HRDG 4630 - Absence and Leave - Section B - Subsection b

Employees will request non-emergency annual leave in advance by submitting applications for leave to the appropriate approving official.

Employees will notify appropriate approving officials and verbally apply for annual leave on the first day of any emergency or unplanned absence from duty. Written application must be submitted within the pay period the employee returns to duty or as required by the supervisor.

Annual Leave for Safe Leave Purposes

Added 08/24

To the maximum extent possible, supervisors are to approve annual leave for employees requesting time off from work for qualifying safe leave purposes for themselves or a family member. 

For more information on “qualifying safe leave” provisions, see HRDG 4630, Section N – Time Off for Safe Leave Purposes

The minimum charge for annual leave is 15 minutes or multiples thereof. Employees will not be charged annual leave for more than their daily, weekly, or biweekly basic work requirement.

• For employees on flexible work schedules (e.g., maxiflex, AMS-flex), the maximum amount of annual leave that may be charged for a day is the number of hours they were scheduled to work, as indicated on their tour of duty designation.
• Employees on compressed work schedules (i.e., 5-4/9, 4/10) will be charged for the number of hours scheduled to work on the day leave is taken.
• Part-time employees are charged for the number of hours scheduled to work on the day leave is taken. (This also includes mixed-tour employees when assigned to a part-time schedule).
• Employees on first 40 or first 8-indefinite tours of duty will not be charged more than 8 hours of leave for a day.

Generally, annual leave will not be charged when:

• An employee is on scheduled annual leave and all other employees are excused from performance of their duties because a nonworkday has been established by Executive Order or Administrative Order. Administrative Order, as used in this context, should not be confused with the administrative dismissal authority delegated to agencies as found in Section D. Administrative Orders are typically applicable to all Federal agencies; administrative dismissals apply to individual agencies or localities due to specific situations.
• An official in charge of the program determines that local conditions prevent employees from reporting to work due to local, State, territorial holidays, or national holidays of foreign countries.
• Conditions such as floods, storms, or other disasters prevent employees from performing their duties or reporting to work. Employees must resume normal duties when it is determined that normal work hours can be resumed. A charge to leave is appropriate following this determination if an employee does not return to work.

Note: See Section D for detailed information on excused absences.

Terminal annual leave means the employee earns leave, while on leave, even though it is known that he/she will be separated. Terminal annual leave may only be granted:

• When separation occurs near the end of the fiscal year and a lump sum payment cannot be made from the current appropriation. In such cases, terminal leave may be granted only through the end of the current fiscal year, with payment for the remaining leave made in a lump sum.
• To keep an employee on the rolls pending a separation date set by statute, regulation, or notice (such as removal or reduction-in-force).
• During the last few days of the second week of the pay period when there is some advantage to the Government in allowing an employee to fill in a period of absence between the last day of duty and the effective date of separation.