GovernmentExecutive.com

Senior-level civilian Defense Department employees can roll over more unused annual leave under a new regulation issued by the Office of Personnel Management.

The regulation, published on Tuesday in the Federal Register, triples the number of hours that top scientific and professional and intelligence employees can carry over annually from 240 hours, or 30 days, to 720 hours, or 90 days.

"It's actually a technical fix to put senior-level employees on equal footing with the Senior Executive Service carryover ceiling for annual leave," said Mike Orenstein, an OPM spokesman.

Like the SES, senior Defense positions accrue eight hours of leave each biweekly pay period.

Employees who move to jobs covered by the regulation can keep annual leave they already accrued as long as the amount falls within the limit set for their former job. If senior employees leave for positions with different accrual limits, they keep unused leave within the limit for their new position.

The rule enforces a section of the National Defense Authorization Act, which President Bush signed in late January.

The legislation also made wounded veterans eligible to receive voluntary leave transfers even if they have unused paid leave, and expanded the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act to provide federal employees up to 26 weeks of leave in a calendar year to care for family members who have served in the military and sustained serious injuries or illnesses.

COMMENTS

• Since the definition given to 'Senior Level' equates to a pay category which includes former GS employees in the grades of 16-18, the granting of a leave cap from the nominal 240 hours to 720 hours is more than magnanimous and leads one to ask why. An employee requesting restoration of leave is apprised to project and schedule their leave accordingly....yet, with the leaner/meaner workforce and additional taskings taking leave due to special projects, deadlines and/or OBEd make it impossible and on many occasions denied. Therefore, the plausible excuse for granting this leave cap to senior level employees as opposed to that cited in procedural guidance for employees under their management is indubitably inequitable. Furthermore, employees under these 'senior level' employees are those performing the work (and on many occasions that assigned to the senior level employee) in an exemplary manner making the senior level employee look good receiving more than their just desserts, whereby the employee keeps plugging along with minimal recognition and/or benefits for a job well done. Senior Level employees deserve an increase to the leave cap like the workers under their purview need a hole in the head. CAE Posted April 14, 2008 11:11 AM
• The carryover of 720 hours should apply across government service. In the budget and finance area deadlines are deadlines,and with staffing shortages and new requirements each year, getting time off has become a real issue in finance offices. It would appear that those who work the most hours, and cannot get paid for comptime or find the time to take comptime, due to staffing shortages; but have the dedication to get the job done; should at least have the benefit of not losing their annual leave. Been There Done That Posted April 14, 2008 10:36 AM
• We should be treated like private industry what ever they get we should get as well, we demand parity!!! Dan ketter Posted April 10, 2008 6:40 PM