---
kind: "section"
citation: "5 U.S.C. § 6121"
title: "5"
title_heading: "Government Organization and Employees"
number: "6121"
heading: "Definitions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/5/6121"
units:
  - "Part III — Employees"
  - "Subpart E — Attendance and Leave"
  - "Chapter 61 — Hours of Work"
  - "Subchapter II — Flexible and Compressed Work Schedules"
---

# §6121. Definitions


For purposes of this subchapter—

- (1) “agency” means any [Executive agency](/usc/5/6501.md?p=2), any military [department](/usc/5/10101.md?p=4), the Government Publishing Office, the Library of Congress, the Architect of the Capitol, and the Botanic Garden;
- (2) “employee” has the meaning given the term in subsection (a) of [section 2105 of this title](/usc/5/2105.md), except that such term also includes an employee described in [subsection (c)](/usc/5/2105.md?p=c) of that section;
- (3) “basic work requirement” means the number of hours, excluding overtime hours, which an [employee](#2) is required to work or is required to [account](/usc/5/8401.md?p=1) for by leave or otherwise;
- (4) “credit hours” means any hours, within a flexible schedule established under [section 6122 of this title](/usc/5/6122.md), which are in excess of an [employee](#2)’s [basic work requirement](#3) and which the [employee](#2) elects to work so as to vary the length of a workweek or a workday;
- (5) “compressed schedule” means—
  - (A) in the case of a full-time [employee](#2), an 80-hour biweekly [basic work requirement](#3) which is scheduled for less than 10 workdays, and
  - (B) in the case of a part-time [employee](#2), a biweekly [basic work requirement](#3) of less than 80 hours which is scheduled for less than 10 workdays;
- (6) “overtime hours”, when used with respect to flexible schedule programs under sections [6122](/usc/5/6122.md) through [6126](/usc/5/6126.md) of this title, means all hours in excess of 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week which are officially ordered in advance, but does not include [credit hours](#4);
- (7) “overtime hours”, when used with respect to [compressed schedule](#5) programs under sections [6127](/usc/5/6127.md) and [6128](/usc/5/6128.md) of this title, means any hours in excess of those specified hours which constitute the [compressed schedule](#5); and
- (8) “[collective bargaining](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-12)”, “[collective bargaining agreement](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-8)”, and “[exclusive representative](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-16)” have the same meanings given such terms—
  - (A) by [section 7103(a)(12)](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-12), (8), and (16) of this title, respectively, in the case of any unit covered by [chapter 71](/usc/5/chptIII/sptF/ch71.md) of this title; and
  - (B) in the case of any other unit, by the corresponding provisions applicable under the personnel [system](/usc/5/8401.md?p=29) covering this unit.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 97–221, § 2(a)(2), July 23, 1982, 96 Stat. 227; amended Pub. L. 101–163, title III, § 312, Nov. 21, 1989, 103 Stat. 1065; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title X, § 1041, Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 433; Pub. L. 111–68, div. A, title I, § 1302(1), Oct. 1, 2009, 123 Stat. 2034; Pub. L. 113–235, div. H, title I, § 1301(b), Dec. 16, 2014, 128 Stat. 2537.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2009—Par. (1). Pub. L. 111–68 substituted “the Library of Congress, the Architect of the Capitol, and the Botanic Garden” for “and the Library of Congress”.

1996—Par. (2). Pub. L. 104–106 amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: “ ‘employee’ has the meaning given it by section 2105 of this title;”.

1989—Par. (1). Pub. L. 101–163 inserted “the Government Printing Office,” after “military department,”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Change of Name

“Government Publishing Office” substituted for “Government Printing Office” in par. (1) on authority of section 1301(b) of Pub. L. 113–235, set out as a note preceding section 301 of Title 44, Public Printing and Documents.