Common use of – Official Time and Travel of Union Representatives Clause in Contracts

– Official Time and Travel of Union Representatives. 1. Union Representatives shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time during their normal working hours without loss of leave or pay, to include travel to/from the location where the representational activity is taking place (as needed), to effectively represent employees in accordance with this agreement. For matters falling under 5 USC 7131(a) and (c), Union representatives shall be granted appropriate amounts of official time after submitting a written request and receiving advanced approval IAW this section. 2. Request for brief absences (less than 24 hours) shall be submitted by the employee directly to their immediate supervisor. Use of the form in Appendix B is recommended, but not required. The requester should state their destination, estimated time of return, and the nature of Union business. If the request cannot be accommodated due to mission requirements, the representative will be informed of the earliest possible time when they will be able to leave his/her work site. Union Representatives will be available for call back due to mission requirements. Use of email is acceptable. 3. Requests for prolonged absences (longer than 24 hours) will be coordinated by the Union through the Agency’s labor relations office (LRO) via official memorandum. The LRO will then validate whether the request complies with this Agreement. If the request is not validated, the Agency will notify the Union as to why its request was not validated. If the request is validated, then the LRO will notify the respective supervisor(s) that a valid request for Official Time has been submitted on behalf of a particular employee(s). The validated request will serve as the employee’s request for absence. Once a supervisor receives a validated request on behalf of an employee, they will notify the employee whether they their absence request is approved, or not, based on mission requirements. If disapproved due to mission requirements, the representative will be informed of the earliest possible time when they will be able to leave the work site. Use of email is acceptable. 4. Travel costs for Union Representatives will be the responsibility of the Union; however, if travel is pursuant to an Agency request, and the meeting location is outside of the Union Representative’s commuting area, the Agency shall be responsible for travel costs IAW Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Travel Regulations (JTR). 5. Whenever an employee meets with the Union concerning a representational matter, and that meeting takes place during duty hours, reasonable notification shall first be provided to the employee’s immediate supervisor prior to the employee ceasing performance of assigned duties. If the employee cannot be released at that time due to mission requirements, the Union will be informed of the earliest possible time when the employee will be available. Supervisor may not inquire as to the subject of the meeting and cannot deem the employee’s release contingent on subject-matter knowledge. No notice is required when representational activities take place during non-work periods (i.e., before and after regular duty hours, during breaks, or during the lunch period). 6. The following conditions apply when a Union representative will be delayed in returning to their assigned work site after a period of approved Official Time IAW Section 6.7(1): a. The employee is required to immediately notify the Agency of the circumstances surrounding the delay and the expected time/date that they will be available to return to work. The Union may provide initial notice to the Agency of a potential delay if, due to injury or other unforeseen circumstance, the employee is personally unable to provide the required notice. b. If the delay is due to circumstances beyond the employee’s control (e.g., commercial travel delays, sickness, or other unforeseen events), the employee shall secure supporting documentation for the delay from an appropriate authority (e.g., airline, car rental company, law enforcement, medical provider, etc.) and, upon return, shall submit an adjusted Official Time request to their supervisor so that their time card may be adjusted to reflect any additional time needed to cover their approved period of absence. Notwithstanding the annual limits in Section 6.7(1), there is no limit on the amount of time that may be approved to cover a delay or period of absence resulting from events beyond the employee’s control. c. When an employee’s delay is caused by a commercial travel provider (i.e., airline, rail, bus line), and the delay exceeds twelve (12) hours beyond the originally-scheduled return date and time, the employee shall be eligible, upon request, for an additional four (4) hours of rest prior to returning to their assigned work site. d. Delays and or absences from the worksite caused by the employee’s neglect, negligence, or failure to observe regulations shall be charged to personal leave and may become the basis for disciplinary action.

