Annual Leave Scheduling Reminder

While the current federal leave year doesn’t end until January 9 for most employees, the last date for scheduling “use or lose” annual leave is November 28. Given the time it can take to get a leave request approved, employees might want to put in requests soon if they otherwise would have more accrued annual leave than they could carry over to the new leave year. Generally, employees may carry forward no more than 240 hours (30 days); they must use annual leave in excess of that amount by the end of a leave year or forfeit it. An agency may consider restoring annual leave that was forfeited due to an “exigency of the public business” or sickness of the employee, but only if the leave was scheduled before the deadline. Although the 240 hour limit applies to most employees, there are special rules in certain categories. For example, employees stationed overseas may carry over up to 45 days, and SES, senior level, and senior scientific and professional employees may carry over up to 90 days (even higher limits may apply to some long-time SES employees). Also, most postal service bargaining unit employees may carry over up to 55 days and postal executive and administrative schedule employees may carry over up to 70 days.