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Subchapter 4630 - Absence and Leave Section I - Home Leave |
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Definition | Home leave is leave granted with pay in addition to any other types of leave. It is earned by service abroad (time served as a Federal employee on or after September 6, 1960, at a duty station outside the United States and the employee's residence if the place of residence is in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or a territory or possession of the United States). Home leave is intended for use in the U.S., in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or in the territories or possessions of the U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eligibility![]() |
Employees stationed outside the 50 States and the District of Columbia are eligible to earn home leave if one or more of the following conditions are met. Employees must be/have been:
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Documentation of Need for Foreign Post Rotation |
For positions which require that employees accept assignments anywhere in the world, there must be evidence of a need, by the organizational entity, for foreign post rotation and an intent to require rotation of the employee. The Division/Program must document the need and intent with the following procedure:
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Creditable Service for Home Leave |
Creditable service for home leave includes:
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Date Home Leave Begins |
Creditable service for home leave accrual begins on the date an employee:
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Date Home Leave Ends |
Creditable service for home leave accrual ends on the date an employee:
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Home Leave Earning Rates ![]() |
For each 12 months of service abroad, home leave will be earned at the following rates:
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Accumulating Home Leave |
Home leave may accumulate without limitation. An employee may not receive a lump sum payment for unused accumulated home leave, nor may it be used as terminal leave. An employee will earn home leave for each month of creditable service abroad in the following amounts:
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Changing Leave Earning Rates |
An employee who moves between different leave-earning rates during a month of service abroad, or has a change in differential during a month, will be credited for the month at the accrual rate to which he/she would have been entitled to before the change. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Granting and Charging Home Leave |
The minimum charge for home leave is 1 day. Home leave may be granted for use only in the United States, its territories, or Puerto Rico:
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Applying to Use Home Leave |
An employee must request to use home leave by submitting an application for leave to the appropriate approving official. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Home Leave Determinations Chart![]() ![]() |
Home leave regulations are found in Title 5 United States Code 6304[b], 6305; Title 5 Code of Federal Regulations Part 630 Subpart F; Human Resources Desk Guide (HRDG) Subchapter 4630, Absence and Leave; and various Comptroller General (CG) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) decisions. These regulations and decisions state that: In order to take home leave, you must be working abroad (outside of the 50 states) and eligible to earn 45 days of annual leave. In addition to using the guidance found in HRDG Subchapter 4630, Absence and Leave, Section I, supervisors may use the chart below when making home leave determinations:
Example: You were born and raised in Puerto Rico. You worked the last 10 years in New York City and established permanent residency in New York. If you went to work in Germany, you would be entitled to home leave. When requesting to use home leave, your supervisor may request documentation to support residency status. Example: Using the same scenario above, if you instead went to work in Puerto Rico, you would be entitled to home leave because of having established residency in New York. When requesting to use home leave, your supervisor may request documentation to support residency status. Residency determinations must include consideration of these factors as well as any other supportive documentation: Circumstances surrounding the hiring of the employee, Management is responsible for determining your actual residence after obtaining guidance from the servicing human resources office, using the above chart and reviewing any documentation that you provide. Home leave eligibility is determined when recruited or transferred into a position that is both abroad and eligible to earn 45 days of annual leave. You, as an employee, are responsible for providing information establishing place of residence when hired (recruited) or transferred into a position that is eligible to earn home leave. Falsification of this information may lead to disciplinary action up to, and including, removal from Federal service. |
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Refund for Home Leave |
An employee is indebted for home leave used and must make a refund to the Government when he/she fails to return to service abroad after a period of leave or after completion of an assignment in the United States. The amount of refund to the Government shall be equal to the travel expenses. The authorizing agency official will provide documentation to the appropriate office indicated below. That office will request the National Finance Center to bill the employee for the amount of travel indebtedness.
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Waiver of Refund |
A refund for home leave may be waived if:
The approving official will provide a copy of the documentation granting the waiver to the SPO. |
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Transfer and Recredit o Home Leave |
Accumulated home leave will be transferred or recredited when an employee:
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Travel Time | An employee who is authorized to accumulate up to 45 days of annual leave may be granted travel time without charge to leave for the time from his/her duty post to a place of residence and return if he/she is serving outside the U.S. or in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or a territory of the U.S., and his/her place of residence is elsewhere. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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