– Official Time and Travel of Union Representatives. 1. Union Representatives shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time during their normal working hours without loss of leave or pay, to include travel to/from the location where the representational activity is taking place (as needed), to effectively represent employees conduct representational activities in accordance with this agreementAgreement, to include the intake, investigation, and processing of grievances, up to and including arbitration. For matters falling under 5 USC 7131(a) and (c), Union representatives Reasonable time for representational activities shall be granted appropriate amounts that amount of official time after submitting determined by both Parties to effectively deal with the respective workplace matters. Requests submitted under this Section shall be approved provided mission requirements do not prohibit release. The Agency shall make a written request and receiving advanced approval IAW reasonable effort to approve requests under this sectionSection to include reassigning the duties of the requesting employee to other personnel unless those efforts create an undue hardship for the Agency. 2. Request for brief absences (less than 24 hours) shall be submitted by the employee directly to their immediate supervisor. Use of email is acceptable. Also, use of the form in Appendix B C is recommended, recommended but not required. The requester should state their destination, estimated time of return, and the nature of their Union business. If the request cannot be accommodated due to mission requirements, the representative will be informed of the earliest possible date and/or time when they will be able to leave his/her the work site. Union Representatives will be available for call back due to mission requirements. Use of email is acceptable. 3. Requests for prolonged absences (longer than 24 hours) will be coordinated by the Union through the Agency’s labor relations office designated representative (LRO) via official memorandume.g., HRO – Labor Relations). The LRO Agency will then validate whether the request complies with this Agreement. If the request is not validated, the Agency will notify the Union as to why its request was not validated. If the request is validated, then the LRO Agency will notify the respective supervisor(s) that a valid request for Official Time has been submitted on behalf of a particular employee(s). The validated request will serve as the employee’s request for absence. Once a supervisor receives a validated request on behalf of an employee, they will notify the employee whether they their absence request is approved, or not, based on mission requirements. If disapproved due to mission requirements, the representative will be informed of the earliest possible time when they will be able to leave the work site. Use of email is acceptable. 4. Travel costs for employees conducting internal Union Representatives business will be the responsibility of the Union; however, if travel is pursuant to an Agency request, and . IAW the meeting location is outside Department of the Union Representative’s commuting areaDefense (DoD) Joint Travel Regulation (JTR), the Agency shall be responsible for travel costs IAW Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Travel Regulations (JTR)employees who are Union representatives in conjunction with representational duties or pursuant to an official Agency request. 5. Whenever an employee meets with the Union concerning a representational matter, and that meeting takes place during duty hours, reasonable notification shall first be provided to the employee’s immediate supervisor prior to the employee ceasing performance of assigned duties. If the employee cannot be released at that time due to mission requirements, the Union will be informed of the earliest possible time when the employee will be available. Supervisor may not inquire as to the subject of the meeting and cannot deem the employee’s release contingent on subject-matter knowledge. No notice is required when representational activities take place during non-work periods (i.e., before and after regular duty hours, during breaks, or during the lunch period). 6. The mere fact that two employees (one of whom is a designated Union Representative) are having a casual/informal conversation during the workday, and the topic of some or all of the conversation relates to conditions of employment or other general labor matters, does not create an implicit requirement that the Union Representative request approval for Official Time as a condition of such a conversation taking place. 7. The following conditions apply when a Union representative will be delayed in returning to their assigned work site after a period of approved Official Time IAW Section 6.7(1): a. The employee is required to immediately notify the Agency of the circumstances surrounding the delay and the expected time/date that they will be available to return to work. The Union may provide initial notice to the Agency of a potential delay if, due to injury or other unforeseen circumstance, the employee is personally unable to provide the required notice. b. If the delay is due to circumstances beyond the employee’s control (e.g., commercial travel delays, sickness, or other unforeseen events), the employee shall secure supporting documentation for the delay from an appropriate authority (e.g., airline, car rental company, law enforcement, medical provider, etc.) and, upon return, shall submit an adjusted Official Time request to their supervisor so that their time card may be adjusted to reflect any additional time needed to cover their approved period of absence. Notwithstanding the annual limits in Section 6.7(1), there is no limit on the amount of time that may be approved to cover a delay or period of absence resulting from events beyond the employee’s control. c. When an employee’s delay is caused by a commercial travel provider (i.e., airline, rail, bus line), and the delay exceeds twelve (12) hours beyond the originally-originally scheduled return date and time, the employee shall may be eligible, upon request, for an additional four (4) hours of rest rest, charged to personal leave, prior to returning to their assigned work site. d. Delays and or absences from the worksite caused by the employee’s neglect, negligence, or failure to observe regulations shall be charged to personal leave and may become the basis for disciplinary action. 8. Paragraphs 1 – 7 notwithstanding, the Union’s designated State Representative shall be granted additional Official Time for the purposes of discharging his/her representational duties IAW 5 USC Chapter 71 and this Agreement.

