(Also see: Sick Leave to Care for a Family
Member with a Serious Health Condition)
Most Federal employees may use a total of up to
104 hours (13 workdays) of sick leave each leave year to--
- provide care for a family member who is
incapacitated as a result of physical or
mental illness, injury, pregnancy, or
childbirth;
- provide care for a family member as a result
of medical, dental, or optical examination or
treatment; or
- make arrangements necessitated by the death
of a family member or attend the funeral of a
family member.
A covered full-time employee may use 40 hours (5
workdays) of sick leave each leave year for these
purposes. An additional 64 hours (8 workdays) of sick
leave may be used each year if the employee maintains
a balance of at least 80 hours of sick leave in his
or her account. Part-time employees and employees
with uncommon tours of duty are also covered, and the
amount of sick leave permitted for family care and
bereavement purposes is pro-rated in proportion to the average
number of hours of work in the employee's scheduled
tour of duty each week. Agencies may advance only the first 40 hours of
sick leave (or a proportional amount for an employee on a
part-time schedule or uncommon tour of duty).
"Family member" is defined as:
- spouse, and parents thereof;
- children, including adopted children, and spouses thereof;
- parents;
- brothers and sisters, and spouses thereof; and
- any individual related by blood or affinity whose close association
with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.