3 FAH-1 H-3430
HOME LEAVE
(CT:POH-272; 11-30-2023)
(Office of Origin: GTM/ER/WLD)
3 FAH-1 H-3431 COMPUTATION OF CONTINUOUS SERVICE ABROAD
3 FAH-1 H-3431.1 Computation of Beginning Date
(CT:POH-218; 05-17-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corps-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
a. Except as provided in paragraph b of this section, continuous service abroad for home leave eligibility purposes begins on the date of:
(1) Arrival at post of duty abroad on first assignment;
(2) Arrival at post of duty abroad after an assignment in the United States;
(3) Arrival at post of duty abroad after an assignment in a U.S. Commonwealth or possession;
(4) Arrival at post of duty abroad upon return from annual leave in the United States or home leave with transit time allowed;
(5) Arrival at authorized post for consultation, detail, or temporary duty abroad en route to post of assignment; and
(6) Entrance on duty, for an employee recruited abroad, except that if such employee transferred from another U.S. Government agency or was appointed following their military service, subparagraphs (1) through (5) of this section must be used to determine the beginning date. In such cases, the appropriate officer must ascertain from the releasing agency the following information:
(a) The actual date of arrival abroad on assignment;
(b) The date of return to post from the last period of annual leave in the United States or home leave with transit time allowed; and
(c) The inclusive dates of any leave in the United States or in a U.S. Commonwealth or possession.
b. For employees serving at least 12 months in temporary duty status at posts experiencing extraordinary circumstances as determined under 3 FAM 3433.1, subparagraph (3), continuous service abroad begins on the date of arrival at the post of temporary duty abroad.
c. For State, the date that continuous service abroad begins must be posted under the section entitled “Date of Arrival Abroad for Home Leave Eligibility” on Form OF-202, Leave Record. For USAID and USDA/FAS, the date is provided in the arrival notice cable. For USAGM and Commerce, the date is provided in the arrival notification.
3 FAH-1 H-3431.2 Continuous Service
3 FAH-1 H-3431.2-1 Continuous Service—Delayed
(CT:POH-218; 05-17-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corps-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
Fulfillment of the requisite continuous service requirement is delayed by:
(1) Except as provided in 3 FAH-1 H-3431.2-2, subparagraph (4), any time spent in the United States or a U.S. Commonwealth or possession in annual leave status (e.g., rest and recuperation, family or emergency visitation travel, compensatory time, and annual leave taken in conjunction with official duty time authorized by U.S. Government temporary duty orders) or in sick leave status when not on official medical travel orders. (NOTE: The foregoing time affecting the delay is computed from the first workday in a leave status through the last workday in a leave status and includes all nonwork days occurring within this period. The actual period of travel to and from the United States or a U.S. Commonwealth or possession is not included in the computation);
(2) Time spent in leave-without-pay status that exceeds 2 work weeks in a 12-month period while assigned to a post abroad; or
(3) Any time spent in the United States or a U.S. Commonwealth or possession while on personal travel in an annual leave, sick leave (without official travel orders), or leave-without-pay status.
3 FAH-1 H-3431.2-2 Continuous Service—Not Delayed
(CT:POH-246; 07-15-2021)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corps-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
Fulfillment of the requisite continuous service requirement is not delayed by time spent in the United States or a U.S. Commonwealth or possession while on:
(1) Official TDY, consultation, or detail at any time while the employee remains assigned to a post abroad provided the period is not more than 6 months in duration;
(2) Official emergency evacuation orders for up to 180 days;
(3) Sick leave on official medical travel orders for up to 180 days;
(4) Annual leave taken in connection with rest and recuperation travel authorized for a post experiencing extraordinary circumstances as determined under 3 FAM 3433.1, subparagraph (3);
(5) Official consultation in the United States for up to 3 months for employees serving at least 12 months on temporary duty status in a post experiencing extraordinary circumstance as determined under 3 FAM 3433.1, subparagraph (3); or
(6) All paid leave in connection with approved leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) taken in the United States or a U.S. Commonwealth or possession, including paid parental leave.
