• 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.

  • CCD 127.01, “Leave”
  • CCI 361.01, “Leave of Absence; General”
  • CCI 362.01, “Annual Leave”
  • CCI 363.01, “Sick Leave”

  Leave FAQs Guide:

  • General Leave​
  • Parental Leave ​
  • eCORPS ​

  General Leave

  1. What exactly is an "Absence Request" and how does it work?
  2. An absence request is essentially an electronic means of requesting leave. For information about all leave and leave types, please refer to CCI 361.01, “Leave of Absence; General”

  2. How many days of unused annual leave can an officer carry over into the following fiscal year (FY)?
  3. Unused annual leave in excess of 60 days will be canceled effective 10/1/2025 as officers cannot carry over more than 60 days into the next FY.

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

  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).

  4. Can I “sell” my leave back to the Corps?
  5. 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.

  5. Under what circumstances may I use Administrative Leave?
  6. Outlined in section 6-5 of CCI 361.01, Administrative leave may be approved for the following circumstances: Attendance at professional meetings, taking professional examinations, before and after the departure and reporting period of a permanent change of station (PCS), and house hunting for a geographical PCS. There may exist reasons other than those listed above to request administrative leave but this leave type shall not be authorized for nonprofessional personal reasons and must abide by all other provisions as listed in CCI 361.01.

  6. Under what circumstances may I use Station Leave?
  7. Outlined in section 6-4 of CCI 361.01, Station Leave is defined as absence from duty and station under the following conditions: during off-work hours on two consecutive workdays, on a non-workday (unless this non-work day falls within a period of annual leave), and attending trainings that have a potential benefit for the officer and the USPHS. There may exist reasons other than those listed above to request station leave but this leave type is typically granted for a period of less than one workday and should only be approved when such leave is necessary to permit an officer to carry out activities that would be difficult, if not impossible, to conduct during non-work hours and may never be routinely granted to reduce the work hours of an officer.

  Parental Leave

  1. What is parental leave? Who can take it? How long is it?​
  2. Parental leave is 12 weeks of non-chargeable leave starting on the occasion of: the birth of an officer’s child (to include obtaining legal parentage via surrogacy), the adoption of a minor (i.e., under 18 years old) child by an officer, or the placement of a minor child with an officer for adoption or long-term foster care. Officers can use parental leave in 7-day increments but must use all days within a year from the qualifying event.​

  2. Do officers have to take parental leave in one continuous period?
  3. No. However, it must be taken in seven-day blocks, but the blocks do not have to be continuous with each other.​

  3. Is the seven-day block a minimum? Can I take nine days? What happens if I have fewer than seven days left?
  4. Parental leave must be taken in seven-day blocks. Officers cannot take eight, nine etc. days at a time. However, if officers have fewer than seven days left, they can take the remaining days in a single block.

  4. How is parental leave different from the existing maternity/paternity leave?
  5. Current maternity leave is part of sick leave. Parental leave is not. Officers would take normal sick leave to recover from childbirth and then have 12 weeks of parental leave. Current paternity leave is only 12 days and requires officers to be married to the mother giving birth. Parental leave provides equal time to both parents and does not require the father to be married.

  5. What happens to maternity leave?
  6. There is no more maternity leave or paternity leave for birth events on or after December 23rd. However, births before that date will still fall under the old policies.

  6. If the USPHS Commissioned Corps is removing maternity leave, how do birth mothers get time to recover? Is there a limit to how many days?
  7. Birth mothers are eligible for sick leave in the same way they would for any other medical condition. Sick leave for post-delivery recovery should begin based on the medical provider’s recommendation and leave duration should be clinically indicated by the officer’s healthcare provider. Officers are encouraged to coordinate closely with their supervisor and the Medical Affairs Branch (MAB)/CCHQ. There is no limit to the number of days. However, current policy requires the officer to submit documentation to MAB for any 30 consecutive days of sick leave. The officer should also adhere to their agency’s policy for submitting a medical note to validate leave.

  7. When should a period of sick leave related to post-delivery recovery be taken?
  8. Normally, officers who give birth will take sick leave immediately after the birth. However, it is possible that an officer could return to work and then have complications requiring additional sick leave. As always, the officer’s medical care provider will make the decision on when sick leave is needed and for how long.

