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Washington, D.C.—The nation’s largest independent union of federal workers applauded regulations going into effect today that implement an important new benefit for federal employees—compensatory time off for official travel outside of work hours.

The benefit was successfully pursued over an extended period by the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). Legislation authorizing it was signed into law last October.

“I am extremely pleased that federal employees will now be eligible to receive compensatory time off for the time they spend in travel status away from their official duty station when they are not eligible for other forms of compensation for this time, such as overtime pay,” said NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley.

“NTEU worked hard to convince Congress to enact this important legislation,” she said. “It is the kind of benefit that improves the government’s ability to compete for high-quality job-seekers and retain the dedicated and talented people already in public service.”

The NTEU leader noted that, under the regulations, agencies will be given discretion in implementing the program, and said the union will be working with individual agencies “to ensure that the compensatory time provision is working as it is intended.”

Under the legislation, employees who earn this compensatory time will be required to submit requests to their supervisors to schedule their time off. They will have 26 pay periods in which to use the earned time. The law also provides that earned but unused time cannot be exchanged for cash.

NTEU is the largest independent federal union, representing some 150,000 employees in 30 agencies and departments.