for travel of employees to occur within each employee’s standard workweek, to the extent practicable.
c. Insofar as practicable, travel during non-duty hours shall not be required of an employee. When it is essential that this be required and the employee may not be paid overtime under 5 CFR 550.112(e), the official shall record his reasons for ordering travel at those hours and shall, upon request, furnish a copy of his statement to the employee concerned.
d. When travel results from an event which cannot be scheduled or controlled administratively, such travel may be considered hours of employment for pay purposes pursuant to appropriate provisions of Title 5 of the FLSA.
e. If the travel is expected to require an employee to be absent from their permanent duty station for three (3) or more months, the employee shall be given at least two weeks advance notification of the date of departure when practicable.

Section 3. Travel Advances

Employees are required to use the U.S. Government contractor-issued travel charge card for all official travel expenses unless the employee has an exemption. Exceptions to using the Government contractor-issued travel charge card are set forth in DLMS-7, Section 1-1.105b. Eligible employees can request travel advances in accordance with DLMS-7, Section 1-10.3.

Section 4. Use of Privately Owned Vehicles

a. When use of an employee’s privately owned vehicle (POV) is authorized as advantageous to the Government, the employee shall be reimbursed at the mileage rate in effect at the time of the travel.
b. No employee shall be required to use his or her POV in the course of business unless such use was made a formal condition of employment.

Section 5. Use of Government vehicles

a. When Government vehicles are authorized for use for official travel on successive days, with supervisory approval employees may be permitted to keep the car overnight.
b. Employees shall be responsible for any additional cost resulting from unauthorized use of a Government vehicle and may be subject to administrative and/or criminal liability for misuse of Government property.

Section 6. Hours of work

Employees on travel status will normally be on a fixed 81⁄2-hour schedule. If any time is worked in addition to the fixed 81⁄2-hour schedule, employees may be entitled to credit hours and/or overtime in accordance with appropriate regulations.