  8. What if I have a caesarean? What if there are complications from birth?
  9. The officer’s medical care provider will determine the amount of recovery needed for a caesarean in the same way they would for any other type of childbirth. Officers’ medical provider will determine the amount of recovery time needed and may change this time if complications develop. Current policy requires the officer to submit documentation to MAB for any 30 consecutive days of sick leave. Officers must also follow their agency’s policy when applicable. Officers should notify their supervisor and MAB for support and policy adherence.

  9. What about adoption/surrogacy?
  10. An officer will be authorized 12 weeks of parental leave beginning the day of the date of adoption (or placement for adoption) of a minor child or, for an officer who has a child via surrogacy, the date the officer becomes the legal parent of the newborn child. An officer may receive 12 weeks for placement of a minor child with the officer for long-term foster care. However, they do not receive 12 weeks if they previously received parental leave for any circumstance involving the same minor child or if the child is already residing with the officer.

  10. When does parental leave go into effect?
  11. The parental leave policy applies to any child born, adopted, or fostered on or after December 23, 2024.

  11. I had a child before this policy went into effect, can I still take parental leave? What if I’ve already taken maternity/paternity leave? What if I am currently on maternity/paternity leave?
  12. The previous policies apply to officers who have a child born or adopted before December 23, 2024. If an officer has a child on or after December 23, 2024, and subsequently took maternity or paternity leave, that time will be converted to parental leave (so officers will receive 12 weeks minus any maternity/paternity leave already taken).

  12. What if I used all my maternity/paternity/adoption leave under the old system?
  13. Officers who had a child on or after December 23, 2024, receive 12 weeks parental leave minus any maternity/paternity/adoption leave already taken. So, if an officer had a child on January 1, 2025, and used all their paternity leave by January 15, they will still receive the remaining days of parental leave

  13. If I’m taking parental leave and get sick, do these sick days still count for parental leave? How does that work if I have to take 7-day increments? Do I need a doctor’s note?
  14. Illness during parental leave may necessitate shifting some parental leave to sick leave. You will be able to override previously approved parental leave with sick leave in eCORPS. If you have already scheduled at least seven consecutive days of parental leave and some of these days become sick days, you will be allowed to have fewer than seven consecutive days of parental leave for that period. And then, when you have fewer than seven days left, you can take the remaining leave in a single block.
      
      Documentation from the healthcare provider should be submitted according to usual policy, and the officer must notify their agency to ensure appropriate leave adjustments.

  14. What happens if I take parental leave before and after a holiday/weekend/non-workday? Does that day have to be included in parental leave the way it does for annual leave (wraparound)?
  15. You would have to take a seven-day block, which typically would include some non-workdays. However, there is no wraparound. You can take a block of seven days that ends on a Friday, then have the weekend as a regular non-work period (if you don’t normally work on a weekend) and then take another seven days that starts on Monday. But each period of seven days would include a weekend.

  15. What happens if I still have parental leave days at the end of the year? What if I couldn’t take them due to a deployment?
  16. Normally, you would lose any parental leave days not used within a year from the qualifying event. However, the Director, CCHQ, may authorize an officer to take parental leave after a year from their qualifying event in cases of deployment, long-term training, hospitalization, or other extenuating circumstances (as determined by the ASH) for 90 or more days during that year.

  16. What if I have a lengthy sick period during the 1 year and cannot take all my parental leave in the year?
  17. If the officer is hospitalized or in an in-patient status for 90 or more consecutive days within the one-year period, the Director, CCHQ, may authorize an officer to take parental leave after a year from the qualifying event.

  17. How do I enter parental leave into our system?
  18. Parental leave will be a “type” of leave available on the eCORPS system. The system will require that you use this in a minimum of 7-day increments (except when the remaining balance is <7 days). Before the eCORPS system is updated to include parental leave, officers may use Administrative Leave as a placeholder and put “Parental Leave” as a comment when doing so. The use of Administrative Leave in this instance will need to be requested in 7-day increments. For recovering mothers, they will use sick leave until they are recovered from the birth.

  18. Who approves parental leave?
  19. An officer’s normal leave approving official will approve parental leave.

  19. Suppose I was fostering a child and had to return the child even though I was in the process of adopting him, and then got the final paperwork approval for adoption. Can I take parental leave once for the fostering and once for the adoption?
  20. Officers can only take parental leave once per child. And if the child was currently being fostered in your home when you received the adoption papers, that does not count as a qualifying event. But if the child had been fostered in your home before the policy went into effect, and you had to return the child, you would receive parental leave for adopting the child.

  20. Who approves extensions of parental leave period?
  21. The Director, CCHQ can approve extensions of the one-year period as explained in CCI 361.01 Section 6-7.k.

