How much leave can federal employee can use?

[Anonymous]

I'm so glad this topic came up--my personnel office has been really unhelpful in clarifying leave use... Does anyone know if it's okay to spread out the sick leave, or do we have to take all 6 weeks up front? I was kind of hoping to spread out the LWOP throughout the whole 12 weeks. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

it depends on how strictly your personnel office follows the rules. The first time, I was allowed to spread it out over the 12 weeks, the second time, I had to take it up front. Different jobs, different rules.

[Anonymous]

federal employment law attorney here:

Federal employees are NOT covered by the DC version of the FMLA (DC affords 16 weeks of UNPAID leave, the federal FMLA affords only 12). So, as a federal employee (assuming you meet the other requirements) you are only ENTITLED to 12 weeks of unpaid leave.

Beyond that, agencies vary as to what they will work out with you in terms of other unpaid or paid leave. Using your sick or annual leave (to get paid time off) for maternity purposes is at the discretion of your supervisor just like it always is. LWOP (leave without pay) is also discretionary.

[Anonymous]

There is a bill before Congress right now to provide 4 weeks of paid parental leave. Respond here or email me - [e-mail] - if you are interested in helping to support this cause.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:federal employment law attorney here:

Federal employees are NOT covered by the DC version of the FMLA (DC affords 16 weeks of UNPAID leave, the federal FMLA affords only 12). So, as a federal employee (assuming you meet the other requirements) you are only ENTITLED to 12 weeks of unpaid leave.

Beyond that, agencies vary as to what they will work out with you in terms of other unpaid or paid leave. Using your sick or annual leave (to get paid time off) for maternity purposes is at the discretion of your supervisor just like it always is. LWOP (leave without pay) is also discretionary.

So Fed. employees are not entitled to use vacation and sick leave for the 12 weeks? An agency could decide to only let them take LWOP for up to 12 weeks?

[Anonymous]

You are ENTITLED to take up to six weeks of sick leave for a vaginal delivery and up to eight weeks of sick leave for a c-section. Some agencies are a bit more lax about the rules than others.

If you have annual leave, you can take that for the rest of the time that you are off. If you don't, you will need to do LWOP.

You are ENTITLED to 12 weeks unpaid leave - anything over and above this is at agency discretion, which is why some moms have been able to take six months off after the birth of a child, and others were strictly limited to 12 weeks.

[Anonymous]

Also, someone asked about paperwork. There is an FMLA request form that you fill out - your HR office should have it. Except for emergencies, it's supposed to be turned in 30 days prior to the FMLA "event". It's generic, to cover all FMLA contingencies - you check the block that "pregnancy" is your qualifying event. It asks you how much time you'll need - I requested 12 weeks. And your practitioner needs to sign it - I filled out the form and just had my midwife sign it at one of my appointments. At my federal agency, they allow women to use 6 weeks of sick leave (8 weeks for a C section), then 6 weeks of annual leave (in that order), but no additional time off (paid or otherwise) unless deemed medically necessary. The HR folks also required copies of my supervisor-signed leave slips. And while I had enough leave saved up to cover the 12 weeks, and then some, we also have a leave bank that I could have used if I needed it. Note also that the 12 weeks don't necessarily need to be taken as a block of full days - I'm doing half days for a couple weeks to ease back into work. As several have mentioned, specifics really vary by agency. One friend works for an agency that is allowing her to take off 6 months LWOP; another friend is allowed to use sick leave for the entire 12 weeks. So if you're interested in an alternative leave plan, it doesn't hurt to ask.

[Anonymous]

I had all 12 weeks paid, with a combo of my sick and annual leave. Also, my DH is a fed and donated me some of his annual to cover what mine did not.

[Anonymous]

I attended a seminar on maternity leave in the Federal Government. I am allowed to use 12 weeks of sick leave regardless of delivery. I am also allowed to use my annual and I can do up to 8 weeks of mat/pat comp time. I am not currently pregnant, but I am TTC. I am planning to take about 8 months off when I do deliver.

I am in an unusual position, I am part of a union. I'm also in the 8 hour leave category, so I am hoping to get pregnant an deliver before the end of the year so I can use my Use/Lose leave as well as my 6 weeks of annual.

I would check on FMLA leave. They are supposed to allow up to a year unpaid after the birth of a child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I attended a seminar on maternity leave in the Federal Government. I am allowed to use 12 weeks of sick leave regardless of delivery. I am also allowed to use my annual and I can do up to 8 weeks of mat/pat comp time. I am not currently pregnant, but I am TTC. I am planning to take about 8 months off when I do deliver.

I am in an unusual position, I am part of a union. I'm also in the 8 hour leave category, so I am hoping to get pregnant an deliver before the end of the year so I can use my Use/Lose leave as well as my 6 weeks of annual.

I would check on FMLA leave. They are supposed to allow up to a year unpaid after the birth of a child.

One year unpaid would be nice for people who could afford it but FMLA only allows 12 weeks leave. My coworker asked for 2 extra partial weeks and was denied. (I.e., she tried to spread out the leave at the end b/c of daycare problems and they said no.)

[Anonymous]

I thought Annual leave was discretionary based on workload? In other words, it was no automatic that I'd be able to take it to cover maternity beyond 12 weeks?

12:21 poster, do you have a link or something that I could look at? Because what you posted is at odds with what I was told and I don't see any sceario wherein I'd be entitled to 8 mos for maternity leave.