Basic Federal Employment Information for General Schedule (GS) Employees

Please note that this fact sheet applies only to employees on the General Schedule (GS).

Work Schedules and Hours of Duty

DoDEA offers flexible and compressed work schedules, telecommuting opportunities, and other quality of life programs. However, work schedules, hours of duty, and flexibilities will depend on your position type and organizational need. You will need to talk with your supervisor about the expectations for your position and the flexibilities that could be offered to support work and life balance.

Voluntary Leave Transfer Program

The Voluntary Leave Transfer Program (VLTP) is a leave-sharing program that may be used in the event of a personal or family medical emergency. If you are impacted by a medical emergency, and you are projected to go into a non-pay status of at least 24 hours, contact your supervisor, who will then request that you be enrolled in the program. If approved, you will become eligible to accept annual leave donations from other DoDEA employees. 

Federal Holidays

As a DoDEA employee, you may be eligible for paid leave on all federal holidays. The table below identifies the federal holidays.
 

Pay

Federal employees are paid on a bi-weekly basis, and you will have your pay direct-deposited into your bank account. Pay periods are two weeks long; you can find a calendar with the pay periods defined at https://www.nfc.usda.gov/Publications/Forms/pay_period_calendar.php. Pay dates are the first Friday following the end of the pay period.

Your first paycheck will be deposited on the Friday after the end of the pay period in which you were hired. 

If you have questions about your paycheck, ask your supervisor or school secretary who your customer service representative is for your team or district. This person should be able to provide you the information. 

If you need to change your home address for mail delivery of your pay stub, access the MyPay website with your CAC to change the information. It will take up to 30 days for the new address change to take effect. 

Performance Appraisal

The Defense Performance Management and Appraisal Program (DPMAP) runs from May 1 through April 30.  You will need to develop, review, and sign your Performance Appraisal Plan with your supervisor within 30 days of your Appointment Effective Date.  Additionally, there are three formal documented face-to-face discussions with your supervisor that involve the performance plan: the initial performance plan meeting, one progress review, and a final performance appraisal. Additional performance discussions with your supervisor are suggested throughout the appraisal cycle if you have questions about your performance. 

Benefits

As a DoDEA employee, you may be entitled to the seven benefit programs (health, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, life, long term care, and retirement). For more information about these programs and their rates, go to www.opm.gov/insure.

Federal Health Benefit (FEHB) Effective Date

For your health insurance to take effect, you must have been in a pay status during some part of the pay period which precedes the one in which your enrollment becomes effective. Once this requirement has been met, your enrollment will become effective on the first day of the first pay period that begins after DoDEA receives your enrollment request. Therefore, the earliest your health insurance can possibly become effective is the beginning of the pay period that begins after the pay period in which you are hired.

Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), FEHB, Federal Employee Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Enrollment

For information about enrollment in TSP, FEHB, and FEGLI, contact the Civilian Human Resources Agency (CHRA) Benefits division at 1-877-276-9268, option 2, or usarmy.riley.CHRA-HQS.mbx.abcc-DoDEA-Inquiries@army.mil.

Change of Address

To change your home address for TSP and FEGLI, go to MyPay. It will take approximately one month for the information to flow to TSP.

To change your home address for FEHB, provide your new address information to your FEHB carrier. 

Time and Attendance

Time and attendance need to be submitted in the Defense Agencies Initiative (DAI) Timekeeping System (DAI) by Wednesday of the second week of each pay period. All supervisors certify their employees’ time and attendance by noon on Thursday of the second week of each pay period.

NOTE: During Temporary Duty (TDY), your work schedule must reflect eight hours a day, five days a week. There is no Alternative Work Schedule (AWS) for the entire pay period that includes any travel.

DAI Access

You should have the DAI timekeeping icon on your desktop. If you are unable to login using the icon, visit https://ebs.dai.csd.disa.mil/cgi-bin/banner_appsLogin.

DAI Training

Training resources for using the DAI timekeeping system are located at DoDEA DAI Oracle Time and Labor (OTL).