https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN31614-ARMY_DIR_2021-03-000-WEB-1.pdf
MEMORANDUM FOR SEE DISTRIBUTION
SUBJECT: Army Directive 2021-03 (Army Civilian Fitness and Health Promotion
Program)
1. References.
a. Title 5, U.S. Code, section 7901 (Health Service Programs)
b. Title 5, U.S. Code, section 6329a (Administrative Leave)
c. Department of Defense Instruction 1010.10 (Health Promotion and Disease
Prevention), 28 April 2014, incorporating Change 2, effective 12 January 2018
d. Army Regulation 600–63 (Army Health Promotion), 14 April 2015
2. Purpose. This directive revises policy for the Department of the Army Civilian Fitness
and Health Promotion Program. The goal of the program is to enhance the health,
fitness, and quality of life of Department of the Army Civilians while increasing
organizational wellness and mission productivity. Evidence indicates that employees
afforded an opportunity to participate in fitness and health promotion programs
experience increased readiness and resiliency, enhanced morale, increased
productivity, reduced sick leave use, and increased job and life satisfaction.
3. Applicability. This directive applies to the Regular Army, Army National Guard/Army
National Guard of the United States, and U.S. Army Reserve, unless otherwise stated.
4. Policy.
a. The Department of the Army Civilian Fitness and Health Promotion Program
applies to Army Civilian appropriated and nonappropriated fund employees. The
program does not apply to Title 32, U.S. Code, Army National Guard technicians or to
Title 5, U.S. Code, Civilians assigned to duty with the National Guard Bureau, Army
National Guard, or their field operating locations.
b. A fitness and health promotion program that balances support for employee
participation with the need to ensure employee work requirements are fulfilled and
agency operations remain efficient and effective is in the Army’s interest. The
Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army and the commanders of Army
commands, Army service component commands, and direct reporting units are
S E C R E T A R Y O F T H E A R M Y
W A S H I N G T O N
SUBJECT: Army Directive 2021-03 (Army Civilian Fitness and Health Promotion
Program)
2
authorized, in their discretion, to implement and administer a fitness and health
promotion program consistent with the following provisions:
(1) Subject to governing law, regulation, and policy, Civilian employees may be
granted up to 3 hours of administrative leave per week (no more than 1 hour per day) to
participate in a command-sponsored fitness and health promotion program, including
physical fitness activities, preventive health events, education on health promotion
topics (such as nutrition and exercise principles), and any other activities covered by the
program.
(2) Employee participation in the program is voluntary.
(3) Participation in the program is not an entitlement and is subject to approval
by supervisory officials. The program does not create an employee right or benefit,
substantive or procedural, enforceable at law by a party to litigation with the United
States.
(4) Participating employees must execute a program participation agreement.
Employees must self-certify that they are not aware of any medical conditions or
limitations that would put them at risk of injury or illness while participating in the
program.
(5) Physical fitness activities must be specifically targeted at improving fitness
levels or body conditioning.
(6) For employees in positions that have physical fitness standards (such as
firefighters), a physical exercise program that is part of their normal duties is not
covered by this program.
(7) Employees, supervisors, and time and attendance certifiers must ensure that
fitness periods are accounted for by entering Administrative Leave “LNPF” (Type Hour
Code “LN” with Environmental/Hazard/Other Code “PF”) in the Automated Time
Attendance and Production System, or analogous code in other timekeeping systems.
(8) Specific times for participation will be dictated by mission requirements and
approved in advance. Supervisors must retain authority to schedule and assign work
and must carefully balance mission requirements, workload, and personnel availability
when authorizing fitness periods (that is, time for fitness and health promotion activities
under the program).
(9) Employees must report to their workstations before and after each
authorized fitness period.
SUBJECT: Army Directive 2021-03 (Army Civilian Fitness and Health Promotion
Program)
3
(10) Employees serving on a performance improvement plan, who are subject to
leave restrictions, or who have been formally disciplined for a lack of candor or similar
offense within the previous year are ineligible to participate in the program.
(11) Available installation or on-site fitness facilities should be used to the
maximum extent practicable. Fitness periods include the time used for changing
clothes, showering, and travel to and from the exercise location.
(12) Authorized fitness periods may be combined with regularly scheduled lunch
periods with supervisory approval.
(13) Employees cannot accumulate fitness periods and carry them over to the
next day or week so as to exceed the limitations described above.
(14) In exercising their discretion to implement and administer a fitness and
health promotion program, the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army and
the commanders of Army commands, Army service component commands, and direct
reporting units may also authorize Civilian employees who are teleworking to participate
in the civilian fitness and health promotion program.
(15) Commanders and supervisors must maintain accountability over employees
participating in the program and are responsible for ensuring compliance with program
participation requirements.
(16) The Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army and the
commanders of Army commands, Army service component commands, and direct
reporting units should review their respective fitness and health promotion programs at
least once annually to determine how they affect productivity and whether they meet
their stated objectives.
c. Commanders and supervisors should encourage employees to take advantage
of the flexibilities of an alternative work schedule program, if available, to engage in
fitness and health promotion activities during non-duty time.
d. Subject to supervisory approval, employees may request annual leave, leave
without pay, or sick leave (as appropriate) to participate in fitness or health promotion
activities.
5. Labor Relations Obligations. Management officials and supervisors will fulfill all
statutory and contractual labor relations obligations in the implementation of this policy.
SUBJECT: Army Directive 2021-03 (Army Civilian Fitness and Health Promotion
Program)
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6. Proponent. The proponent for this directive is the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1, who will
incorporate its provisions into Army Regulation 600–63 within 2 years of the date of this
directive.
7. Duration. This directive is rescinded on publication of the revised regulation.
Ryan D. McCarthy
DISTRIBUTION:
Principal Officials of Headquarters, Department of the Army
Commander
U.S. Army Forces Command
U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command
U.S. Army Materiel Command
U.S. Army Futures Command
U.S. Army Pacific
U.S. Army Europe and Africa
U.S. Army Central
U.S. Army North
U.S. Army South
U.S. Army Special Operations Command
Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command
U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Strategic Command
U.S. Army Cyber Command
U.S. Army Medical Command
U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command
U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Army Military District of Washington
U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command
U.S. Army Human Resources Command
Superintendent, U.S. Military Academy
Director, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center
Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery
Commandant, U.S. Army War College
Director, U.S. Civilian Human Resources Agency
CF:
Director of Business Transformation
Commander, Eighth Army