Definition:
Leave authorized by
Eligible Employees:
Employees eligible for accumulating 45 days of annual leave under 5 USC 6304(b) are
entitled to earn, and may be granted, home leave.
Accrual Rate:
Home leave is earned in daily units. Earning rates vary with the employment conditions of
the employee and for each 12 months of service abroad employees earn home leave at the
following rates:
- An employee who accepts an appointment to, or occupies a position for which the agency has prescribed the requirement that the world as the needs of the agency dictate earns 15 days.
- An employee serving with a U.S. mission to a public international organization earns 15 days.
- An employee serving at a post for which a 20% or higher foreign or nonforeign (but not a tropical) differential is authorized earns 15 days.
- Those employees not included in 1-3 above who receive a foreign or territorial (but not tropical) differential of at least 10 but less than 20 percent earn 10 days.
- Employees working abroad who are not in the above categories earn 5 days.
- An employee in 1-5 above whose civilian service is interrupted by military service for the U.S., for the duration of such military service earns 0 days.
Home leave is credited to an employee's leave account in multiples of 1 day.
Maximum Accumulation:
Home leave may accumulate without limit, but cannot be used as terminal leave or for
lump-sum leave payment purposes.
Granting:
For the first grant of home leave, an employee must have 24 months of continuous service
abroad unless otherwise authorized by statute. (NOTE: This 24 month requirement need be
met only once.) Home leave may be granted for use only in the U.S., its territories or
possessions, or Puerto Rico.
Limitation:
Home leave may be granted during a period of service abroad when it is contemplated that
the employee will return to service abroad immediately or upon completion of an assignment
in the U.S.
Charging:
The minimum home leave charge is one day and additional charges are in multiples of one
day.
Additional Definitions:
Service Abroad: Service on or after September 6, 1960, by an employee at a post of
duty outside the U.S. and outside the employee's place of residence if the place of
residence is in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or a territory or possession of the U.S.
Month: A period which runs from a given day in one month through the date preceding
the numerically corresponding day in the next month.
REF: See above
