At the request of an employee who is not exempt under subpart B of this part, the head of an agency (or designee) may grant compensatory time off from an employee's tour of duty instead of payment under § 551.501 for an equal amount of irregular or occasional overtime work.

At the request of an employee, as defined in 5 U.S.C. 2105, the head of an agency may grant compensatory time off from an employee's basic work requirement under a flexible work schedule under 5 U.S.C. 6122 instead of payment under § 551.501 of this part for an equal amount of overtime work, whether or not irregular or occasional in nature.

An agency may not require that an employee be compensated for overtime work under this subpart with an equivalent amount of compensatory time off from the employee's tour of duty. An employee may not directly or indirectly intimidate, threaten, or coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any other employee for the purpose of interfering with such employee's rights to request or not to request compensatory time off in lieu of payment for overtime hours.

If compensatory time off earned under paragraph (a) or (b) of this section is not taken within 26 pay periods after the pay period during which it was earned or if the employee transfers or separates from an agency before using the compensatory time, the employee must be paid for overtime work at the dollar value prescribed in paragraph (g) of this section.

Compensatory time off to an employee's credit as of May 14, 2007 must be used by the end of the pay period ending 3 years after May 14, 2007. If the earned compensatory time off is not taken by the end of the pay period ending 3 years after May 14, 2007, the employee must be paid for overtime work at the dollar value prescribed in paragraph (g) of this section.

If an employee with unused compensatory time off under paragraphs (a), (b), or (e) of this section separates from Federal service or is placed in a leave without pay status under the following circumstances, the employee must be paid for overtime work at the overtime rate at the dollar value prescribed in paragraph (g) of this section:

The employee is separated or placed in a leave without pay status to perform service in the uniformed services (as defined in 38 U.S.C. 4303 and § 353.102); or

The employee is separated or placed in a leave without pay status because of an on-the-job injury with entitlement to injury compensation under 5 U.S.C. chapter 81.

The dollar value of compensatory time off when it is liquidated is the amount of overtime pay the employee otherwise would have received for hours of the pay period during which compensatory time off was earned by performing overtime work.