– Official Time and Travel of Union Representatives. 1. Union Representatives shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time during their normal working hours without loss of leave or pay, to include travel to/from the location where the representational activity is taking place (as needed), to effectively represent employees conduct representational activities in accordance with this agreementAgreement, to include the intake, investigation, and processing of grievances, up to and including arbitration. For matters falling Requests submitted under 5 USC 7131(a) and (c), Union representatives this Section shall be granted appropriate amounts approved provided mission requirements do not prohibit release. The Agency shall make a reasonable effort to approve requests under this Section to include reassigning the duties of official time after submitting a written request the requesting employee to other personnel unless those efforts create an undue hardship for the Agency. Union Representatives will obtain approval prior to leaving their assigned worksite and receiving advanced approval IAW this sectionshall also be available for call back due to mission requirements. 2. Request for brief absences (less than 24 hours) shall be submitted by the employee directly to their immediate supervisor. Use of email is acceptable. Also, use of the form in Appendix B C is recommended, recommended but not required. The requester should state their destination, estimated time of return, and the nature of their Union business. The supervisor will indicate approval or disapproval as soon as possible. If the request cannot be accommodated due to mission requirements, the representative will be informed of the earliest possible date and/or time when they will be able to leave his/her the work site. Union Representatives will be available for call back due to mission requirements. Use of email is acceptable. 3. Requests for prolonged absences (longer than 24 hours) will be coordinated by the Union through the Agency’s labor relations office (LRO) via official memorandumdesignated representative. The LRO Agency will then validate whether the request complies with this Agreement. If the request is not validated, the Agency will notify the Union as to why its request was not validated. If the request is validated, then the LRO Agency will notify the respective supervisor(s) that a valid request for Official Time has been submitted on behalf of a particular employee(s). The validated request will serve as the employee’s request for absence. Once a supervisor receives a validated request on behalf of an employee, they will notify the employee whether they their absence request is approved, or not, based on mission requirements. If disapproved due to mission requirements, the representative will be informed of the earliest possible time when they will be able to leave the work site. Use of email is acceptable. 4. Travel costs for employees conducting internal Union Representatives business will be the responsibility of the Union; however, if travel is pursuant to an Agency request, and . IAW the meeting location is outside Department of the Union Representative’s commuting areaDefense (DoD) Joint Travel Regulation (JTR), the Agency shall be responsible for travel costs IAW Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Travel Regulations (JTR)employees who are Union representatives in conjunction with representational duties or pursuant to an official Agency request. 5. Whenever an employee meets with the Union concerning a representational matter, matter and that meeting takes place during duty hours, reasonable notification shall first be provided to the employee’s immediate supervisor prior to the employee ceasing performance of assigned duties. If the employee cannot be released at that time due to mission requirements, the Union will be informed of the earliest possible time when the employee will be available. Supervisor may not inquire as to the subject of the meeting and cannot deem the employee’s release contingent on subject-matter knowledge. No notice is required when representational activities take place during non-work periods (i.e., before and after regular duty hours, during breaks, or during the lunch period). 6. The mere fact that two employees (one of whom is a designated Union Representative) are having a casual/informal conversation during the workday, and the topic of some or all of the conversation relates to conditions of employment or other general labor matters, does not create an implicit requirement that the Union Representative request approval for Official Time as a condition of such a conversation taking place. 