Postal Workers Quit Post Office for Family Reasons

513 Sick Exit

513.1 Purpose

513.xi Sick Leave for Employee Incapacitation

Sick leave insures employees against loss of pay if they are incapacitated for the performance of duties because of affliction, injury, pregnancy and confinement, and medical (including dental or optical) examination or treatment.

513.12 Sick Leave for Dependent Care

A limited corporeality of sick go out may also be used to provide for the medical needs of a family unit member. Nonbargaining unit of measurement employees, and bargaining unit employees if provided in their national agreements, are allowed to take up to 80 hours of their accrued ill leave per leave year to requite care or otherwise attend to a family fellow member (as defined in 515.ii( a), 515.ii( b), and 515.2( c) with an illness, injury, or other condition that, if an employee had such a condition, would justify the employ of sick leave. If leave for dependent care is canonical, but the employee has already used the maximum fourscore hours of sick leave allowable, the difference is charged to annual leave or to LWOP at the employee's option. (Come across 515 for information well-nigh FMLA entitlement to exist absent-minded from piece of work.)

513.2 Accrual and Crediting

513.21 Accrual Nautical chart

Time accrued is as follows:

Employee Category	Fourth dimension Accrued
Full-fourth dimension employees (except equally noted below).	4 hours for each full biweekly pay period — i.e., 13 days (104 hours) per 26-menstruation leave yr.
Non-executive, non-bargaining full-time career employees, and not-career employees converted to those positions, with a career date date on or afterwards October six, 2012, who are without any prior federal or USPS service that was creditable at the fourth dimension of that career appointment toward the leave computation date. This accrual rate never applies to an employee who earned ill leave at the higher accrual rate above.	three hours for each total biweekly pay menstruum — i.e., ix.75 days (78 hours) per 26-period go out yr.
Part-time employees (except every bit noted beneath).	1 hour for each unit of 20 hours in pay status up to 104 hours (13 days) per 26-period exit year.
Non-executive, non-bargaining part-fourth dimension career employees, and non-career employees converted to those positions, with a career appointment date on or subsequently October 6, 2012, who are without any prior federal or USPS service that was creditable at the time of that career appointment toward the leave computation appointment. This accrual rate never applies to an employee who earned sick leave at the higher accrual rate above.	1 hour for each unit of 26.66 hours in pay status upward to 78 hours (ix.75 days) per 26-catamenia get out yr.

513.22 Crediting

513.221 General

Sick leave is credited at the end of each biweekly pay period in which it is earned. Ill exit (earned and unused) accumulates without limitation.

513.222 Part-Fourth dimension Employees

Office-time employees are not credited with ill leave in excess of 13 days (104 hours) per 26–catamenia get out year.

513.223 Leave Replacements for Rural Carriers

Substitute rural carriers or RCAs assigned to and serving (a) a vacant route or (b) a route from which the rural carrier is on extended exit, and RCAs assigned to and serving an auxiliary route are credited with sick go out starting with the first pay catamenia post-obit the 90–day qualifying flow.

513.224 Auxiliary Rural Carriers

Auxiliary rural carriers are not credited with sick leave in excess of 104 hours per get out year. If they serve in another capacity (eastward.1000., flexible employees) in the Post Part, that service is as well used in calculating sick leave credit (come across 513.21).

513.225 Substitute Rural Carriers in Dual Appointment

Substitute rural carriers in dual appointments earn sick leave just when their service is performed in a position that is bailiwick to the Ceremonious Service Retirement Human action. The leave tin can be used only while they are serving in a leave–earning position.

513.226 Exit Credit Aligning for LWOP

See 514.24.

513.3 Authorizing Sick Get out

513.31 Policy

513.311 General

Sick get out cannot be granted until it is earned, except as provided in 513.five.

513.312 Restriction

An employee who is in sick leave condition may not engage in whatever gainful employment unless prior approval has been granted by appropriate authority (see 662, Federal Standards of Ethical Conduct).

