An employee donating blood for which no compensation will be received may be granted up to 4 hours of excused absence for rest and recuperation purposes. Employees must apply for the excused absence in advance. The 4 hours:
Is in addition to the time required for the actual donation.
Is to be used at the donation site.
May only be used on the day of the donation.
Bone Marrow or Organ Donor
An employee will be granted up to 7 days (56 hours) of excused absence in a calendar year to serve as a bone marrow or organ donor.
An employee may be granted up to 30 days each calendar year to serve as an organ donor. (Per the "Organ Donor Leave Act," P.L. 105-56, amending Title 5 U.S.C. Section 6327, dated 9/24/99, which increased the amount from 7 to 30 days.) The length of absence for organ donation procedures will vary depending upon the medical circumstances of each case. For medical procedures and recuperation requiring absences longer than 30 days, supervisors are encouraged to accommodate employees by granting additional time off in the form of sick leave, annual leave, advanced sick and/or annual leave, leave without pay, earned credit hours, earned compensatory time off, or donations from the Leave Transfer Program.
On-the-Job Injuries / Traumatic Injury
All absences related to on-the-job injury / traumatic injury (i.e., accident) will be charged consistent with the Office of Workers' Compensation Program (OWCP) regulations. Generally speaking, however, the following applies:
On the day an on-the-job injury / accident occurs, an employee will be granted excused absence for the initial examination, treatment, and recuperation. For additional absence, the employee must apply directly to OWCP who will determine any entitlement to continuation of pay for a period not to exceed 45 calendar days, beginning the day after the injury / accident occurred. Use Transaction Code 67, Injury Leave, in the STARweb system. Otherwise, an employee may use his or her own accrued leave.
Supervisors must attempt to find light duty assignments for injured workers as soon as they are released to light duty by their physician.
For additional information, contact your Agency’s OWCP manager or click on the appropriate Agency link below.
An employee who is injured or becomes ill while on duty and is treated in a Government health unit or a first aid room may be granted up to 1 hour of excused absence for rest or treatment. Longer periods may be granted in unusual circumstances.
Exception: If an employee is required by doctor's orders to rest a specified amount of time each day, such time will be charged to appropriate leave.
Physical Examinations
Employees will be granted excused absence for physical examinations for reasons described in the following table. Factors to consider in determining the amount of excused absence that should be granted include travel time and the medical procedure to be performed.
Initial emergency treatment or exam due to work injury and for initial tuberculosis contact x-rays. Subsequent absences are to be charged to appropriate leave.
Examination upon appointment
When conducted on or after the effective date of an appointment which is subject to a satisfactory physical examination.
Agency-requested
Physical, psychiatric, or other types of exams when required by the agency to determine fitness for duty.
Special exam
When requested or approved for an employee who works with toxic or other dangerous materials or is subjected to contagious diseases through work environment.
Community health services
Tests for diseases or preventative inoculations offered by community health services. Leave must be applied for and approved in advance.
Examination for military duty
When required for induction or enlistment.
Members of the reserves recalled to active duty who are placed in pay status with the military service will not be granted excused absence. Sick leave, annual leave, or LWOP must be charged when an employee must report for a physical in connection with a promotion in the reserves, unless the military has put the employee on active duty for the period of time involved.
Preventive Health Services and Screenings
Executive memo (dated 1/4/01) from former President Clinton directed agencies to grant 4 hours of excused absence each leave year to employees with less than 80 hours of accrued sick leave to participate in preventive health screenings.
Health screenings include: prostate, cervical, colorectal, and breast cancer; screening for sickle cell anemia, blood lead level, blood cholesterol level, immunity disorders such as HIV; and blood sugar level testing for diabetes.
The 4 hours may be used intermittently or all at once. The excused absence is in addition to other available family friendly leave benefits and alternative work schedules. Excused absence may not be used to accompany family members receiving preventive health screenings.
