Leap ?

[intheaircop]

I am new to the GOVT. I have been on the job now over 2 years. I am not sure how this LEAP works. I am not a 1811, I am a 1801 but I do get LEAP. Now I think I understand that LEAP is for unscheduled overtime such as raids / search and arrest warants etc. Now I here from other agents that I have met while working that they are not scheduled LEAP hours. No my question is how is the FAM service getting away with scheduling LEAP hours for the Air Marshals. We are scheduled about 45 - 50 hours a week. We get our schedule a month in advance. My field office tells us that they have to schedule our LEAP hours because if they did not, we would not work them due to the fact we are not 1811s. I read the LEAP law and from what I got out of it is that the FAM service is in the wrong. I have heard that a few FAMS have a LEAP lawsuit in the Chicago area. Our SAIC in my office says that we will lose. I just can't understand how any job can schedule any one for more than 40 hours a week and then not get paid for the work. We are not criminal investigators and we should get paid for all work over 40 hours. I think the reason the FAM service gave us LEAP is because all of the delays we get on a weekly basis. Now here is an example, if I get delayed for 6 hours because of weather and put in a 16 hour day, well guess what it is LEAP. So not only are they setting our LEAP but we are also working past the LEAP hours they schedule us. Can you real 1811s tell if the FAM service is in the right or wrong.
Wait here is the best part:
They have now started calling us in to work on our days off! They call it the ALERT LIST. They got sick of FAMs calling in sick so now they have made a list for FAMs to be on call on their days off to cover flights for the sick call ins. Now this is pushing it way over the edge. I was off last weekend and you better believe they called me Sat morning and told me I had to report to work and get this!!!!<<< No overtime, it falls under LEAP. How the heck can they call this LEAP. I am not following a suspect or doing a search warant. All I am doing is covering a flight for someone who was sick. How can they make us work that 6th day and not pay us for it?! Can you 1811s answer me? I am considering getting a lawyer. As you can see I am getting mad about this whole place! I can't take it for much longer. Oh by the way I have a written for a local PD next week and Yes I am calling in sick to take the test.

[Group9]

They are probably getting around them the same way the other federal agencies were back in the AUO pre-LEAP days, by breaking the law. The only thing that stopped them was the 300 million dollars they had to pay out in the Adams; et al, lawsuits filed on behalf of agents by the lawfirm of Bernstein and Lipsett .

TSA is new, and a lot of the management that made the decisions that resulted in that payoff in other federal agencies are now in the upper management of TSA.

Call them and listen to the recording to hear a little about it. (202)296-7222

I bet they would be excited to hear from you guys. :D

.

[IA_13]

LEAP is the 25% above and beyond that you get paid every year for working 10 extra hours a week, 20 a pay period. If you do not work that you get fired. As you are already getting paid for it. If you work more than those required 20 hrs every pay period, you go on search warrants, interviews, ect passed your core and LEAP hrs. I belive that you would not get OT, but only a higher percentage of LEAP hours in which you can write off every so often by leaving early, ADS, and other ways. However, I am new at this, and am in no way saying thats whats happening to you at FAMS, but you should definately be getting paid for those hours you work above and beyond normal casue of duty.

[Group9]

The law is quite specific as to the difference between LEAP hours and scheduled overtime. It sounds like the FAM management are not acknowledging this difference.

[bob95321]

makes you want to run right out and sign up to be an air marshal!

[Sleuth]

Before LEAP there was AUO (Administrativly Uncontrollable Overtime). Under either system, it has to be overtime that cannot be controlled by the agency. So, calling you in on a day off because someone is sick is LEAP. Having told you in advance that you must work your day off (within a time limit - I think it was 5 days, I could be wrong) is NOT LEAP.

We went through this with duty scheduals. At one point, the boss said he was going to take our GOV cars away if we did not work illegal overtime - we all threw our keys on his desk and said "Have FUN!"

I would quietly obtain a copy of the Official Personell Manual - we came under OPM - and read the rules before making an issue of this with the boss. They HATE getting the OPM rules in writing in front of them!

[Nole795]

I am also new to the federal 1811 club and was confused on the LEAP issue as well. My understanding is that you are "rewarded" with a 25% pay increase for working a 10 hour day and any other hours following. For many agencies it is not too bad because we can work banker hours, and if you start to head over the 200 hours within 20 work days, you can trim your hours down and take off early if your agency/cases allow it. Unfortunately for FAMS this would not be the case. I do have friends who are in the Secret Service and they told me that they use to be in the same predicament when it came to protection duties, especially during election year. They would work 18 hour days for weeks at a time and make the same money as a fellow Secret Service Agent who was working 10 hour days on a counterfeiting case. I do know that is no longer the case. Secret Service agents now get the LEAP but also get overtime pay when they go over a certain limit (which I don't know). Plus they get weekend pay, night differential pay, and locality differences as well. I would think that since your duties are more comparable to that of a Secret Service agent, you should also have the same benefits.

