Monday, September 09, 2002

To keep ITA units posted on what is due and when, the Office of Organization and Management Support has developed an on-line administrative calendar of events ("the calendar"). Updates to the calendar are due quarterly (i.e. October - December, January - March and so on) to Jacqueline Hemphill in the Office of Organization and Management Support. Please check out the calendar at http://www.ita.doc.gov/ooms/ITAAdminCal.htm . Any questions or comments you may have regarding the calendar should be directed to Jacqueline Hemphill at (202)482-4011 or Jacqueline_Hemphill@ita.doc.gov .

Federal Express

When completing a Federal Express air bill, please remove the sender’s copy from the air bill prior to mailing a package. The sender’s copy (found in the upper right corner of the form) should be given to the office purchase cardholder to be used as a receipt to support the charges that will appear on the respective purchase card billing statement. For on-line generated air bills, please make a copy for your office cardholder. If you have questions, please contact Judith Wilson at (202)482-3265 or e-mail Judith_Wilson@ita.doc.gov.

Reasonable Accommodation for Disabilities in Employment

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, requires an employer to provide a reasonable workplace accommodation for a qualified individual with a disability, if requested and appropriate (unless so doing would result in undue hardship to the agency). Reasonable accommodation is an adjustment to job requirements or to the work environment that assists an employee with a disability in performing the essential duties of his or her position or accomodates a qualified applicant with a disability during the recruitment and selection process. Examples of reasonable accommodations include making facilities readily accessible to, and usable by, people with disabilities; job restructuring; part time or modified work schedules; acquiring or modifying equipment or devices; adjustment or modification of examinations and training materials; providing readers, interpreters and other auxiliary aids, etc. An employee with a disability must submit a request to his/her immediate supervisor, along with a description of the disabling condition by an appropriate medical professional, and other information as outlined in DAO 215-10 (effective June 7, 1996). The DAO is accessible at http://www.osec.doc.gov/omo/daos/215-10.htm. Upon receipt of an employee's request for accommodation, the immediate supervisor should consult with the Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM) for guidance in following the requirements of DAO-212-10, and for assistance in processing the employee's request and preparing a written decision, where appropriate. For additional information or assistance, contact Deanna Shepherd at (202)482-1701.

The Facts on Overtime Pay vs. Holiday Pay

Federal law defines overtime as hours of work pre-approved by management in excess of 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week that are officially ordered or authorized in advance of the time they are worked. For employees who work a compressed schedule (no flex), overtime hours are all hours of work that are officially ordered in advance that are in excess of the specified hours that constitute the compressed work schedule. Most Federal employees receive the benefit of paid holidays off at their basic rate of pay. However, if an employee works on a holiday, the hours are paid at the employee's base rate of pay, commonly called "double-time." If an employee works any hours in excess of their normal tour of duty (e.g., over 8 hours) on a holiday, the hours are paid at the applicable overtime rate. For additional information contact Robert Montague at (202)482-8088 or Lorese Green at (202)482-5232. We are providing the following websites for additional information on:

Holiday Pay - http://www.ita.doc.gov/hrm/prempay/sec19.html;

Overtime - http://www.ita.doc.gov/hrm/overtime.html;

AWS-as it pertains to overtime, http://ohrm.doc.gov/handbooks/leave/Alt_Work_Sch.htm#8; and

Timekeepers - http://www.ita.doc.gov/hrm/ta.html.

FY 2003 Budget

We await House action after the end of the August recess. Once the House acts there will be a Conference Committee meeting to iron out the differences between the Senate (already passed) version, and the eventual House version. If you have questions contact Alan Zegas at (202)482-5739.

FY 2004 Budget

The OMB submission will be delivered to OMB on September 9th. If you have questions contact Alan Zegas at (202)482-5739.

Traveler's Corner

Question: What standard of care must a traveler use in incurring travel expenses while on official government travel?

Answer: A traveler must exercise the same care in incurring expenses while on official government travel that he/she would use if traveling on personal business. Be certain to incur expenses only for those items authorized on the travel order. If you have questions, call your travel contact or Sharon Russell at (202)482-3267.

Where Do I Find....

Where do I find the procedures I need to follow for fiscal year-end closing?

Fiscal Year 2002 Year End Close Financial Procedures can be found on the OFM web site at http://www.ita.doc.gov/ofm_guidance/YearEndClosingProc-rev1.pdf

Where do I find instructions for reporting Hospitality Fund expenses?

ITA’s Hospitality Fund Reporting Instructions can be found at http://www.ita.doc.gov/ofm_guidance/Hospitality%20Fund%20Instructions.pdf. If you have questions contact Mike Gendron at (202)482-8364.

ITA Comings and Goings 07/30/02 - 08/26/02

Arrivals - WELCOME!

ADMIN - Rita M. Clinton, Pearlette K. Pullen, Michelle E. Tolson; IA - Tinna E. Beldin, Alessandra Cortez, Julia Hancock, Callie Sue Henke, Carol A. Henninger, Richard B. Johns, Jr., Ozlem Karay, Alicia Kinsey, Shannon M. McCormack, Lawrence Norton, Julie Santoboni, Christopher Welty;

MAC - Michael Sean Considine, Tanner Kalin Johnson, Janee P. Olverson;

TD - Sergio B. Delgado; US&FCS - James C. Harris, Sharon Jean Mann, Kelly R. Tharrington, Mathew D. Woodlee

Departures

U/S - Joann E. Hogenson; IA - Frank L. Thomson; TD - Mildred Sjoberg; USFCS - Thessalonika T. Benny, Ireas C. Cook, Jere M. Dabbs, Gregory D. Loose, Laura A. Parsons, Miranda D. Roane, Harvey F. Timberlake III, Ronald J. White