3 FAH-1 H-3431.2-3 Continuous Service—Broken
(CT:POH-218; 05-17-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corps-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
Continuous service is broken by:
(1) Except as provided in 3431.2-4, subparagraph (4), an assignment in the United States or a U.S. Commonwealth or possession. An assignment includes official TDY, consultation, or detail of more than 6 months continuous duration in the United States or a U.S. Commonwealth or possession while the employee remains assigned to a post abroad;
(2) Home leave, whether taken as an employee or as an eligible family member; or
(3) A break in service of 1 or more workdays.
3 FAH-1 H-3431.2-4 Continuous Service—Not Broken
(CT:POH-218; 05-17-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corps-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
Continuous service is not broken by:
(1) Annual, sick, or military leave;
(2) Leave without pay (LWOP); or
(3) Other status or conditions provided in 3 FAH-1 H-3431.2-1 or 3 FAH-1 H-3431.2-2; or
(4) An assignment where the individual’s official duty station is in the United States if the employee is on temporary duty status for at least 12 months at a post experiencing extraordinary circumstances as determined under 3 FAM 3433.1, subparagraph (3).
3 FAH-1 H-3432 POST’S RESPONSIBILITY TO RECORD LEAVE TAKEN IN the United states
(CT:POH-218; 05-17-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corps-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
a. Employees must complete a minimum of 12 months of continuous service abroad before home leave eligibility is established. (NOTE: An employee’s transfer eligibility date is not delayed because of leave taken in the United States. However, the employee’s home leave eligibility date, i.e., eligibility after either 12 or 18 months of continuous service abroad, is delayed by the amount of leave taken in the United States or a U.S. Commonwealth or possession. See 3 FAH-1 H-3431.2-1.)
b. Posts must record all leave taken in the United States or a U.S. Commonwealth or possession computed in accordance with 3 FAH-1 H-3431.
c. Such leave will be reported to the Department or the agency by TMTWO only in those instances when the receipt of travel orders in which home leave is authorized will cause the employee to be in violation of the requirement of 12 months of continuous service abroad.
d. For USAID: Report leave taken in the United States to USAID headquarters in accordance with Handbook 32, Supp. 1C.
e. For Commerce: Report leave taken in the United States to the Office of Foreign Service Human Capital by submitting a Supplemental T&A Report.
f. Posts are not required to report to the Department or agency any leave taken in the United states or a U.S. Commonwealth or possession after an employee has accumulated the requisite 12 or 18 months of continuous service abroad as computed in 3 FAH-1 H-3433.2-3. The leave must, of course, be recorded on time and attendance and leave records.
3 FAH-1 H-3433 ACCRUAL OF HOME LEAVE
3 FAH-1 H-3433.1 Computation of Home Leave
(CT:POH-218; 05-17-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corps-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
For each 12 months of creditable service abroad, home leave must accrue as follows, provided the conditions of eligibility are met:
(1) 15 days:
(a) An employee who accepts as a condition of employment the obligation to accept assignment anywhere in the world as the needs of the agency dictate will earn a maximum of 15 days of home leave in a 12-month period;
(b) An employee serving with a U.S. mission to a public international organization will earn a maximum of 15 days of home leave in a 12-month period; or
(c) An employee serving at a post for which a post differential of 20 percent or more is authorized will earn a maximum of 15 days of home leave in a 12-month period (see 3 FAH-1 H-3433.2);
(2) 10 days: An employee not included under subparagraph (1)(a) of this section, who is serving at a post with a post differential of at least 10 percent but less than 20 percent, will earn up to 10 days of home leave (e.g., the employee will begin earning home leave upon the completion of 2 months of creditable service; see 3 FAH-1 H-3433.2); and
(3) 5 days: An employee not included under subparagraphs (1) or (2) of this section will earn up to 5 days of home leave (e.g., the employee will begin earning home leave upon completion of 3 months of service; see 3 FAH-1 H-3433.2).