513.32 Conditions for Dominance

Conditions for authorization are as follows:*

Conditions
Illness or injury.	If the employee is incapacitated for the performance of official duties.
Pregnancy and confinement.	If absence is required for concrete examinations or periods of incapacitation.
Medical, dental, or optical exam or treatment.	If absence is necessary during the employee's regular scheduled tour.
For eligible employees (every bit indicated in 513.12), care for a family member (every bit divers in 515.2( a) 515.2( c), and 515.ii( east)).	Upward to 80 hours of accrued sick leave per leave year if the illness, injury, or other status is one that, if an employee had such a condition, would justify the use of sick leave.
Contagious illness. A contagious disease is a disease ruled as requiring isolation, quarantine, or restriction of motion of the patient for a particular period by the health authorities having jurisdiction.	If the employee (i) must care for a family member afflicted with a contagious disease, (two) has been exposed to a contagious disease and would jeopardize the health of others, or (3) has evidence supplied by the local health authorities or a document signed past a physician certifying the need for the period of isolation or restriction.
Medical treatment for disabled veterans.	If the employee (1) presents a statement from a duly authorized medical authority that treatment is required, and (two) when possible, gives prior notice of the definite number of days and hours of absence. (Such data is needed for work scheduling purposes.)
Bereavement Go out for Non-Bargaining Unit of measurement Employees	This type of exit is available for all career non-bargaining unit of measurement employees. Employees may apply upwardly to iii workdays of annual leave, ill leave, or get out without pay to make arrangements necessitated by the death of a family unit fellow member or attend the funeral of a family fellow member. Authorization of get out across three workdays is subject to the conditions and requirements of ELM 510. For employees opting to use available sick exit, the leave will be charged to sick leave for dependent care, if bachelor. Documentation evidencing the death of the employee'due south family member is required only when the supervisor deems such documentation desirable for the protection of the Post's interests. Family Member is defined as a: Son or daughter — biological or adopted child, stepchild, girl-in-police, or son-in-law; Spouse; Parent, mother in law, or father-in-law; Sibling — brother, sister, brother-in-law, or sister-in-constabulary; or Grandparent. The applicative provisions regarding bereavement leave for bargaining unit employees are in the respective bargaining unit's applicable national agreement.
* Sick exit, annual leave, or LWOP is granted as may be necessary for any of these atmospheric condition in accordance with normal leave policies and collective bargaining agreements. (See also 513.half-dozen and 514.22.)

513.33 Requests for Sick Leave

513.331 General

Except for unexpected disease or injury situations, sick leave must be requested on PS Course 3971 and canonical in accelerate past the appropriate supervisor.

513.332 Unexpected Illness or Injury

An exception to the accelerate blessing requirement is fabricated for unexpected illness or injuries; however, in this situation the employee must notify appropriate postal authorities of his or her affliction or injury and expected duration of the absenteeism as presently equally possible.

When sufficient information is provided to decide that the absenteeism may be covered past the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the following Department of Labor forms will exist mailed to the employee's address of record along with a render envelope:

1. WH 381, FMLA Detect of Eligibility and Rights and Responsibilities; and
2. One of the following forms, as appropriate:
1. WH-380-E, FMLA Certification of Health Care Provider for Employee's Serious Health Condition.
2. WH-380-F, FMLA Certification of Health Care Provider for Family Fellow member's Serious Health Status.
3. WH-385, FMLA Certification for Serious Injury or Affliction of Covered Servicemember — for Military Family Leave.

Annotation: These forms are provided for the employee's convenience, every bit they solicit all required information; however, employees may utilise another format as long as it provides consummate and sufficient information every bit required by the FMLA. The data provided should chronicle only to the specific reason associated with the request for exit protection.

PS Form 3971, Asking for or Notification of Absence, will be provided to the employee upon his or her return to duty.

When sufficient information to make up one's mind that the absence is covered by FMLA is not provided in advance of the absence, the employee must submit a PS Grade 3971 and applicable medical or other certification upon returning to duty and explain the reason for the absenteeism. Employees may be required to submit acceptable bear witness of incapacity to work every bit outlined in the provisions of 513.36, Sick Leave Documentation Requirements, or noted on the reverse of PS Form 3971 or on Department of Labor Form WH-381, as applicable.

The supervisor approves or disapproves the leave request. When the request is disapproved, the absence may be recorded every bit almanac leave or, if appropriate, every bit LWOP or AWOL, at the discretion of the supervisor every bit outlined in 513.342.

513.34 PS Form 3971, Request for or Notification of Absence

513.341 Full general

Request for sick go out is made in writing, in indistinguishable, on PS Form 3971. If the absence is to care for a family fellow member, this fact is to exist noted in the Remarks section.

513.342 Approval or Disapproval

The supervisor is responsible for approving or disapproving requests for ill leave by signing PS Form 3971, a copy of which is given to the employee. If a supervisor does not approve a asking for leave equally submitted, the Disapproved block on the PS Grade 3971 is checked and the reason(southward) given, in writing, in the space provided. When a request is disapproved, the granting of any alternate type of leave, if any, must be noted along with the reason for the disapproval. AWOL determinations must be similarly noted.

