Commissioned Corps BulletinMay 4, 2016

Important Annual Leave Balance Reminder

The Leave Year Ends September 30th

Leave In Excess Of 60 Days Will Be Lost If Not Used By September 30th.

This is a reminder of the original message sent to officers on October 14, 2015. As part of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (Corps) systems migration to Direct Access, the Commissioned Corps transitioned from a calendar year leave schedule (January 1 – December 31) to a fiscal year leave schedule (October 1 – September 30). This transition allowed a one- time occurrence in 2015 for officers to carry over more than 60 days of annual leave.

Commissioned Corps policy regarding annual leave states the following:

“Annual leave accrued during a leave year, but unused at the end of such year, is carried forward as accumulated annual leave for use in succeeding leave years. However, the maximum annual leave which may be carried forward from one leave year to the next is 60 days. The 60-day limitation on the amount of unused annual leave that can be carried forward from one leave year to the next is imposed by statute and is not subject to waiver.” (CCI362.01)

To date, annual leave balances up to 60 days have carried over at the end of each calendar year on January 1st. In 2016, as we transition to a fiscal year calendar, all leave over 60 days will be forfeited after September 30, 2016. This means that on October 1, 2016, “the clock” will restart and any accrued leave over the maximum allowed 60 days will be lost.

To avoid losing annual leave: Plan your annual leave accordingly between now and September 30, 2016. Leave must be taken, not just scheduled, by the September 30th deadline. In other words, leave requests submitted before September 30th for leave dates after September 30th will apply toward the next leave year.

The original October 14, 2015 leave announcement is located on the Direct Access Migration webpage at: http://ccmis.usphs.gov/ccmis/DA_migration_m.aspx

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Question: What is the final date for me to use annual leave in excess of 60 days so that I do not lose it?
   Answer: September 30, 2016.
2. Question: What happens if I do not use my annual leave by September 30, 2016?
   Answer: If an officer has accrued more than 60 days of annual leave on September 30, 2016, on October 1, 2016 the officer’s leave balance will reflect only the 60 day maximum. Any leave accrued over 60 days would be lost.
3. Question: Can I “sell” my excess leave back to the Corps?
   Answer: The Corps does not have provisions to “sell” leave back. If you are separating or retiring by September 30th, 2016 you may be eligible to receive a “lump sum leave” payment for the unused portion of your leave not taken as terminal leave. Check with your separations counselor for information.
4. Question: If I request leave in August for October, does it count for the current leave year?
   Answer: No. The leave will be deducted from the next leave year’s leave balance.
5. Question: What is the difference between a calendar year and a fiscal year calendar, and what does it have to do with leave accruals and balances?
   Answer: The calendar year begins on January 1 and ends on December 31. Until last year, the Commissioned Corps followed a calendar year schedule. In 2015, the Commissioned Corps adopted a fiscal year – October 1 through September 30 – schedule to accommodate the migration to Direct Access. As a result, the leave year will now restart – and accrued leave balances over the maximum allowed will be truncated to 60 days – on October 1 each year.

If you have questions, please email us at: absencerequest@hhs.gov.

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