  21. Does sick leave for recovery overlap with parental leave?
  22. No. Parental leave for the birth parent starts after the officer’s sick leave for recovery from childbirth.

  22. When does the year for parental leave for birth mothers start if the mother has sick leave for recovery?
  23. Parental leave for the birth parent starts after the officer’s sick leave for recovery from childbirth. However, all parental leave must still be used within one year of the qualifying event.

  23. When does parental leave start if the baby stays in the hospital after the birth? What if the child is born prematurely?
  24. Officers have a year from the qualifying event (in this case, the birth) to use the 12 weeks of parental leave. And they can use this leave nonconsecutively. So, parents can wait to go on parental leave until the child comes home. Or they can start it immediately so they can visit the child in the hospital. Premature birth cases may qualify for additional considerations, and officers should consult MAB and their agency for guidance.

  24. What if the birthparent has twins and one goes home while the other stays in the hospital?
  25. The birth of twins counts as a single qualifying event even if one child leaves the hospital before the other. Parents can choose when to begin using their parental leave as long as they finish all 12 weeks before a year from the qualifying event (birth).

  25. What if the mother comes home but then a week or so later develops complications?
  26. This would count as sick leave and would be handled as any other complications from a medical condition.

  26. If both parents are officers, when do each parent’s 12 weeks start?
  27. For the non-birth parent, the 12 weeks of parental leave will be authorized on the qualifying event date. For the birth parent, 12 weeks of parental leave will be authorized following any authorized sick leave for recovery from childbirth (see CCI 363.01, “Sick Leave”). However, the birth parent must still use the parental leave within one year after the qualifying event (i.e., the date of the child’s birth).

  27. When does the parent have to provide written documentation from the provider?
  28. Your supervisor may request medical documentation from your provider regarding the birth parent’s recovery period. Current policy requires the officer to submit documentation to MAB for any 30 consecutive days of sick leave or 90 days within a 12-month period.

  28. What if the supervisor/leave approval denies this leave? Is there an appeal process? What if the year is nearing the end?
  29. An officer could discuss this with their liaison. There is no appeals process for parental leave.

  29. Will the new parental leave policy be retroactive?
  30. No. The parental leave policy applies to officers who are the birth parent, non-birth parent, have a child via surrogate, or adopt on or after December 23rd, 2024 (when the CCD was signed). If these events happened before December 23rd, you must abide by the previous policy.

  eCORPS FAQs

  1. I cannot log-in to eCORPS. How do I request or approve leave?
  2. If you cannot access eCORPS because you forgot your user ID or you need to reset your password, do the following:
     Officers: Your user ID is the first four letters of your last name followed by the last four digits of your social security number (“Johnson” would be JOHN####) You can reset your password with the tool at the bottom of the eCORPS login box.
     
     Civilians: You must email your Commissioned Corps Agency Liaison for your user ID and a password reset.
     
     If you just need your user ID, anyone for whom you are an LAO for can view your user ID in eCORPS.
     
     If you believe your issue is technical, please contact the Commissioned Corps Helpdesk at: CCHelpDesk@ hhs.gov.

  2. How will I receive my eCORPS username and password?
  3. Officers: Your user ID is the first four letters of your last name followed by the last four digits of your social security number (“Johnson” would be JOHN####). If you are a new user, you will receive a welcome email and a temporary password email separately. If you do not receive a temporary password or forget your password, select “forgot password” and answer the information prompts to receive a temporary password.
     
     Civilian users: You will receive two emails: 1) a welcome email with a username and instructions. 2) An email with a temporary password. Contact your Commissioned Corps Agency Liaison if you do not receive a welcome email and temporary password. Make sure to check your Junk email folder.

  3. Does there have to be a space between the security code words requested when logging in?
  4. Yes.

  4. When I attempt to sign in to eCORPS, I get a “Reset Password Failed/User Not Found” message and cannot proceed. What should I do?
  5. Your User ID is case sensitive. Please be sure you are using upper- and lower-case letters exactly as given to you. Be aware: If you entered the Commissioned Corps under a different name (i.e. a maiden name), your eCORPS username was created with this name. If you are attempting to reset your password and you receive a message saying that your email address is invalid, please check in Officer Self Service to confirm the case of your email address. The email field is also case-sensitive.