513.35 Postmaster Absences

There are special requirements for postmaster absences:

1. Leave Replacement. A postmaster whose absence requires the hiring of a go out replacement must notify the appropriate official.
2. Absence Over 3 Days. A postmaster who is absent in excess of 3 days must submit PS Course 3971 within ii days of returning to duty or, for an extended illness, at the end of each accounting menses.

513.36 Sick Exit Documentation Requirements

513.361 Three Days or Less

For periods of absenteeism of 3 days or less, supervisors may have the employee's statement explaining the absence. Medical documentation or other acceptable evidence of incapacity for work or need to care for a family member is required only when the employee is on restricted sick go out (see 513.39) or when the supervisor deems documentation desirable for the protection of the interests of the Mail. Substantiation of the family relationship must be provided if requested.

513.362 Over Iii Days

For absences in excess of 3 days, employees are required to submit medical documentation or other acceptable prove of incapacity for work or of need to care for a family unit fellow member and, if requested, substantiation of the family relationship.

513.363 Extended Periods

Employees who are on sick get out for extended periods are required to submit at appropriate intervals, but not more oftentimes than in one case every xxx days, satisfactory evidence of continued incapacity for work or need to care for a family member unless some responsible supervisor has knowledge of the employee'due south continuing situation.

513.364 Medical Documentation or Other Adequate Evidence

When employees are required to submit medical documentation, such documentation should be furnished by the employee'south attending md or other attending practitioner who is performing within the scope of his or her practice. The documentation should provide an explanation of the nature of the employee's affliction or injury sufficient to indicate to management that the employee was (or will be) unable to perform his or her normal duties for the period of absence. Normally, medical statements such as "under my care" or "received handling" are not acceptable evidence of incapacitation to perform duties.

Supervisors may have substantiation other than medical documentation if they believe it supports approval of the sick leave asking.

513.365 Failure to Furnish Required Documentation

If adequate substantiation of incapacitation is not furnished, the absence may be charged to almanac leave, LWOP, or AWOL.

513.37 Render to Duty

An employee returning from an FMLA–covered absenteeism considering of his or her ain incapacitation must provide documentation from his or her health intendance provider that he or she is able to perform the functions of the position with or without limitation. Limitations described are accommodated when practical. Bargaining unit employees must also comply with requirements in 865.

513.38 Operation Ability Questioned

When the reason for an employee'southward ill leave is of such a nature every bit to enhance justifiable doubt concerning the employee's ability to satisfactorily and/or safely perform duties, a fitness–for–duty medical test is requested through advisable authority. A complete report of the facts, medical and otherwise, should support the request.

513.39 Restricted Ill Exit

513.391 Reasons for Restriction

Supervisors or installation heads who have testify indicating that an employee is abusing ill leave privileges may place the employee on the restricted sick leave listing. In addition, employees may be placed on the restricted sick get out list after their sick exit use has been reviewed on an private basis and the post-obit actions accept been taken:

1. Institution of an absence file.
2. Review of the absence file by the firsthand supervisor and higher levels of direction.
3. Review of the absences during the by quarter of LWOP and sick leave used by employees. (No minimum sick go out residue is established below which the employee'due south ill go out tape is automatically considered unsatisfactory.)
4. Supervisor'southward discussion of absenteeism record with the employee.
5. Review of the subsequent quarterly absences. If the absence logs indicate no improvement, the supervisor is to discuss the thing with the employee to include advice that if at that place is no improvement during the next quarter, the employee volition be placed on restricted sick leave.

513.392 Notice and Listing

Supervisors provide written notice to employees that their names have been added to the restricted sick go out listing. The observe also explains that, until farther discover, the employees must support all requests for sick leave by medical documentation or other acceptable evidence (come across 513.364).

513.393 Recision of Restriction

Supervisors review the employee's PS Grade 3972 for each quarter. If there has been a substantial decrease in absences charged to sickness, the employee'due south name is removed from the restricted sick leave list and the employee is notified in writing of the removal.

513.4 Charging Sick Exit

513.41 Full-Time Employees

513.411 Full general

General provisions are every bit follows:

1. Ill go out is not charged for legal holidays or for nonworkdays established by Executive Order.

Exception: If employees shown to exist eligible in 434.422 elect to receive annual go out credit in lieu of vacation exit pay (see 512.65) and and so become ill during their scheduled bout, sick get out may be charged to supplement work hours, upwardly to the limit of their regular work schedule, on the holiday worked, provided the requirements of department 513.32 are met.

