On January 4, 2001, President Clinton issued an executive memorandum that expanded leave benefits for Federal employees for preventative health screenings.

DFAS and AFGE Council 171 encourage employees to take advantage of screening programs and other preventative health services through options like promoting alternative work schedules; granting leave under the sick and annual leave programs; and granting excused absence to employees to participate in agency and non-agency sponsored preventative health activities.

For employees with fewer than 80 hours of accrued sick leave, the agency will provide four hours of excused absence each year (leave year) without loss of pay or charge to leave for participating in preventative health screenings.

Employees must request and receive approval for excused absence in accordance with established leave request procedures.

DFAS site management and local union representatives are encouraged to advertise and promote the use of programs such as the DFAS Quality of Work Life (QWL) program to offer employees the opportunity to receive preventative health services on government time, without charge to leave, in accordance with established program procedures.

The parties recognize that DFAS can’t offer preventative health services for every possible disease or health risk, nor be able to offer preventative health screenings at a time when every employee needs them. In addition, employees may be more comfortable dealing with their own personal physician for other types of screenings rather than the use of a DFAS provided service.

Authorizing employees four hours of excused absence per year for such screenings, in cooperation with the employees’ own physician or health care providers will complement the current QWL Program and make the whole realm of preventative health screening services more accessible to employees when they need them.

The parties at the local Site level should cooperatively discuss economical and efficient strategies to adequately meet the needs of employees at each site through groups or committees such as Labor-Management Committees (LMC’s), or other mutually agreed upon methods.