PAS Policy Committee Questionnaire

Dear Mexico Public Diplomacy Colleague:

PAO Jim Dickmeyer has established an ad hoc committee to assess our use of overtime, flextime, and the possible use of working from home is some instances. To get the best and most complete picture of your opinions, thoughts, and needs, we have designed the following questionnaire. Your responses will be logged anonymously in this web-based program (no one will know your name or connect you with your responses unless you wish), and will help give us the best and most complete picture of staff needs.

If you have any questions about the questionnaire or this process, please feel free to speak with any of the committee members listed below.

Many thanks,

Members of the Ad Hoc Committee:

Sofia Hernandez Victor Vazquez

Miriam Hamdan Araceli Partearroyo

Julia Tully Daniel Fennell

– Please answer all the items that apply in each section–

You work at: A Consulate Mexico City PAS Front Office: Mexico City Press Section: Mexico City Cultural Section: Benjamin Franklin Library Is your current position (check all that apply): FSN: FSO: Supervisor Specialist Assistant Other (specify) Overtime premium pay: Do you receive overtime pay? Yes:    No: If you receive overtime pay, is it: At least once a week: At least once a month: Several times a year: Seldom: In the instances where you have received overtime pay, was it because: (check all that apply): Your supervisor asked you You recognized a need for working later or irregular hours: A planned program or project An unplanned necessity A tasking from the Front Office or Washington What usually prompts the decision for overtime work? (check all that apply): The nature of the event/activity requires work outside normal working hours Occasional increase in workload demands additional hours Occasional staff shortage Chronic lack of staff to do the work For your overtime work, do you generally: Ask your supervisor first to receive prior approval every time Have a standing agreement with your supervisor to do overtime as needed Present an overtime pay slip after the work is completed Have you ever requested to work overtime and been denied? Yes:    No: Are there times when you work overtime and do not receive either premium compensation pay or comp time? Yes:    No: If so, why? Overtime/compensation time was denied by supervisor You did not claim the overtime Are you happy with the current arrangement for working overtime hours and receiving overtime pay? Yes No Not sure Do you have any suggestions or comments regarding overtime premium pay in the Public Affairs Section? Compensation Time (receiving time in exchange for additional hours worked) Do you receive or have you received comp time? Yes:    No: If you have received comp time, is it: At least once a week: At least once a month: Several times a year: Seldom: In the instances where you have received comp time, was it because: (check all that apply): Your supervisor asked you You recognized a need for working later or irregular hours: A planned program or project An unplanned necessity A tasking from the Front Office or Washington For your comp time, do you generally: Ask your supervisor first to receive prior approval every time Have a standing agreement with your supervisor to have comp time as needed Present a formal compensation time pay slip after the work is completed Agree informally with your supervisor for time off as comp time Have you ever asked for comp time and been denied? Yes:    No: Are you happy with the current arrangement for receving comp time? Yes No Not sure Do you have any suggestions or comments regarding comp time in the Public Affairs Section? Flex time Flex time is an arrangement in which an employee establishes permanent assigned working hours outside the normal Embassy or Consulate working hours. Do you have a flex time schedule? Yes:    No: If you have a flex time schedule, is it: Permanent Seasonal or temporary If you have a flex time schedule, is it because: Your supervisor asked you to ensure office coverage You requested it for personal reasons Other (specify) Have you ever asked for a flex time schedule and had it denied? Yes:    No: Are you happy with the current arrangement for a flex time schedule? Yes No Not sure Do you have any suggestions or comments regarding a flex time schedule in the Public Affairs Section? Working from home: Have you or do you currently work from home? Yes:    No: If you have worked from home, is it: At least once a week: At least once a month: Several times a year: Seldom: In the instances where you have worked from home, was it because: (check all that apply): Your supervisor asked you You recognized a need for doing so A planned program or project An unplanned necessity If you work from home, do you generally: Ask your supervisor first to receive prior approval every time Have a standing agreement with your supervisor to work from home as needed Present a formal slip or memo Agree informally with your supervisor to work from home Do you think it would be possible to do some of your work from home? Yes:    No: If there is a possibility of working from home, would you use it? Yes:    No: Have you ever asked to work from home and been denied? Yes:    No: Are you happy with the current arrangement for working from home? Yes No Not sure Do you have any suggestions or comments regarding working from home in the Public Affairs Section?

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