2. Sick leave may exist charged on whatever scheduled workday of an employee's basic workweek.

513.412 Minimum Unit Charge

Minimum unit charges are every bit follows:

Employee Category	Minimum Unit Charge
All total–time nonexempt employees.	I–hundredth of an hr (0.01 60 minutes).
Full-time exempt.	(See 519.7)
Regular rural carriers.	i day (8 hours).
Substitute rural carriers and RCAs when in a get out–earning condition and serving:
Vacant routes.	ane day (8 hours).
Routes from which rural carriers are on extended go out.	1 day (8 hours).
RCAs when in a leave–earning status and servicing auxiliary routes.	ane hour.
Auxiliary rural carriers.	1 hour.
Triweekly rural carriers.	(See 512.54).

513.413 Special Situations

The post-obit provisions concern special situations:

1. A–E Postmasters. A–E postmasters are charged sick leave the same as annual get out (meet 512.524).
2. Rural Carriers. Rural carriers who are absent because of illness on Saturdays are charged sick get out based on the computations used for their annual leave charges (see 512.53).
3. Replacement Rural Carriers. Substitute rural carriers and RCAs in a leave earning status and serving (a) vacant routes and (b) routes from which rural carriers are on extended leave are charged ill leave in the aforementioned manner every bit rural carriers. RCAs in a get out earning condition and serving auxiliary routes are charged sick leave in the same style as auxiliary rural carriers.
4. Triweekly Rural Carriers. Triweekly rural carriers are charged sick leave the same as for annual leave (come across 512.54).

513.42 Office-Time Employees

513.421 General

General provisions are as follows:

1. Absences due to illness are charged as sick get out on any day that an hourly charge per unit employee is scheduled to work except national holidays.

Exception: If employees shown to exist eligible in 434.422 elect to receive annual leave credit in lieu of holiday leave pay (come across 512.65), ill leave may exist charged to supplement work hours, up to the limit of their regular work schedule, on the holiday worked, provided the requirements of section 513.32 are met.

2. Except as provided in 513.82, paid sick leave may not exceed the number of hours that the employee would have been scheduled to work, up to:
1. A maximum of eight hours in any one mean solar day.
2. 40 hours in whatsoever ane week.
3. eighty hours in whatsoever one pay menstruation. If a dispute arises as to the number of hours a part-time flexible employee would have been scheduled to work, the schedule is considered to accept been equal to the boilerplate hours worked past other part-fourth dimension flexible employees in the aforementioned work location on the day in question.
3. Limitations in 513.421 b utilize to paid sick exit only and not to a combination of sick leave and workhours. However, part-time flexible employees who have been credited with forty hours or more of paid service (work, leave, or a combination of work and go out) in a service calendar week are not granted sick leave during the remainder of that service week. Absences, in such cases, are treated as nonduty time that is not chargeable to paid leave of whatever kind. (Ill leave is not intended to exist used to supplement earnings of employees.)

513.422 Minimum Unit Charge

Minimum unit charges are as follows:

513.5 Advanced Sick Leave

513.51 Policy

513.511 May Not Exceed Xxx Days

Sick exit not to exceed 30 days (240 hours) may be advanced in cases of an employee's serious disability or illness if there is reason to believe the employee volition return to duty. Sick leave may be advanced whether or non the employee has an almanac go out or donated leave residual.

513.512 Medical Certificate Required

Every asking for advanced sick leave must be supported by medical documentation of the illness.

513.52 Administration

513.521 Installation Heads' Approval

Officials in charge of installations are authorized to approve these advances without reference to higher authority.

513.522 Forms Forwarded

PS Grade 1221, Advanced Sick Leave Authorization, is completed and forwarded to the Eagan ASC when advanced sick go out is authorized.

513.53 Additional Ill Leave

513.531 Thirty–Twenty-four hours Maximum

Additional sick go out may be advanced fifty-fifty though liquidation of a previous accelerate has not been completed provided the accelerate at no time exceeds xxx days. Any avant-garde sick get out authorized is in addition to the sick exit that has been earned past the employee at the fourth dimension the advance is authorized.

513.532 Liquidating Advanced Sick Go out

The liquidation of advanced sick leave is non to exist confused with the exchange of almanac leave for ill get out to avoid forfeiture of the annual leave. Avant-garde sick leave may be liquidated in the following manner:

1. Charging the sick leave against the sick exit earned by the employee as information technology is earned upon render to duty.
2. Charging the sick leave against an equivalent amount of annual leave at the employee's asking provided the annual leave charge is made prior to the time such go out is forfeited because of the leave carryover limit.

