Fed travel strategy: use or save leave?

[Anonymous]

Normally I'm a leave hoarder - 6 hr category so 20 days a year. I'd take two weeks in the summer to visit family and go on a trip somewhere new, and save the rest for fall and winter school closures and holidays. I carry over 240 hours.

But...this year I'm not sure whether i should just burn it while i still have a job and money to travel. We have visits to both sides of the family planned, but no true vacation. I'm still in suspense as to whether I'll be RIFed due to the Supreme Court emergency docket. The leaks have said my agency will focus RIFs on people in my type of position (HQ, non-public facing), so my odds aren't good. I know I can take a week in late July. Just not sure if I should save it like normal, or YOLO.

Other feds, WWYD?

[Anonymous]

I would take it

[Anonymous]

I’m a hoarder too and I’ve decided to use it. I usually have a ton of travel comp but haven’t traveled since November. Also trying to use my SL when I can since it won’t be paid out when I leave.

[Anonymous]

You would get paid out your annual leave. So what's more valuable to you - using it now or a lump sum of money if you are RIFed. I would aim for somewhere in between. There's no need to use every hour but I would not stress about carrying over less than 240. Take an extra couple days with your kids before schools out or a personal day here or there. I also like to take the day before and after a vacation to organize. If you're really thinking you will be RIFed start using your sick leave and get all your appointments in now and (if justified) don't feel bad about taking a sick day. Sick leave does not get paid out.

[Anonymous]

I'm also a leave hoarder. I am still saving annual leave since that does get paid out. I am using sick leave more often however since that does not get paid out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You would get paid out your annual leave. So what's more valuable to you - using it now or a lump sum of money if you are RIFed. I would aim for somewhere in between. There's no need to use every hour but I would not stress about carrying over less than 240. Take an extra couple days with your kids before schools out or a personal day here or there. I also like to take the day before and after a vacation to organize. If you're really thinking you will be RIFed start using your sick leave and get all your appointments in now and (if justified) don't feel bad about taking a sick day. Sick leave does not get paid out.

I'm definitely not going to use every hour, but yeah, worried about dipping under 240. It's less about the payout than whether I'll have enough saved up...for the future. In case the RIFs miraculously don't happen or I get a lateral transfer or something.

I have definitely been focused on getting my entire family's appointments done in case we lose our current health insurance. I have a dental appointment in the late morning in a couple weeks and am seriously considering requesting the entire day off; my commute is only half an hour, so I COULD go in for the afternoon, but a relative will need a ride to a train station an hour in the other direction that day so it'd make life easier....

[Anonymous]

I'd focus on burning sick leave. Schedule that elective surgery, take yourself and your kids to all their annual appts, get your colonoscopy. Get invisalign, go to physical therapy for that chronic back pain. Do it all.

[Anonymous]

I was a leave collector, not dipping below 240 for years. I am retiring soon with about nine weeks saved up. I am worried the high number of retirements will result in delayed pension payments. I want to have a big annual leave payout to cover me until my pension starts.

[Anonymous]

I'd use sick leave to take yourself and the kids to as many health appointments as possible while you have good insurance.

I don't get your logic about spending while you have money to spend. That's odd - have you not heard of a savings account? I would save your money and your leave, because you will get paid out your leave. That way you have more money because you did not spend it on travel and more money because you were paid out your vacation rather than using it up.

If you lose your job, you will have time to travel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd use sick leave to take yourself and the kids to as many health appointments as possible while you have good insurance.

I don't get your logic about spending while you have money to spend. That's odd - have you not heard of a savings account? I would save your money and your leave, because you will get paid out your leave. That way you have more money because you did not spend it on travel and more money because you were paid out your vacation rather than using it up.

If you lose your job, you will have time to travel.

The idea is that once you lose your job, you won't feel like it's ok to spend money on travel. But it's also hard to not travel while you have a job either, because that's the best time. If you get a new job, you'll start over with no leave and probably lower pay.

[Anonymous]

Since you don’t have a vacation planned, I would wait until beginning of fiscal year to decide what to do. Either you get a lump sum paid out, if you get let go or you plan a fall trip and use it.