Inadequate Recordkeeping on Official Time Used for Representational Functions

In a recent survey of several labor-management relations activities in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW), and the Department of Labor (DOL), GAO examined how the agencies accounted for and monitored the amount of official time employees spent on representational functions in 26 agency units with recognized labor organizations (unions). About 1.2 million of all nonpostal Federal civilian employees are organized and covered by about 3,000 collective bargaining agreements; the amount of official time authorized for Federal employees to perform representational functions is not known.