(a) An agency may require an employee to submit his or her request to use religious compensatory time off with all the information specified in §550.1004(b) in a manner that is administratively acceptable to the agency. To the maximum extent practicable, the agency must require that the request be in writing (including electronic communications). If the agency accepts an oral request, the agency must document all the information specified in §550.1004(b) and must require the employee to submit a written document containing all the information as soon as practicable. An agency may require an employee to submit a request to use religious compensatory time off sufficiently in advance to accommodate necessary scheduling changes without interfering with the agency's ability to efficiently carry out its mission.

(b) An agency must approve an employee's request to use religious compensatory time off unless the agency determines that approving the request would interfere with the agency's ability to efficiently carry out its mission. If the employee's request to use religious compensatory time off is denied, the agency must provide a written explanation as to the reason the request has been denied, regardless of whether the employee's request was written or oral.

(c) The agency must provide the employee with an opportunity to earn religious compensatory time off before the deadline established in §550.1006(c), although the specific timing of when an employee will be allowed to earn religious compensatory time off by performing overtime work is a matter of agency discretion based on the needs of the agency.