Title 5Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-73

§6121 Definitions

Title 5 › Part PART III— - EMPLOYEES › Subpart Subpart E— - Attendance and Leave › Chapter CHAPTER 61— - HOURS OF WORK › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - FLEXIBLE AND COMPRESSED WORK SCHEDULES › § 6121

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines common words used in this part of the law. Agency — any Executive agency, any military department, the Government Publishing Office, the Library of Congress, the Architect of the Capitol, and the Botanic Garden. Employee — the same employees described in section 2105(a) and also those listed in section 2105(c). Basic work requirement — the hours an employee must work or account for, not counting overtime. Credit hours — extra hours a worker chooses to add under a flexible schedule to change workdays or weeks. Compressed schedule — for full-time, 80 hours in two weeks worked in fewer than 10 days; for part-time, fewer than 80 biweekly hours worked in fewer than 10 days. Overtime hours (flexible schedules) — hours over 8 in a day or 40 in a week that are officially ordered in advance, excluding credit hours. Overtime hours (compressed schedules) — any hours beyond the compressed schedule’s set hours. Collective bargaining terms — have the same meanings as in section 7103 for units under chapter 71, and otherwise as used in the unit’s personnel system.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §6121

Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

For purposes of this subchapter—
(1)“agency” means any Executive agency, any military department, the Government Publishing Office, the Library of Congress, the Architect of the Capitol, and the Botanic Garden;
(2)“employee” has the meaning given the term in subsection (a) of section 2105 of this title, except that such term also includes an employee described in subsection (c) of that section;
(3)“basic work requirement” means the number of hours, excluding overtime hours, which an employee is required to work or is required to account for by leave or otherwise;
(4)“credit hours” means any hours, within a flexible schedule established under section 6122 of this title, which are in excess of an employee’s basic work requirement and which the employee elects to work so as to vary the length of a workweek or a workday;
(5)“compressed schedule” means—
(A)in the case of a full-time employee, an 80-hour biweekly basic work requirement which is scheduled for less than 10 workdays, and
(B)in the case of a part-time employee, a biweekly basic work requirement of less than 80 hours which is scheduled for less than 10 workdays;
(6)“overtime hours”, when used with respect to flexible schedule programs under sections 6122 through 6126 of this title, means all hours in excess of 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week which are officially ordered in advance, but does not include credit hours;
(7)“overtime hours”, when used with respect to compressed schedule programs under section 6127 and 6128 of this title, means any hours in excess of those specified hours which constitute the compressed schedule; and
(8)“collective bargaining”, “collective bargaining agreement”, and “exclusive representative” have the same meanings given such terms—
(A)by section 7103(a)(12), (8), and (16) of this title, respectively, in the case of any unit covered by chapter 71 of this title; and
(B)in the case of any other unit, by the corresponding provisions applicable under the personnel system covering this unit.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2009—Par. (1). Pub. L. 111–68 substituted “the Library of Congress, the Architect of the Capitol, and the Botanic Garden” for “and the Library of Congress”. 1996—Par. (2). Pub. L. 104–106 amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: “ ‘employee’ has the meaning given it by section 2105 of this title;”. 1989—Par. (1). Pub. L. 101–163 inserted “the Government Printing Office,” after “military department,”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

“Government Publishing Office” substituted for “Government Printing Office” in par. (1) on authority of section 1301(b) of Pub. L. 113–235, set out as a note preceding section 301 of Title 44, Public Printing and Documents.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

5 U.S.C. § 6121

Title 5Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73