Last week I wrote about the value of sick leave, with special emphasis on how it is used to increase your annuity when you retire. However, I also mentioned that there were other uses to which sick leave can be put. This week and next I want to tell you about some of those.
Childbirth
If you are a birth mother, you are entitled to use your accrued sick leave for such things as medical appointments, hospitalization, and a period of recuperation following your child’s birth. If you are the father of that child, you can take up to 12 weeks of accrued sick leave each year to accompany the birth mother to prenatal appointments, to be with her during her hospitalization, and/ or to care for her during her recovery. The only requirement in either case is that you provide your supervisor with evidence of the pregnancy and subsequent incapacitation.
Once the child is born, as parents you may use up to 12 weeks of accrued sick leave each year to care for your child if he or she has a serious health condition. Further, each of you can use up to 13 days of that 12-week period to care for an unwell child or to go with the child to medical, dental or optical appointments. To validate your request to take sick leave, your agency may ask for evidence of your child’s illness or treatment.
Because children are often born to parents who haven’t accumulated enough sick leave to cover all the time they may need to take off, you can ask you agency to advance you sick leave for those approved purposes. While there are exceptions, in general, the maximum sick leave that can be advanced is the amount you would earn between the time you request it and the end of the leave year. If you run out of sick leave, you can apply for donated sick leave under your agency’s voluntary leave transfer or leave bank program.
Adoption
If you are adopting a child, you can use your accrued sick leave for purposes relating to that adoption. For example, appointments with an adoption agency, social workers and attorneys, court proceedings, required travel and any periods of time when you are required to care for your adopted child. As is true for childbirth, your agency may require acceptable evidence of the need for you to use that sick leave. While there is no limit on the amount of accrued sick leave you can use for adoption purposes, if you don’t have enough sick leave, you can ask your agency to advance you some. The rules are the same as those for childbirth.
One cautionary note. For either childbirth or adoption, you may not use sick leave to bond with a newborn or care for a healthy child. However, with supervisory approval, you can use annual leave of leave without pay.
