Federal employee: Sick or annual leave?

[Anonymous]

I have a family medical situation. Which should I use first, sick or annual leave?

Someone told me to use up the annual first because if I ever get past 240 hours I will lose it whereas the sick is like health insurance forever.

Somebody else told me to use sick leave in preference to annual whenever I have the opportunity to do so, as if you leave the federal service you are paid for the annual leave, but not the sick.

I am thirty something and not sure I will stay with the federal government forever or into old age. I am likely to need maternity leave at some point within the next couple of years too.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Use sick. You can always use annual for anything, but you can't use sick to take vacation.

That said, depends on how much of each you have.

[Anonymous]

If you have more than 200 hours of annual leave, then by all means use that first. Otherwise use the sick leave.

Btw, my work would force you to use sick leave for FMLA first.

[Anonymous]

How much annual leave do you have??? Most people aren't in a situation where use or lose is an issue, so I would tend to use sick first.

[Anonymous]

Use sick unless you are facing use/lose on the annual front.

[Anonymous]

NP here. My earnings and leave says that my "use or lose" balance is 51 hours. Does that mean if I don't take 51 hours of annual leave before Dec 31, I will lose that leave?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here. My earnings and leave says that my "use or lose" balance is 51 hours. Does that mean if I don't take 51 hours of annual leave before Dec 31, I will lose that leave?

I think the date is Jan 10 this year, but yes.

to the OP - if you have use or loose, use it, otherwise use sick.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Annual about 150 hours, sick about 300 hours. Sounds like people are suggesting SL may be a better option...

[Anonymous]

Also I am in the 6 hrs AL/pay period category, so while I am not in use or lose now, I am likely to get there in seven or eight months...

[Anonymous]

just keep an eye on your time, if you are saving up for maternity. you will earn LA faster than sick, but you can store up more sick. if you think you will go on LWOP for maternity eventually anyways, than use your sick first. When I was watching my time to make sure I had enough LS for maternity, I tried to use a little of both LS and LA. That way, I never had use or lose and didn't waste my precious maternity leave stockpile. Now that I am done with that, I would hit LS whenever possible.

[Anonymous]

OP--@15:11--great advice, takes everything into consideration, thank you. Yes with maternity likely upcoming at some point in the next two years it is good for me to store up more than 240 if possible. I would prefer not to go LWOP as it is a headache as far as insurance etc. I think I will try to use a little sick and a little annual.

[Anonymous]

I have never accumulated 240 hours of annual and I've worked for the feds for 11 years. If you're the type of person who actually takes vacations, I'd use sick because you can't use sick leave to take a vacation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have never accumulated 240 hours of annual and I've worked for the feds for 11 years. If you're the type of person who actually takes vacations, I'd use sick because you can't use sick leave to take a vacation.

+1

[Anonymous]

If you use up sick, you can then turn to your annual.

I would never want to loose a day of vacation, so I would take it as sick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never accumulated 240 hours of annual and I've worked for the feds for 11 years. If you're the type of person who actually takes vacations, I'd use sick because you can't use sick leave to take a vacation.

+1

+2. Only you can answer that based on your use of annual leave. As long as you will not have the possibility of carrying over a ton of leave, I would use sick.