§5550a — Title 5 Government Organization and Employees | U.S. Code

Summary

Within 30 days after the law passed, the Office of Personnel Management must write rules so an employee who needs to miss work for religious reasons can choose to work extra hours to make up that time and receive equal time off instead of overtime pay. For certain agencies named elsewhere in the law, the agency head, not the Office, must make the rules. The rules can include exceptions needed to keep the agency operating.

Title 5, §5550a

Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe regulations providing for work schedules under which an employee whose personal religious beliefs require the abstention from work during certain periods of time, may elect to engage in overtime work for time lost for meeting those religious requirements. Any employee who so elects such overtime work shall be granted equal compensatory time off from his scheduled tour of duty (in lieu of overtime pay) for such religious reasons, notwithstanding any other provision of law.

(b)In the case of any agency described in subparagraphs (C) through (G) of section 5541(1) of this title, the head of such agency (in lieu of the Office) shall prescribe the regulations referred to in subsection (a) of this section.

(c)Regulations under this section may provide for such exceptions as may be necessary to efficiently carry out the mission of the agency or agencies involved.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The date of enactment of this section, referred to in subsec. (a), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 95–390, which was approved Sept. 29, 1978.

Amendments

1979—Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 96–54 substituted “Office of Personnel Management” for “Civil Service Commission” and “Office” for “Commission”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1979 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 96–54 effective July 12, 1979, see section 2(b) of Pub. L. 96–54, set out as a note under section 305 of this title.

§5550a Compensatory Time Off for Religious Observances