7. The following conditions apply when a Union representative will be delayed in returning to their assigned work site after a period of approved Official Time IAW Section 6.7(1): a. The employee is required to immediately notify the Agency of the circumstances surrounding the delay and the expected time/date that they will be available to return to work. The Union may provide initial notice to the Agency of a potential delay if, due to injury or other unforeseen circumstance, the employee is personally unable to provide the required notice. b. If the delay is due to circumstances beyond the employee’s control (e.g., commercial travel delays, sickness, or other unforeseen events), the employee shall secure supporting documentation for the delay from an appropriate authority (e.g., airline, car rental company, law enforcement, medical provider, etc.) and, upon return, shall submit an adjusted Official Time request to their supervisor so that their time card may be adjusted to reflect any additional time needed to cover their approved period of absence. Notwithstanding the annual limits in Section 6.7(1), there is no limit on the amount of time that may be approved to cover a delay or period of absence resulting from events beyond the employee’s control. c. When an employee’s delay is caused by a commercial travel provider (i.e., airline, rail, bus line), and the delay exceeds twelve (12) hours beyond the originally-originally scheduled return date and time, the employee shall may be eligible, upon requestrequest and IAW Section 9.2, for an additional four (4) hours of personal leave for rest prior to returning to their assigned work site. d. Delays and or absences from the worksite caused by the employee’s neglect, negligence, or failure to observe regulations shall be charged to personal leave and may become the basis for disciplinary action. 8. Paragraphs 1 – 7 notwithstanding, the Union’s designated State Representative shall be granted additional Official Time for the purposes of discharging his/her representational duties IAW 5 USC Chapter 71 and this Agreement.

– Official Time and Travel of Union Representatives. 1. Union Representatives shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time during their normal working hours without loss of leave or pay, to include travel to/from the location where the representational activity is taking place (as needed), to effectively represent employees conduct representational activities in accordance with this agreement. For matters falling under 5 USC 7131(a) Agreement, to include the intake, investigation, and (c)processing of grievances, Union representatives shall be granted appropriate amounts of official time after submitting a written request up to and receiving advanced approval IAW this sectionincluding arbitration. 2. Request for brief absences (less than 24 hours) shall be submitted by the employee directly to their immediate supervisor. Use of email is acceptable. Also, use of the form in Appendix B C is recommended, recommended but not required. The requester should state their destination, estimated time of return, and the nature of their Union business. If the request cannot be accommodated due to mission requirements, the representative will be informed of the earliest possible date and/or time when they will be able to leave his/her the work site. Union Representatives will be available for call back due to mission requirements. Use of email is acceptable. 3. Requests for prolonged absences (longer than 24 hours) will be coordinated by the Union through the Agency’s labor relations office (LRO) via official memorandumdesignated representative. The LRO Agency will then validate whether the request complies with this Agreement. If the request is not validated, the Agency will notify the Union as to why its request was not validated. If the request is validated, then the LRO Agency will notify the respective supervisor(s) that a valid request for Official Time has been submitted on behalf of a particular employee(s). The validated request will serve as the employee’s request for absence. Once a supervisor receives a validated request on behalf of an employee, they will notify the employee whether they their absence request is approved, or not, based on mission requirements. If disapproved due to mission requirements, the representative will be informed of the earliest possible time when they will be able to leave the work site. Use of email is acceptable. 4. Travel costs for employees conducting internal Union Representatives business will be the responsibility of the Union; however, if travel is pursuant to an Agency request, and . IAW the meeting location is outside Department of the Union Representative’s commuting areaDefense (DoD) Joint Travel Regulation (JTR), the Agency shall be responsible for travel costs IAW Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Travel Regulations (JTR)employees who are Union representatives in conjunction with representational duties or pursuant to an official Agency request. 