Retirement
Facts
8

Credit for
Unused Sick Leave
Under the
Civil Service
Retirement System

This is a non-technical summary of the laws and regulations on the subject. It should not be relied upon as a sole source of information.

 

United States
Office of
Personnel Management

Retirement and
Insurance
Service
 

RI 83-8
Revised September 1996
The March 1995 edition is still usable


The information in this publication is a non-technical summary of the relevant laws and regulations dealing with this subject. It should not be relied upon as a sole source of information. For further inforrhation on credit for unused sick leave at the time of retirement, you should contact your current employing or personnel office.

Other titles in the Retirement Facts Series:

1. The Civil Service Retirement System

2. Military Service Credit Under the Civil Service Retirement System

3. Deposits and Redeposits Under the Civil Service Retirement System

4. Disability Retirement Under the Civil Service Retirement System

5. Survivor Benefits Under the Civil Service Retirement System

6. Early Retirement Under the Civil Service Retirement System

7. Computing Retirement Benefits Under the Civil Service Retirement System

9. Refunds Under the Civil Service Retirement System

10. Voluntary Contributions Under the Civil Service Retirement System

11. Information for Separating CSRS Employees Who Are Not Eligible for an Immediate Annuity

12. Information About Reemployment for CSRS Annuitants

If you want information on the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), ask your employing office for a copy of "FERS" (RI 90-1). If you are thinking about retirement within the next 5 years, ask your employing office for a copy of "Thinking About Retirement ?" (RI 83-11).


Table of Converting Unused Sick Leave
Into Additional Service

Months

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

Days
0
1
2
3
4
5

 
0
6
12
17
23
29

 
174
180
186
191
197
203

 
348
354
360
365
371
377

 
522
528
533
539
545
551

 
696
702
707
713
719
725

 
870
875
881
887
893
899

 
1044
1049
1055
1061
1067
1073

 
1217
1223
1229
1235
1241
1246

 
1391
1397
1403
1409
1415
1420

 
1565
1571
1577
1583
1589
1594

 
1739
1745
1751
1757
1762
1768

 
1913
1919
1925
1931
1936
1942

6
7
8
9
10

35
41
46
52
58

209
215
220
226
232

383
388
394
400
406

557
562
568
574
580

731
736
742
748
754

904
910
916
922
928

1078
1084
1090
1096
1102

1252
1258
1264
1270
1275

1426
1432
1438
1444
1449

1600
1606
1612
1618
1623

1774
1780
1786
1791
1797

1948
1954
1960
1965
1971

11
12
13
14
15

64
70
75
81
87

238
244
249
255
261

412
417
423
429
435

586
591
597
603
609

760
765
771
777
783

933
939
945
951
957

1107
1113
1119
1125
1131

1281
1287
1293
1299
1304

1455
1461
1467
1473
1478

1629
1635
1641
1646
1652

1803
1809
1815
1820
1826

1977
1983
1989
1994
2000

16
17
18
19
20

93
99
104
110
116

267
273
278
284
290

441
446
452
458
464

615
620
626
632
638

789
794
800
806
812

962
968
974
980
986

1136
1142
1148
1154
1160

1310
1316
1322
1328
1333

1484
1490
1496
1502
1507

1658
1664
1670
1675
1681

1832
1838
1844
1849
1855

2006
2012
2018
2023
2029

21
22
23
24
25

122
128
133
139
146

296
302
307
313
319

470
475
481
487
493

644
649
655
661
667

817
823
829
835
841

991
997
1003
1009
1015

1165
1171
1177
1183
1189

1339
1345
1351
1357
1362

1513
1519
1525
1531
1536

1687
1693
1699
1704
1710

1861
1867
1873
1878
1884

2035
2041
2047
2052
2058

26
27
28
29

151
157
162
168

325
331
336
342

499
504
510
516

673
678
684
690

846
852
858
864

1020
1026
1032
1038

1194
1200
1206
1212

1368
1374
1380
1386

1542
1548
1554
1560

1716
1722
1728
1733

1890
1896
1902
1907

2064
2070
2075
2081

How to Use This Table-Find the number in the table closest to the number of hours of your unused sick leave. In the horizontal column you will find the number of months and in the vertical column the remaining number of days. For example: 441 hours equals 2 months and 16 days. Another example: 1452 hours equals 8 months and 11 days. (If the number of hours falls between two figures shown on the table, use the next higher figure.) See the following explanation.


Credit for Unused Sick Leave

As an employee under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), if you (1) retire on an immediate annuity or (2) die leaving a widow, widower, or former spouse entitled to a survivor annuity, your service will be increased by the days of unused sick leave to your credit under a formal leave system. The days of unused sick leave that are added are used only in counting your number of years and months of service for annuity computation purposes. The sick leave cannot be used in computing your "high-3" average salary or for meeting the minimum length of service for retirement eligibility.

In general, if your leave system charges 8 hours of sick leave for I day's absence, 8 hours of unused sick leave constitutes I day of credit. Days are converted to months and years on the basis of a 2087 hour work year. To compute the additional credit for sick leave at retirement, add the months and days of sick leave to the months and days of actual service.

For example:

Actual service
*Sick leave at retirement:
Total credit:

30 years, 4 months, 16 days
               4 months, 24 days
30 years, 9 months, 10 days

Only years and full months of service are used in the annuity computation. Odd days are dropped. In the example, the 10 days would be dropped. You can use the conversion table to find the additional service time credit provided by unused sick leave. If your regular tour of duty is other than an average of 8 hours per day, you cannot use this table; you should check with your personnel or payroll office on how to convert unused sick leave into additional service.

________________
*Using the table, 835 hours of sick leave converts to 4 months and 24 days of credit.