Family-Friendly Leave Policies
U. S. Office of Personnel Management
Compensation Administration
FAMILY-FRIENDLY
LEAVE POLICIES
FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT OF 1993 (FMLA)
(Public Law 103-3, February 5, 1993)
Effective on August 5, 1993
Covered Federal employees are entitled to a total of 12 administrative
workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for (a) the birth
of a son or daughter and care of the newborn; (b) the placement of
a son or daughter with the employee for adoption or foster care; (c)
the care of a spouse, son, daughter, or parent with a serious health
condition; and (d) a serious health condition of the employee that
makes the employee unable to perform the duties of his or her position.
Upon return from such leave, an employee must be returned to the same
position or to an equivalent position with equivalent benefits, pay,
status, and other terms and conditions of employment.
FEDERAL EMPLOYEES FAMILY FRIENDLY LEAVE ACT
(Public Law 103-388, October 22, 1994)
Regulations Effective on June 20, 2000
Most covered Federal employees may use up to 104 hours (13 days) of
sick leave each leave year to care for a family member or to arrange
for or attend the funeral of a family member. Full-time employees
may use 40 hours (5 days) of sick leave for these purposes without
regard to their current sick leave balance. An additional 64 hours
(8 days) may be used if the employee maintains a balance of at least
80 hours of sick leave in his or her sick leave account. An employee
can use up to 480 hours of sick leave for a serious medical condition
if the employee maintains a balance of at least 80 hours of sick leave
in their sick leave account.
SICK LEAVE FOR ADOPTION
(Section 629(b) of Public Law 103-329, September 30, 1994)
Federal employees are entitled to use sick leave for purposes related
to the adoption of a child. In addition, employees may substitute
sick leave retroactively for all or any portion of annual leave used
for adoption-related purposes between September 30, 1991, and September
30, 1994.
LEAVE FOR BONE-MARROW OR ORGAN DONATION
(Section 629(a) of Public Law 103-329, September 30, 1994)
Federal employees are entitled to use 7 days of paid leave (excused
absense) each calendar year to serve as a bone-marrow donor. And up
to 30 days of paid leave each calendar year for organ donation.
FEDERAL LEAVE SHARING
(Public Law 103-103, October 8, 1993)
Permanent program effective since January 31, 1994
Leave transfer programs allow Federal employees to donate annual
leave to other Federal employees who have medical emergencies and
who have exhausted their own leave. Leave banks allow employees to
contribute a specified amount of annual leave yearly to their agency
leave bank. Leave bank members with medical emergencies can withdraw
leave from the bank if they exhaust their own leave.