5. Whenever an employee meets with the Union concerning a representational matter, matter and that meeting takes place during duty hours, reasonable notification shall first be provided to the employee’s immediate supervisor prior to the employee ceasing performance of assigned duties. If the employee cannot be released at that time due to mission requirements, the Union will be informed of the earliest possible time when the employee will be available. Supervisor may not inquire as to the subject of the meeting and cannot deem the employee’s release contingent on subject-matter knowledge. No notice is required when representational activities take place during non-work periods (i.e., before and after regular duty hours, during breaks, or during the lunch period). 6. The mere fact that two employees (one of whom is a designated Union Representative) are having a casual/informal conversation during the workday, and the topic of some or all of the conversation relates to conditions of employment or other general labor matters, does not create an implicit requirement that the Union Representative request approval for Official Time as a condition of such a conversation taking place. 7. The following conditions apply when a Union representative will be delayed in returning to their assigned work site after a period of approved Official Time IAW Section 6.7(1): a. The employee is required to immediately notify the Agency of the circumstances surrounding the delay and the expected time/date that they will be available to return to work. The Union may provide initial notice to the Agency of a potential delay if, due to injury or other unforeseen circumstance, the employee is personally unable to provide the required notice. b. If the delay is due to circumstances beyond the employee’s control (e.g., commercial travel delays, sickness, or other unforeseen events), the employee shall secure supporting documentation for the delay from an appropriate authority (e.g., airline, car rental company, law enforcement, medical provider, etc.) and, upon return, shall submit an adjusted Official Time request to their supervisor so that their time card may be adjusted to reflect any additional time needed to cover their approved period of absence. Notwithstanding the annual limits in Section 6.7(1), there is no limit on the amount of time that may be approved to cover a delay or period of absence resulting from events beyond the employee’s control. c. When an employee’s delay is caused by a commercial travel provider (i.e., airline, rail, bus line), and the delay exceeds twelve (12) hours beyond the originally-originally scheduled return date and time, the employee shall may be eligible, upon request, for an additional four (4) hours of rest rest, charged to personal leave, prior to returning to their assigned work site. d. Delays and or absences from the worksite caused by the employee’s neglect, negligence, or failure to observe regulations shall be charged to personal leave and may become the basis for disciplinary action. 8. Paragraphs 1 – 7 notwithstanding, the Union’s designated State Representative shall be granted additional Official Time for the purposes of discharging his/her representational duties IAW 5 USC Chapter 71 and this Agreement.

– Official Time and Travel of Union Representatives. 1. Union Representatives shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time during their normal working hours without loss of leave or pay, to include travel to/from the location where the representational activity is taking place (as needed), Official Time in order to effectively represent employees in accordance with IAW this agreementAgreement. For matters falling under 5 USC 7131(aReasonable time for representational activities (e.g., discussions, meetings, investigations, negotiations, and bargaining sessions) and (c), Union representatives shall be granted appropriate amounts that amount of official time after submitting determined by both Parties to effectively deal with workplace matters such as: a. conditions of employment and/or employee working conditions; b. an employee grievance or complaint; c. representation of employees during a written ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ investigation or during the course of an adverse action; d. to review and/or evaluate a proposed policy change and formulate a recommendation; e. to negotiate or bargaining a new proposal or change; f. to attend Agency and/or Union-sponsored training which is beneficial to both Parties, normally not to exceed forty (40) hours per individual per calendar year, excluding travel time. A request and receiving advanced approval IAW this sectionto exceed the forty (40) hour timeframe shall not be unreasonably denied. 2. Request This list above is not all-inclusive, and Official Time may be requested and granted for brief absences (less than 24 hours) other situations not listed as long as the purpose and/or justification falls within the parameters of 5 USC §7131. 