Section 551.401 - Basic principles(a) All time spent by an employee performing an activity for the benefit of an agency and under the control or direction of the agency is "hours of work." Such time includes:(1) Time during which an employee is required to be on duty;(2) Time during which an employee is suffered or permitted to work; and(3) Waiting time or idle time which is under the control of an agency and which is for the benefit of an agency.(b) For an employee, as defined in 5 U.S.C. 5541(2) , hours in a paid nonwork status (e.g., paid leave, holidays, compensatory time off, or excused absences) are "hours of work" under this part.(c) Hours in an unpaid nonwork status (e.g., leave without pay, furlough, absence without leave) are not "hours of work" under this part.(d) Time that is considered hours of work under this part shall be used only to determine an employee's entitlement to minimum wages or overtime pay under the Act, and shall not be used to determine hours of work for pay administration under title 5, United States Code, or any other authority.(e) Irregular or occasional overtime work performed by an employee on a day on which work was not scheduled for that employee or for which the employee is required to return to his or her place of employment is deemed at least 2 hours in duration for the purpose of determining whether the employee may be entitled to overtime pay under this part, either in money or compensatory time off.(f) For the purpose of determining hours of work in excess of 8 hours in a day under this part, agencies shall credit hours of work under § 410.402 of this chapter, part 532 of this chapter and 5 U.S.C. 5544 , and part 550 of this chapter, as applicable.(g) For the purpose of determining hours of work in excess of 40 hours in a week or in excess of another applicable overtime work standard under section 7(k) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, agencies shall credit hours of work under § 410.402 of this chapter, part 532 of this chapter and 5 U.S.C. 5544 , and part 550 of this chapter, as applicable, that will not be compensated as hours of work in excess of 8 hours in a day, as well as any additional hours of work under this part.(h) For the purpose of determining overtime pay for work in excess of 40 hours in a workweek under this part, time spent in a travel status is hours of work as provided in § 551.422 of this part and § 550.112(g) of this chapter or 5 U.S.C. 5544 , as applicable.45 FR 85664, Dec. 30, 1980, as amended at 52 FR 47687, Dec. 16, 1987, and 53 FR 27147, July 19, 1988; 56 FR 20343, May 3, 1991; 57 FR 59279, Dec. 15, 1992; 64 FR 69180, Dec. 10, 1999