DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT WASHINGTON DC 20420 July 11, 2014 HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT LETTER NO. 05-14-06 Additional Occupations Eligible for 38 Weekend Premium Pay 1. Purpose. This Human Resources Management Letter (HRML) expands the entitlement of title 38 weekend premium pay to additional title 5 occupations that have been determined to provide direct patient-care services or services incident to direct patient care within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), also referred to as VHA health care workers. 2. Background a. On December 6, 2003, Section 303 of the Veterans Health Care, Capital Asset and Business Improvement Act of 2003 (Public Law 108-170), amended 38 U.S.C. 7454, Physician assistants and other health care professionals: additional pay. This statute, amended by Subsection (b)(3) of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-163, May 5, 2010), authorizes payment of weekend premium pay to health care workers in VHA. b. Based on an arbitration between VA and American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), additional occupations have been determined eligible to receive weekend premium pay under the authority of title 38 U.S.C. 7454 effective January 11, 2004. In addition, certain occupations have been determined ineligible to receive weekend premium pay under the authority of title 38 U.S.C. 7454. c. Due to systems programming issues, prospective payments will begin on different dates for the three categories of employees shown below: (1) General Schedule (GS) employees (except firefighters): Barring any further programming issues, prospective payments will begin with pay period 14, effective July 13, 2014. Eligible employees in this category will receive their first weekend premium pay on the August 1, 2014, pay date. (2) Federal Wage System (FWS) employees: No date has been determined for prospective payments as further systems programming is required. Prospective payments will begin as soon as programming is complete.
(3) Firefighters: No date has been determined for prospective payments as further systems programming is required. Prospective payments will begin as soon as programming is complete. d. All employees will receive weekend premium pay retroactively from January 11, 2004, to the prospective start date based on the category of employee. Additional information on prospective and retroactive payments will be issued as soon as it is available. 3. Guidance. The additional occupations now eligible to receive weekend premium pay are identified in Attachment A of this HRML. These occupations will be incorporated into the complete list of VHA health care occupations eligible for weekend premium pay contained in VA Handbook 5007, Part V, Appendix A. Occupations ineligible for weekend pay are identified in Attachment B of this HRML. NOTE: The additional occupations deemed eligible for weekend pay in Attachment A are considered healthcare workers only for the purpose of the arbitration and are NOT eligible for any other pay applicable solely to healthcare workers. a. A full-time, part-time or intermittent VHA employee in an occupation listed in Attachment A who performs service on a tour, any part of which is between midnight Friday and midnight Sunday will receive premium pay for each hour of service on such tour. Weekend premium pay is equal to 25 percent of the employee s basic hourly rate of pay. Affected employees are also entitled to receive weekend premium pay when on authorized paid leave during normal tours of duty, any part of which is within the period beginning midnight Friday and ending midnight Saturday and which do not include any Sunday hours, under the provisions of HRML 05-12-11, dated November 20, 2012. b. VHA s Office of Finance will issue instructions to payroll offices regarding retroactive weekend premium pay entitlements at a later date. c. Human Resources Offices are responsible for providing each individual currently employed in these occupations with a notice regarding this change in entitlement. A sample notice is included in Attachment C of this HRML. All employees must be notified of this change no later than 30 days from the date of this HRML. 4. Questions. Questions concerning this HRML may be directed to the Compensation Specialist assigned to your geographic area as shown in the Contact Compensation section on the OHRM Pay Administration Web page. /s/paula Molloy, Ph.D. Attachments 2