3 FAH-1 H-3433.2 Home Leave Earning Table
(CT:POH-218; 05-17-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corps-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
For each month of creditable service abroad, an employee earns home leave under the rates fixed as follows:
|
Months of Service |
Accrual Rate (days for each month of a 12-month period) |
||
|
|
Days Earned |
||
|
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
4 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
5 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
6 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
7 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
8 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
9 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
10 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
11 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
12 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
Total: |
15 |
10 |
5 |
3 FAH-1 H-3433.3 Change in Home Leave Earning Rate
(CT:POH-218; 05-17-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corps-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
When an employee moves between different home leave earning rates before completion of a month of creditable service abroad or when a change in the post differential rate during the month results in a different leave-earning rate, the employee will be credited leave at the rate to which entitled prior to the change in the accrual rate.
3 FAH-1 H-3433.4 Crediting, Transferring, or Recrediting Home Leave
(CT:POH-272; 11-30-2023)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corps-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
Home leave is credited to an employee’s leave account as earned, in multiples of 1 day, and may be accumulated without limitation for future use. An employee is entitled to have their home leave account transferred or recredited when moving between agencies or when they are reemployed without a break in service of more than 90 days (5 CFR 630.607).
3 FAH-1 H-3433.5 Change in Home Leave Accrual
(CT:POH-218; 05-17-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corps-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
a. When an employee uses home leave while on transfer travel between two overseas posts, the employee begins to accrue home leave after arrival at the next post abroad.
b. Employees will continue to accrue home leave during home leave status when traveling on home leave/return orders.
c. When on transfer travel to the United States, home leave accrual will cease when the employee departs post.
3 FAH-1 H-3434 HOME LEAVE DAYS NOT CHARGED
(CT:POH-218; 05-17-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corps-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
If authorized, time spent in community relations and public affairs activities at the request of the foreign affairs agencies, such as speeches and participation in university seminars and media events, is considered performance of duty. Therefore, when approved in advance by the foreign affairs agency, home leave will not be charged for the day on which an employee participates in such activity. Certification of such engagements must be provided upon return from home leave.
|
Agency |
Office Which Must Approve |
|
Department of State |
Bureau of Public Affairs |
|
USAID |
Bureau for Legislative and |
|
USDA |
FAS: Deputy Administrator, Office of Foreign Service Operations APHIS: Deputy Administrator, International Services |
|
Commerce |
Office of Foreign Service Human Capital |
|
USAGM |
Office of Public Affairs (in advance) |
3 FAH-1 H-3435 HOME LEAVE ADDRESS OF RECORD
(CT:POH-238; 08-12-2020)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corps-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service and Civil Service Employees)
a. The home leave address of record represents a permanent location in the United States or a U.S. Commonwealth or possession, if an employee’s place of residence is outside the area of employment, to which the employee and family members are authorized to proceed when granted home leave. Employees should give careful consideration to the initial selection.
b. Requests for changes in home leave addresses may be approved only if the employee can establish that changed circumstances so require. Requests for changes in home leave address will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by GTM/EX. The selection of a new location intended to accommodate the employee’s personal convenience is not an acceptable basis for approval. Changes to home leave address are requested on Form OF-126, Foreign Service Residence and Dependency Report, and are submitted through HR Online. For USAID, changes to the home leave address must be requested on Form OF-126 and submitted to the appropriate human resources specialist in OHR/FSP for approval. For Commerce, Form OF-126 is submitted to the Office of Foreign Service Human Capital. For USDA/FAS, requests to change the home leave address must be submitted to and approved by the Director, International Services Division, Office of Foreign Operations.
3 FAH-1 H-3436 THROUGH H-3439 UNASSIGNED