Payment of Per Diem for Period Between Travel and Start of Duty Assignment

An advance decision was requested as to whether an employee who traveled during working hours on a Friday to report to temporary duty the following Tuesday, the day after a holiday, could be paid per diem for the intervening 3-day weekend. Although statutory regulations require that to the maximum extent practicable agencies schedule travel during regular duty hours, in this case per diem may not be paid since payment of 2 days or more additional per diem to facilitate such scheduling was unreasonable.