513.vi Leave Charge Adjustments

513.61 Insufficient Ill Leave

If ill leave is canonical only the employee does not have sufficient sick go out to cover the absenteeism, the difference is charged to annual exit or to LWOP at the employee'southward choice.

513.62 Insufficient Sick and Annual Get out

If ill leave is canonical for employees who have no annual or sick leave to their credit, the absence may be charged as LWOP unless sick leave is advanced as outlined in 513.5. LWOP and so charged cannot thereafter be converted to sick or annual exit.

513.63 Disapproved Ill Leave

If sick exit is disapproved, but the absence is nonetheless warranted, the supervisor may approve, at the employee's option, a accuse to annual leave or a charge to LWOP.

513.64 Absence Without Leave

An absence that is disapproved is charged equally LWOP and may be administratively considered as AWOL.

513.65 Annual Exit Changed to Sick Leave

If an employee becomes ill while on annual leave and the employee has a sick go out balance, the absence may be charged to sick leave.

513.7 Transfer or Reemployment

513.71 Transfer

513.711 Crediting

Individuals who are transferring from a federal bureau to the Mail service are credited with their sick leave balance provided at that place is not a suspension in service in excess of 3 years.

513.712 Recrediting

The post-obit provisions business recrediting:

1. If a Postal Service employee transfers to a position under a different get out organization to which simply a part of the employee'due south sick leave can exist transferred, the ill go out is recredited if the individual returns to the Postal Service provided at that place is non a break in service in excess of 3 years.
2. If a Postal Service employee transfers to a position to which sick go out cannot exist transferred, the sick leave is recredited if the individual returns to the Postal Service provided there is not a interruption in service in backlog of iii years.

513.72 Reemployment

Ill leave may be recredited upon reemployment provided there is not a break in service in backlog of 3 years.

Note: For sick get out to be recredited, the employee must be reemployed in a position where sick leave may be earned and used.

513.73 Reemployment — OWCP

All individuals who were originally separated and who are subsequently reemployed from a continuous menstruum on OWCP rolls have any previously unused sick leave recredited to their account, regardless of the length of time these employees were on OWCP and off postal rolls.

Exception: Sick leave may non be recredited if an employee applied and was approved for disability retirement regardless of whether the employee actually collected the annuity.

513.8 Retirements or Separations

513.81 General

No payment is made for accumulated ill leave when an employee retires or separates from Postal Service employment.

513.82 Retirement

513.821 Credit for Sick Leave

Provisions of the Civil Service Retirement Deed provide for the granting of credit for unused sick exit in calculating retirement or survivor annuity at the fourth dimension of an employee's retirement or expiry (see 562.4). Each 8 hours of ill exit represents 1 mean solar day of retirement credit. Unused sick get out days are converted to calendar fourth dimension retirement credit, based on a 260-day work year (260 days 10 viii hours = ii,080 hours).

Previously, there were no provisions for credit of ill leave upon retirement for employees under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), except for those who were in the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and transferred to FERS. See 580, Federal Employee Retirement System, for details for credit of sick leave upon retirement for FERS employees who formerly were covered past CSRS.

Enacted in 2009, the National Defense force Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Police force 111-84) changed this. FERS employees volition receive credit for unused sick go out in the same manner as CSRS employees. The change volition exist phased in, as follows: (a) fifty percent of accrued sick go out hours will exist credited for all FERS retirements commencing October 28, 2009, through December 31, 2013; and (b) 100 percent of the accrued sick leave hours will be credited for all FERS retirements that begin on or afterward January i, 2014.

513.822 Disability Retirement

If the OPM has approved an application for disability retirement constructive on expiration of accumulated and accrued go out, or if the employee is being otherwise separated for physical or mental inability resulting in inability to perform the work, sick leave is granted at the rate of 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week, or 80 hours per pay menses until the employee'due south sick leave is wearied. Payments may non be made, all the same, for any hours for which the employee received salary or leave payments from some other federal bureau.

513.83 Separation by Death

If an sick employee dies without returning to duty and without making application for sick go out, the postal official who is in charge of the installation grants sick go out for the period of illness or disability immediately prior to death. If the employee was in pay status on the 24-hour interval of death or immediately prior to death, the employee's beneficiary is entitled to receive bounty without charge to exit for the appointment of death. The latter applies whether or non employees have leave to their credit.

513.9 Collection for Unearned Sick Exit

Collection for used only unearned sick go out at the fourth dimension of separation is fabricated in the aforementioned manner every bit for unearned annual leave (encounter 512.72).

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Source: https://about.usps.com/manuals/elm/html/elmc5_003.htm

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