3. Union Representatives shall be submitted by the employee directly to request Official Time through their immediate appropriate supervisor. Use of the form in Appendix B is recommended, but not required. The requester request should state their destination, estimated time of return, and the nature of Union business. If the request cannot be accommodated due to mission requirements, the representative will be informed of the earliest possible time when they will be able to leave his/her their work site. Union Representatives will be available for call back due to mission requirements. Use of email is acceptable. 34. Requests for prolonged absences (longer than 24 hours) will be coordinated made by using an official memorandum on Union letterhead. Absences of short duration (less than 24 hours) may be requested using the Union through the Agency’s labor relations office (LRO) via official memorandum. The LRO will then validate whether the request complies with this Agreement. If the request is not validated, the Agency will notify the Union as to why its request was not validated. If the request is validated, then the LRO will notify the respective supervisor(s) that a valid request for Official Time has been submitted on behalf of a particular employee(s). The validated request will serve as the employee’s request for absence. Once a supervisor receives a validated request on behalf of an employee, they will notify the employee whether they their absence request is approved, or not, based on mission requirements. If disapproved due to mission requirements, the representative will be informed of the earliest possible time when they will be able to leave the work site. attached form in Appendix B. Use of email is acceptable. 45. Travel costs for Union Representatives will be the responsibility of the Union; however, if travel is pursuant to an Agency request, and the meeting location is outside of the Union Representative’s commuting area, the Agency shall be responsible for travel costs IAW Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Travel Regulations (JTR). 56. Whenever an employee meets with the Union concerning a representational matter, and that meeting takes place during duty hours, reasonable notification shall first be provided to the employee’s immediate supervisor prior to the employee ceasing performance of assigned duties. If the employee cannot be released at that time due to mission requirements, the Union will be informed of the earliest possible time when the employee will be available. Supervisor may not inquire as to the subject of the meeting meeting, and cannot deem the employee’s release contingent on subject-matter knowledge. No notice is required when representational activities take place during non-work periods (i.e., before and after regular duty hours, during breaks, or during the lunch period). 67. The following conditions apply when a Union representative will Paragraphs 1 – 5 notwithstanding, the Union’s designated State Representative shall be delayed in returning to their assigned work site after a period of approved granted additional Official Time IAW Section 6.7(1): a. The employee is required to immediately notify the Agency of the circumstances surrounding the delay and the expected time/date that they will be available to return to work. The Union may provide initial notice to the Agency of a potential delay if, due to injury or other unforeseen circumstance, the employee is personally unable to provide the required notice. b. If the delay is due to circumstances beyond the employee’s control (e.g., commercial travel delays, sickness, or other unforeseen events), the employee shall secure supporting documentation for the delay from an appropriate authority (e.g., airline, car rental company, law enforcement, medical provider, etcpurposes of discharging representational duties IAW 5 USC Chapter 71 and this Agreement.) and, upon return, shall submit an adjusted Official Time request to their supervisor so that their time card may be adjusted to reflect any additional time needed to cover their approved period of absence. Notwithstanding the annual limits in Section 6.7(1), there is no limit on the amount of time that may be approved to cover a delay or period of absence resulting from events beyond the employee’s control. c. When an employee’s delay is caused by a commercial travel provider (i.e., airline, rail, bus line), and the delay exceeds twelve (12) hours beyond the originally-scheduled return date and time, the employee shall be eligible, upon request, for an additional four (4) hours of rest prior to returning to their assigned work site. d. Delays and or absences from the worksite caused by the employee’s neglect, negligence, or failure to observe regulations shall be charged to personal leave and may become the basis for disciplinary action.