One of the writers indicated that if you don't work the required 10 hours you can get fired. I found this may not be true. I was told there are several agents in my agency who have lost their LEAP pay by not working the 10 hour days. They are employed but just dont have as big a paycheck. Of course these are stories that were told to me by the senior investigators.

I hope all goes well with your endeavors. I was sent a letter from the law firm to join the lawsuit regarding overtime pay. Being a new hire I did not want to rock the boat this early in my career.

Good luck!

[Group9]

One of the writers indicated that if you don't work the required 10 hours you can get fired. I found this may not be true. I was told there are several agents in my agency who have lost their LEAP pay by not working the 10 hour days. They are employed but just dont have as big a paycheck. Of course these are stories that were told to me by the senior investigators.
Good luck!

I have never heard of anyone actually losing their LEAP pay and it is a pretty big deal to deny it. You have to remember that this is the federal government. Managers who were in place and caused the government to pay out these huge settlements were not fired, demoted or punished in any way for these decisions. In fact, many were promoted afterwards, including the person in my agency who was responsible. The money paid came out of OPM's budget, not the individual agencies'.

As a result, managers in place now probably see little incentive to try and comply with the law.

[famnomore]

This is another reason why I left the FAMS. By the time I worked the scheduled 50 hour week, and had my normal delays, I was working a 56 hour week. Now, when you add my drive time, and time to pack my suitcase again, I had a whole 10 hours at home. This sucked. I loved to fly, but hated the management and crazy rules(made up on the fly) I make less money now but I am home everynight.

[intheaircop]

I am looking for a new job also. Just waiting for the right one. But the I band sure is great pay!

[eff-bee-eye]

What is the I band for?

[intheaircop]

We are not payed on the GS pay scale like most of all the other Federal LEOs are. We are payed on a pay scale that is used at the FAA. I started at a G pay band and that was about a GS-9, then I got up to H pay band and that is about a GS-11, and I just got promoted to I pay band and that is at a GS-12 or GS-13. I have reached journey men level in only 2 years here.

[racoon88]

Most folks just don't know the law. The FAMS won the LEAP law suit settlement and will be getting paid very shortly! It was one of the biggest settlements in history. Why? Because managers in that agency think their GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LEAP, by law, is suppose to be for unscheduled overtime not overtime already built into the schedule a month in advance. That's the key issue. The agency was told years ago that they were doing it wrong but they failed to heed the warnings and FAMS were worked many long hours. It was causing FAMS to fall asleep on duty, lose quality home time with the family, and many other issues that come with being way overworked. In fact the first couple of years, based on hours worked compared to pay, the government was getting a good deal monetarily. Thats all come back to haunt them, and us, now. The law is the law. I have to obey it and so does the government. This case was not even a close call. The government was wrong and they lost almost immediately upon the suit being brought. I have a family member who is one of the good supervisors and things are suppose to be changing. Most of it I can't know because it's sensitive information but things are suppose to change. It is just sad that now, in a time of economic crisis, we the citizens have to pay a settlement that's over a hundred million dollars in total. All because managers did not want to tackle the issue. The damages could have been reduced greatly had appropriate action been taken in a timely manner. But again the word timely and our government don't go hand and hand. I don't begrudge the Air Marshal settlement, they were wronged and they deserve to be made whole, but it would cetainly have been better for all involved had the agency played by the rules to begin with. Good Day, racoon88

[racoon88]

IA_13 please know the law! Your assumption that you get fired if you don't work a 10 hour week, under LEAP, is wrong. You get fired if you do something detrimental, most often illegal, to the agency. The examples are many but most firing events are because of illegal actions by the employee or consistant policy violation. Regardless not working 10 hours in a day is not something that gets you fired. Your schedule is your schedule and as long as you work your schedule you can't be fired. Good Day, Joe.

[Joeyd6]

Joe,

Ths thread had a post in July of 2004.....SEVEN YEARS AGO!

And by the way....if at the end of the year, no matter where you are in the G, if you get LEAP, your work week better average 10 hours or more at the end of the year. If it does not, your LEAP for the next year can be revoked and they can hold pay to repay the G for the unworked LEAP in the prior year.

LEAP is not a gift....you must work it.