SECTION 2. AUTHORIZATION OF PREMIUM PAY

Operating premises

As a general rule, work involving premium pay should be authorized or ordered in advance. However, overtime may be approved retroactively (normally not later than the next workday) where compelling reasons make it impossible or impracticable to obtain prior approval.

Work schedules may not be changed expressly to include or exclude an employee from entitlement to premium pay or to increase or decrease such entitlements.

Persons designated to authorize overtime may not authorize overtime for themselves.

The head of each operating unit and other appointing officers designated in Appendix A to Department Administrative Order 202-250, or officers with an equivalent delegation of authority, have the authority to approve premium pay. This authority may be redelegated by the head of an operating unit to the extent deemed practical, but the redelegation should be in writing. As a matter of regulation, irregular or occasional overtime must be approved by an individual to whom the authority to approve irregular or occasional overtime has been specifically delegated.

Overtime work must be authorized in writing. Form CD-81, "Authorization for Paid Overtime and/or Holiday Work, and for Compensatory Overtime" is available for this purpose but other methods of documentation, including authorizations by electronic mail (E-MAIL) are acceptable. Whatever the documentation, because it supports time and attendance (T&A) recordings, it must be kept with the certified T&A Report which is retained for six years.