– Official Time and Travel of Union Representatives. 1. Union Representatives shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time during their normal working hours without loss of leave or pay, to include travel to/from the location where the representational activity is taking place (as needed), to effectively represent employees conduct representational activities in accordance with this agreementAgreement, to include the intake, investigation, and processing of grievances, up to and including arbitration. For matters falling Requests submitted under 5 USC 7131(a) and (c), Union representatives this Section shall be granted appropriate amounts approved provided mission requirements do not prohibit release. The Agency shall make a reasonable effort to approve requests under this Section to include reassigning the duties of official time after submitting a written request and receiving advanced approval IAW this sectionthe requesting employee to other personnel unless those efforts create an undue hardship for the Agency. 2. Request for brief absences (less than 24 hours) shall be submitted by the employee directly to their immediate supervisor. Use of email is acceptable. Also, use of the form in Appendix B C is recommended, recommended but not required. The requester should state their destination, estimated time of return, and the nature of their Union business. If the request cannot be accommodated due to mission requirements, the representative will be informed of the earliest possible date and/or time when they will be able to leave his/her the work site. Union Representatives will be available for call back due to mission requirements. Use of email is acceptable. 3. Requests for prolonged absences (longer than 24 hours) will be coordinated by the Union through the Agency’s labor relations office (LRO) via official memorandumdesignated representative. The LRO Agency will then validate whether the request complies with this Agreement. If the request is not validated, the Agency will notify the Union as to why its request was not validated. If the request is validated, then the LRO Agency will notify the respective supervisor(s) that a valid request for Official Time has been submitted on behalf of a particular employee(s). The validated request will serve as the employee’s request for absence. Once a supervisor receives a validated request on behalf of an employee, they will notify the employee whether they their absence request is approved, or not, based on mission requirements. If disapproved due to mission requirements, the representative will be informed of the earliest possible time when they will be able to leave the work site. Use of email is acceptable. 4. Travel costs for employees conducting internal Union Representatives business will be the responsibility of the Union; however, if travel is pursuant to an Agency request, and . IAW the meeting location is outside Department of the Union Representative’s commuting areaDefense (DoD) Joint Travel Regulation (JTR), the Agency shall be responsible for travel costs IAW Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Travel Regulations (JTR)employees who are Union representatives in conjunction with representational duties or pursuant to an official Agency request. 5. Whenever an employee meets with the Union concerning a representational matter, matter and that meeting takes place during duty hours, reasonable notification shall first be provided to the employee’s immediate supervisor prior to the employee ceasing performance of assigned duties. If the employee cannot be released at that time due to mission requirements, the Union will be informed of the earliest possible time when the employee will be available. Supervisor may not inquire as to the subject of the meeting and cannot deem the employee’s release contingent on subject-matter knowledge. No notice is required when representational activities take place during non-work periods (i.e., before and after regular duty hours, during breaks, or during the lunch period). 6. The mere fact that two employees (one of whom is a designated Union Representative) are having a casual/informal conversation during the workday, whether in person of otherwise, and the topic of some or all of the conversation relates to conditions of employment or other general labor matters, does not create an implicit requirement that the Union Representative request approval for Official Time as a condition of such a conversation taking place. 7. The following conditions apply when a Union representative will be delayed in returning to their assigned work site after a period of approved Official Time IAW Section 6.7(1): a. The employee is required to immediately notify the Agency of the circumstances surrounding the delay and the expected time/date that they will be available to return to work. The Union may provide initial notice to the Agency of a potential delay if, due to injury or other unforeseen circumstance, the employee is personally unable to provide the required notice. b. If the delay is due to circumstances beyond the employee’s control (e.g., commercial travel delays, sickness, or other unforeseen events), the employee shall secure supporting documentation for the delay from an appropriate authority (e.g., airline, car rental company, law enforcement, medical provider, etc.) and, upon return, shall submit an adjusted Official Time request to their supervisor so that their time card may be adjusted to reflect any additional time needed to cover their approved period of absence. Notwithstanding the annual limits in Section 6.7(1), there is no limit on the amount of time that may be approved to cover a delay or period of absence resulting from events beyond the employee’s control. c. When an employee’s delay is caused by a commercial travel provider (i.e., airline, rail, bus line), and the delay exceeds twelve (12) hours beyond the originally-originally scheduled return date and time, the employee shall be eligible, upon request, for an additional four (4) hours of rest rest, charged to personal leave, prior to returning to their assigned work site. d. Delays and or absences from the worksite caused by the employee’s neglect, negligence, or failure to observe regulations shall be charged to personal leave and may become the basis for disciplinary action. 8. Paragraphs 1 – 7 notwithstanding, the Union’s designated State Representative shall be granted additional Official Time for the purposes of discharging his/her representational duties IAW 5 USC Chapter 71 and this Agreement.