• Officer Leave and Absence Request FAQs

  Officers must enter all leave requests into the electronic Commissioned Officer Resources Processing System (eCORPS). Requests will be electronically routed directly to a Leave Approving Official (LAO). LAOs can be any Agency supervisor, Reviewing Official (RO), or any individual serving as a proxy to an official supervisor or RO, such as another PHS officer, or civilian Leave Maintenance Clerk (LMC)

  User guides and tutorial videos can be found at: https://dcp.psc.gov/ccmis/eCORPS_m.aspx .

  FAQs for Revisions to Commissioned Corps Directive (CCD) 127.01, “Annual, Sick, and Station Leave”

  17. CCHQ sent an email on 12/29/22 saying that officers can permanently carryover up to 120 days of unused annual leave. Why does this CCD now say that the 120-day carryover is not permanent and will expire October 1, 2025?

  1. Based on the new authorization in the annual appropriations act for fiscal year (FY) 2023, the Secretary, through this CCD, has exercised his authority to allow officers to carryover up to 120 days of annual leave until the end of FY 2025. If the Secretary did not sign this CCD, officers would have lost all annual leave over 60 days on October 1, 2023. In addition, this CCD includes provisions for extending the carryover limit up to 120 days under special circumstances.

  17. How do these revisions affect my annual leave?

  1. Due to the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Congress has allowed officers to carryover excess annual leave over 60 days. Under the previous law, that excess carryover leave over 60 days was scheduled to expire on October 1, 2023.  CCD 127.01 allows officers to continue to use this excess carryover leave, up to 120 days, until October 1, 2025.  This change allows officers to carry over annual leave up to 120 days from FY 2023 into FY 2024.  This will also hold true for FY 2024 into FY 2025.  On 1 October 2025 any unused annual leave in excess of 60 days will be forfeited. 

  17. What changes will I see in my eCORPS file?

  1. Any remaining leave labeled as annual excess leave will be moved into the annual leave bucket. For FY 2023 and FY 2024 eCORPs will allow up to 120 days to be carried over into the next FY. An example is as follows: An officer had 20 days in the excess leave bucket and 80 days in their annual leave bucket as of 30 September 2023. With the system changes, the annual leave will then reflect 100 days (20 excess leave plus 80 annual leave days). This officer would be able to carry over all 100 days into FY 2024 starting 1 October 2023.

  17. I currently have over 60 days of accumulated annual leave. Under this policy, am I allowed to accumulate additional annual leave and carry it over into 2024 and 2025?

  1. Yes. According to the policy, only accumulated annual leave over 120 days expires at the end of FY 2023 and FY 2024 regardless of the FY in which it is earned.

  17. What are the limits on carryover of accumulated annual leave?

  1. Start of FY 2024 (i.e., 1 October 2023) – Officers may carryover up to 120 days of annual leave.

     Start of FY 2025 (i.e., 1 October 2024) – Officers may carryover up to 120 days of annual leave.

     Start of FY 2026 (i.e., 1 October 2025) – Officers may only carryover up to 60 days of annual leave.

     Subsequent Years – Officers may carryover up to 60 days of annual leave (except for special circumstances outlined in policy Section 6-2.a.(2)).

  17. If I retire with more than 60 days of annual leave, will I receive a lump sum payment for all my days of annual leave?

  1. No, the law states that the government will only pay retiring officers for up to 60 days of annual leave in their lifetime.

  17. I rushed to use my excess annual leave before October 1, 2023. Now you tell me I did not need to do this. Is there any way I can get these days back?

  1. We apologize, but this is legally not possible. Any leave already taken has been used and will not be restored.

  17. Under what circumstances will the ASH allow officers to carryover more than 60 days of accumulated annual leave after FY 2025?

  1. This policy authorizes the ASH to approve the carryover of more than 60 days of accumulated annual leave:
     • When an officer was unable to use that leave due to an unanticipated deployment that the ASH determines warrants such excess leave (for a carryover of up to 15 days).
     • When an officer served on deployment that prevents them from going on leave for at least the last three months of a leave year (for a carryover of up to 30 days).
     • During a militarization of the USPHS Commissioned Corps or during an urgent or emergency public health care need declared by the President or Secretary (for a carryover of up to 60 days).

   

  General FAQs

  17. What exactly is an "Absence Request" and how does it work?

  1. An absence request is essentially an electronic means of requesting leave.

     For information about all leave and leave types, please refer to CC361.01 “Leave of Absence; General”  policy dated 12 February 2012.

  17. I need printed verification of approved leave (i.e. flying space available). What should I do?

  1. You may print a form from eCORPS by selecting the PDF icon next to your leave request list. This may not be considered official by all federal entities.

  17. What dates should I use on my Absence Request?

  1. When requesting leave, enter the beginning date as the first full duty day that you will be absent from your duty station and your last full day of absence from your duty station as your end date. PER CURRENT POLICIES ON LEAVE, YOU MUST BE IN AN ABSENCE STATUS EVEN DURING NON-DUTY DAYS IF THOSE NON-DUTY DAYS ARE BETWEEN PERIODS OF REQUESTED ABSENCES.Any day requested as part of your absence request will be deducted from you leave balance (if that absence type is chargeable against your annual leave balance).

  17. Who can approve my absence request?

  1. Consistent with the current policy on leave, only supervisors or Leave Approving Officials (LAO) are delegated the authority to approve an officer’s absence request.

  17. My LAO is not correct in eCORPS. What should I do?

  1. Please consult with your supervisor and Commissioned Corps Agency Liaison to update your LAO. Also, include the Absence Request resource box in your request (PHSAbsenceRequest@hhs.gov).  

  17. What if my Agency wants to designate someone without an eCORPS account as my LAO?

  1. Your Agency would need to submit a user access request form through your Commissioned Corps Agency Liaison. If approved, your Liaison will establish an account for the individual.

  17. My leave balance is not correct. What should I do?

  1. Always start by contact your LAO. If you and your LAO cannot determine the reason for the incorrect balance, contact your Commissioned Corps Agency Liaison.

  17. What time frame do I have to use my excess leave from Fiscal year 2020?

  1. Per effective 7 August 2023 officers may use accumulated annual leave up to 120 days until 1 October 2025. This includes the excess leave that was accrued in FY 2020, 2021, and 2022. 

  17. How much leave can I carryover after 30 September 2023?

  1. Per effective 7 August 2023 officers may carryover up to 120 days of annual leave for FY 2023 and FY 2024. Effective 1 October 2025 the amount of allowable carryover annual leave will decrease to 60 days in most scenarios.  At that time any regular annual leave over 60 days will be forfeited.

  17. What about my “excess leave” for 2023?

  1. There is no “excess leave” for 2023. The term excess leave was used in FY 2020, 2021, and 2022 to mean the leave over 60 that would have otherwise expired if various acts were not signed to allow officers to use this leave that would have been forfeited.  In the current state, the excess leave from FY 2020, 2021, and 2022 will be moved back into the annual leave bucket.

  17. Can I “sell” my leave back to the Corps?

  1. The Corps does not have provisions to “sell” leave back. If you are separating or retiring you may be eligible to receive a “lump sum leave” payment for the unused portion of your leave not taken as terminal leave up to the allowable 60 days including all active duty time. Check with your separations counselor for information.

  Last Updated: 9/7/23
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