Employee Benefits: Holidays and Leave

Paid Holidays

The Federal government observes ten legal holidays.

Paid Annual & Sick Leave

Approved absence from work in the Federal government is called leave.  All your leave must be requested in 15 minute increments and approved by your supervisor.  There are several types of leave:

Annual Leave

Used to take time off for rest and relaxation.  You may carry over an annual leave limit of 240 hours from year to year. Leave is earned as follows:

Years of
Federal Service		 Accumulated
Annual Leave
Less than 3 13 days a year
3 to 15 20 days a year
15 or more 26 days a year
Sick Leave

Used for the following reasons:

  • Illness

  • Receiving medical, dental, or optical examinations

  • Presenting a health threat due to exposure to communicable disease; or

  • Involvement in adoption-related activities

A limited amount of sick leave may be used to provide care for family members or for the death of a family member. You earn 13 days of sick leave a year and it may accumulate without limit.

Other paid and non-paid leave opportunities are offered for various reasons.