07/28/2026
By now you have seen the email from the agency canceling advanced annual and sick leave. We were advised effective immediately neither will be granted. The email goes on to state that in a number of individual cases, advanced leave is unlikely to be paid back due to the large amount of hours.
First, sometimes life is lifing. Whether it is unexpected, medical procedures such as surgery, treatments, or physical therapy or time off to care for a sick family member you may need to be off work and receive pay. You never know what could make you use all your leave and still need more. Think about it. It has not been that long since we were able to get paid parental leave. Before that you had to use your leave and rely on advanced leave.
Second, it is rare that the advanced leave is not paid back. After you return to work, the earned annual and sick leave is used to repay any outstanding advanced leave balance. You can also repay the balance with a cash payment. if you still owe when you leave the service (resignation or retirement) you will incur a federal debt that has to be repaid. There is an exception i.e., advanced sick leave and you leave on disability.
Advanced annual and sick leave were bargained and are in the contract. Advanced A/L is covered in Article 32 Section 6. It shows seven requirements that must be met before it can be granted. Advance S/L is covered in Article 34 Section 6. There are six requirements that must be met before granting.
Bottom line, this was bargained in good faith. Although the agency âdoesnât recognizeâ the union and the contract, it doesnât go away. Can you say you donât recognize your mortgage company so you donât have to pay your mortgage? Better yet, what happens when we deal with tax protestors who âdonât recognizeâ the governmentâs right to assess taxes?
If you need advanced annual or sick leave still request it and then let us know when you receive a rejection. We will file a grievance to protect your rights and have it on record. Also, NTEU will address it on a national level. Stay tuned.
Itâs a lot to process, but please know we are still here and still fighting!
If you are worried about the LWOP and making ends meet while you are out on FMLA, reach out to Josh Byrd with United Benefits. They offer short term disability that will pay you while you are out. Reach out to [email protected] for more information.
If youâre thinking itâs all too much and debating on retirement or disability retirement reach out to [email protected] .