ATTACHMENT A ADDITIONAL OCCUPATIONS ELIGIBLE FOR WEEKEND PREMIUM PAY Pay Plan Code GS 0080 02 Security Officer GS 0081 03 Firefighter (Bas Life Spt/Haz Mat Tech) GS 0081 04 Firefighter (Structural) GS 0081 05 Firefighter (Hazardous Materials Tech) GS 0081 07 Firefighter (Paramedic) GS 0083 02 Detective GS 0083 03 Police Officer (Instructor) GS 0083 05 Police Officer GS 0085 04 Security Guard GS 0086 01 Security Clerk GS 0086 02 Security Assistant GS 0086 04 Security Assistant (OA) GS/GM 0301 61 Rehabilitation Medicine Coordinator GS 0301 68 Patient Representative GS 0303 03 Medical Administrative Assistant GS 0303 04 Domiciliary Assistant GS 0303 11 Prosthetic Clerk GS/AD 0303 13 Patient Services Assistant GS 0303 16 Medical Data Clerk (Typing) GS 0303 19 Medical Data Clerk GS 0303 44 Prosthetic Clerk (OA) GS 0303 45 Medical Data Clerk (OA) GS 0303 57 Patient Services Assistant (OA) GS 0350 09 X-Ray Film Processing Equipment Opr GS 0394 02 Communications Clerk GS 0394 03 Communications Clerk (OA) GS 0394 08 Communications Clerk (Typing) GS 1001 11 Interpreter (OA) GS 1046 02 Clerk-Translator GS 1715 02 Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist GS 1715 04 Vocational Development Specialist WG/WL/WS 3511 10 Laboratory Worker WG/WL/WS 3566 10 Housekeeping Aid WG/WL/WS 3566 30 Housekeeping Aid Training Leader WG/WL/WS 3566 40 Housekeeping Storeroom Attendant WG/WL/WS 3566 60 Housekeeping Aid (Leader) WG/WL/WS 4742 10 Utility Systems Repairer-Operator WG/WL/WS 4742 20 Utility Systems Repairer WG/WL/WS 4801 10 Equipment Servicer (Wheelchair Repair) A-1
ATTACHMENT A Pay Plan Code WG/WL/WS 4805 10 Medical Equipment Repairer WG/WL/WS 4805 20 Medical Equipment Worker WG/WL/WS 5306 20 Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic WG/WL/WS 5309 20 Boiler Plant Equipment Mechanic WG/WL/WS 5402 20 Boiler Plant Operator WG/WL/WS 5406 30 Utility Systems Operator WG/WL/WS 5415 20 Air Conditioning Equipment Operator WG/WL/WS 5703 60 Motor Vehicle Operator WG/WL/WS 7304 10 Laundry Worker WG/WL/WS 7305 50 Laundry Machine Operator WG/WL/WS 7305 60 Laundry Machine Opr (Motor Veh Opr) WG/WL/WS 7404 20 Cook WG/WL/WS 7408 10 Food Service Worker WG/WL/WS 7408 20 Food and Sanitation Worker A-2
ATTACHMENT B OCCUPATIONS INELIGIBLE FOR WEEKEND PREMIUM PAY Pay Plan Code GS ALL ALL All Student Trainee positions in 0199 to 2299 GS 0019 02 Safety Technician GS 0080 05 Security Specialist (Auto Info) GS 0080 07 Security Officer (Auto Info) GS 0080 08 Physical Security GS 0081 08 Fire Protection Inspector GS 0301 04 Community Resources GS 0301 12 Administrative Services GS 0301 27 Health Care Facilities Specialist GS 0301 28 Medical Administrative Specialist GS 0301 33 Consumer Affairs Specialist GS 0301 38 Emergency Management Secretary GS 0301 41 Emergency Management Specialist GS 0301 42 Readiness Operator Specialist GS 0301 67 Voluntary Services Specialist GS 0301 69 Health Care Facilities Officer GS 0301 83 Special Assistant GS 0301 91 Voluntary Services GS 0301 93 Program Specialist GS 0302 02 Messenger GS 0302 04 Data Transcriber GS 0302 05 Messenger (M Veh OP) GS 0342 03 Support Services Specialist GS 0342 10 Support Services Supervisor GS 0390 ALL Telecommunications Processing GS 0391 ALL Telecommunications GS 0392 ALL General Telecommunications GS 0530 02 Cashier GS 0998 ALL Claims Assistance and Examining GS 1102 ALL Contracting GS 1701 ALL General Education and Training GS 1702 ALL Education and Training Technician GS 1710 ALL Educational and Vocational Training GS 1712 ALL Training Instruction GS 1720 ALL Education Program GS 1740 ALL Education Services GS 1750 ALL Instructional Systems GS 2001 ALL General Supply GS 2003 ALL Supply Program Management B-1
ATTACHMENT B Pay Plan Code GS 2005 ALL Supply Clerical and Technician GS 2010 ALL Inventory Management GS 2102 ALL Transportation Clerk and Assistant WG/WL/WS 2502 ALL Telecommunications Mechanic WG/WL/WS 2604 ALL Electronics Mechanic WG/WL/WS 2606 ALL Electronic Industrial Controls Mechanic WG/WL/WS 2608 ALL Electronic Digital Computer Mechanic WG/WL/WS 2805 ALL Electrician WG/WL/WS 2810 ALL High Voltage Electrician WG/WL/WS 2854 ALL Electrical Equipment Repairing WG/WL/WS 3314 ALL Instrument Making WG/WL/WS 3502 ALL Laboring WG/WL/WS 4206 ALL Plumbing WG/WL/WS 4749 ALL Maintenance Mechanic WG/WL/WS 4804 ALL Locksmithing WG/WL/WS 5026 ALL Pest Controlling WG/WL/WS 5313 ALL Elevator Mechanic WG/WL/WS 5317 ALL Laundry and Dry Cleaning Equipment Repairing WG/WL/WS 5364 ALL Door Systems Mechanic WG/WL/WS 6907 ALL Materials Handling WG/WL/WS 6913 ALL Hazardous Waste Disposing B-2
ATTACHMENT C Local Human Resources Office 123 Main Veterans Way Blandons, WI 12345 Employee Name 109 Dreamland Dr. Washington, DC 20241 VA Logo Here NOTIFICATION LETTER (DATE) Subject: Eligibility for Weekend Premium Pay Based on an arbitration between VA and American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), additional occupations have been determined to be eligible to receive weekend premium pay under the authority of title 38 U.S.C. 7454. As an employee in one of the identified occupations, you are entitled to receive premium pay for each hour of service on a tour of duty, any part of which is between midnight Friday and midnight Sunday. This entitlement is effective January 11, 2004. Information regarding retroactive payments will be issued at a later date. [Insert Servicing Human Resources Officer] C-1