  5. I am having trouble or cannot use the “forgot password” feature. What should I do?
  6. Contact your Commissioned Corps Agency Liaison. Your Liaison can reset your password. If you are an officer, please first check your email address in Officer Self Service to ensure that you are entering your email address in the same case that it was originally recorded in in the system. (i.e.: cannot be entered as jsmith@gmail.com. The capitalization format must match exactly for your email address to be accepted).

  6. My Account is locked. How do I get it unlocked?
  7. Please contact cchelpdesk@hhs.gov or your agency liaison to have your account unlocked.

  7. Who can approve my absence request?
  8. 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.

  8. My leave balance is not correct. What should I do?
  9. Always start by contacting your LAO. If you and your LAO cannot determine the reason for the incorrect balance, contact your Commissioned Corps Agency Liaison.

  9. I have submitted a request for leave. While it appeared that the request was submitted, I am finding that the leave is not visible on the annual leave calendar. I do not see anything listed in the “pending and future leave requests,” nor do I see any notations in workflow activities or anywhere else. Should I resubmit?
  10. Yes.

  10. What are the steps in the leave request process?
  11. There are at least four steps in the leave request process: leave request, leave approval, officer leave confirmation, and Leave Authorizing Officer confirmation approval. You must complete all steps for accurate processing of your leave. Make sure you follow the workflow and make all changes by selecting a task. If you do not have a task, then the process is currently with your LAO.

  11. I need printed verification of approved leave (i.e. flying space available). What should I do?
  12. 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.

  12. How do I remove a leave request?
  13. Do not delete the request by clicking on the calendar days only. Do not change leave by adding leave over the current leave. In your workflow, you will have a task. Select the task and make the changes. If you do not have the task, your LAO does. Ask your LAO to deny the leave so you can change or delete it.

  13. What are the steps to confirm an approved leave that must be modified?
  14. Execute the Confirmation task by clicking the gray “Play” button under the “Actions” column in your Tasks menu.
      
      Uncheck each day that is NOT being confirmed.
      
      Click Next
      
      On the next screen, keep the check box labeled Add or Modify Request checked and then Click Complete.
      
      On the Calendar displayed, browse to the Month of the original request using the arrow keys at the top of the calendar.
      
      Click the Leave Type being modified. It will turn dark grey. Then, click the date on the calendar to remove. The calendar entry will change to 0.00 days (1.00) instead of 1.00 Days Approved.
      
      Click Next and complete after all the days have been removed.
      
      The Leave Approver will receive a new Approval task to approve the change to the 0.00 days. In the Interim the Confirmation Task will stay in the Task Menu until the change to 0.00 days have been approved and the New Confirmation for the 0.00 days is generated overnight.
      
      Once you have completed the confirmation as outlined above, the LAO will get the approval task for the changes. Once the changes have been approved, the days will be removed from the calendar.
      
      

  14. I do not see a task and I want to confirm or change my leave. What do I do?
  15. Your leave request is likely with your LAO. If you have a previous request in the system that was never confirmed by your LAO, you might not receive any more confirmation tasks for subsequent leave requests until your LAO has completed the final step of any earlier requests. Have your LAO complete his or her portion so the request will come back to you. If you are confirming leave, the task will not display until you enter the requested leave period. If you have checked all of the scenarios above and neither you nor your LAO has a pending task, contact the Commissioned Corps Help Desk at: CCHelpDesk@HHS.gov.

  15. How can I see who my LAO is?
  16. Go to the “My Profile” tab from the eCORPS homepage
      
      Go to the “Leave” tab, then select “My leave Approvers” from the Analytics menu. The user ID labeled “direct” under the “Relation” column is your direct LAO.

  16. I logged into eCORPS and my LAO is incorrect. Who should I contact?
  17. Contact your Commissioned Corps Agency Liaison.

  17. What if my Agency wants to designate someone without an eCORPS account as my LAO?
  18. 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.

  18. Can a user have more than one eCORPS account?
  19. LAOs could have multiple user IDs. They have their self-service account as an officer, and they have a user ID for their Liaison role tied to the agency to which they are assigned.

  19. Can a user work on any pending task under Workflow Activities?
  20. Users can only have one confirmation task at a time. Once completed, a new task will be generated for the officer and include any days requested that have passed for them to confirm.

  20. Is there an option for court leave if I have jury duty?
  21. Adding the option of court leave to the eCORPS Leave Balance gadget will require configuration changes, which is being considered by CCHQ. Meanwhile, please use administrative leave (non-chargeable) to cover this authorized absence.

  Last Updated: 7/3/2025
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