3 FAM 3720
REST AND RECUPERATION (R&R) TRAVEL
(CT:PER-1163; 11-17-2023)
(Office of Origin: GTM/ER/WLD)
3 FAM 3721 INTRODUCTION
3 FAM 3721.1 Objective
(CT:PER-925; 09-24-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees only)
The objective is to provide guidance regarding the Rest and Recuperation travel program. Implementation of these regulations must be consistent with Section 901(6) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (as amended), Department of State travel regulations, and the guidelines and procedures published in 3 FAH-1 H-3720.
3 FAM 3721.2 Scope and Applicability
(CT:PER-925; 09-24-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees only)
This subchapter provides information on R&R travel of U.S. citizen employees of the Foreign Service and their eligible family members from their assigned post, or in limited and specified circumstances, the post at which they are serving extended TDY, to the United States or its territories or other locations abroad which have different social, climatic, or other environmental conditions than their assigned post or post at which they are serving extended TDY.
3 FAM 3721.3 Authorities
(CT:PER-925; 09-24-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees only)
Authorities for this subchapter are:
(1) Section 901(6) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (as amended) (22 U.S.C. 4081(6));
(2) Subchapter 3 FAH-1 H-3720; and
(3) Subchapter 14 FAM 531.5.
3 FAM 3721.4 Eligibility
(CT:PER-953; 07-22-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees only)
a. U.S. citizen Foreign Service employees are eligible for R&R if:
(1) They are assigned to a designated R&R post abroad (including employees of participating agencies assigned to USAID missions) and they serve at such a post for a period of at least 2 years unbroken by home leave (service at two consecutive R&R posts can be combined for R&R purposes for the needs of the Service, in accordance with 3 FAH-1 H-3723); or
(2) They are assigned to, or in specific authorized circumstances, serving extended TDY, at a post that has been approved by the Under Secretary of Management (M) for special R&R under 3 FAM 3727.1.
b. Locally engaged U.S. citizen employees are not independently eligible for R&R travel. They may qualify as an eligible family member of an employee who is authorized for such travel. In such cases, the travel costs are charged to the agency that employs the eligible employee.
c. Eligible family members (as defined in 14 FAM 511.3) residing at post are eligible for R&R. Unless otherwise approved by post’s management officer in exceptional circumstances (e.g., the marriage of an employee during the tour of duty), eligible family members must reside at post for the entire tour to qualify for the travel benefit. In exercising this discretion, post management officers must operate under the presumption that R&R will not be authorized if the beneficiaries apply for voluntary SMA immediately preceding or following R&R travel. Eligible family members may travel separately from the employee and are not required to travel to the same destination.
d. Children on educational travel or education allowance under age 21 are eligible for R&R if they:
(1) Are away from post on authorized educational travel or education allowance; and
(2) Normally reside with the employee.
A child does not normally reside with the family if not resident at post during school vacation or holiday periods. R&R travel should not normally be used in lieu of or to supplement education allowance or educational travel specifically for the purpose of transporting the child to or from educational facilities. However, post has the authority to approve R&R on a case-by-case basis if such travel is for the purpose of affording the child relief from social, climatic, or other environmental conditions that are present at the post at which the child is a dependent of an eligible employee.
e. When an employee assigned to one R&R post is sent to another post on an extended TDY, family members who remain at the original post and who meet all the criteria (e.g., complete the tour of duty) may take R&R approved for the original post at U.S. Government expense.
f. Although R&R generally should begin and end at the post of assignment (see 3 FAH-1 H-3720), the post management officer may approve travel originating or ending at alternate points if R&R travel can be combined with educational travel or some other form of official travel, and the combined travel is financially advantageous to the U.S. Government (see 3 FAH-1 H-3720).
3 FAM 3722 REQUIRED TOUR OF DUTY
(CT:PER-993; 05-26-2020)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees only)
a. Except where a finding has been made pursuant to 3 FAM 3722, paragraph b or c, or 3 FAM 3727, R&R is limited to:
(1) One round trip during any continuous 2-year period of service unbroken by home leave; and
(2) Two round trips during any continuous 3-year period of service unbroken by home leave.
b. The Director General for the Foreign Service and Director of Global Talent (M/DGTM) may make a determination that for the needs of the Service, an employee(s) may be permitted to take both home leave and R&R within the same tour of duty. (In the case of a non-State Department employee with an individual request, a designated official from that employee’s agency will make such a determination.)
c. Employees who fail to complete their full tour of duty will be required to repay all R&R travel expenses incurred during their tour, including those incurred by their eligible family members. Repayment is not required if the employee was not aware that the tour of duty would not be completed when the R&R was taken, and:
(1) The Department or other employing agency curtails the employee’s tour at the option and benefit of the employing agency (including curtailments to accommodate training or adjustments in reporting dates between gaining and losing post); or
(2) The Department or other employing agency transfers the employee for compassionate reasons; or
(3) The Department separates the employee involuntarily; or
(4) The employee’s tour is shortened for the convenience of the employee and the tour-of-duty requirement is excused by GTM/CDA (or the employing agency’s appropriate approving official) for compassionate reasons.
d. All requests for approval of a shortened tour must state:
(1) Dates of R&R travel if taken by the employee and/or family members; and
(2) The basis for excusing the tour-of-duty requirement, if appropriate.
3 FAM 3723 DUAL ENTITLEMENTS
(CT:PER-925; 09-24-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees only)
Employees or eligible family members may not receive dual entitlements. Therefore, the spouse or domestic partner as defined in 3 FAM 1610 of an employee of a foreign affairs agency who is serving at post as a member of the uniformed services or as an employee of the same or another U.S. Government agency is eligible for R&R travel as the employee’s eligible family member provided:
(1) The other agency or uniformed service does not accord comparable benefits; and
(2) The spouse or domestic partner as defined in 3 FAM 1610 is included on the employee’s Form OF-126, Foreign Service Residence and Dependency Report.
3 FAM 3724 CHARGE TO LEAVE
(CT:PER-1163; 11-17-2023)-
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees only)
The employee’s absence from post for R&R and necessary travel time is charged to annual leave, sick leave if applicable, earned compensatory time, or leave without pay. Employees eligible for Paid Parental Leave (PPL) under FMLA may request to take PPL during their R&R and report their time as PPL. An employee is not entitled to any local holidays which occur after departure from post on R&R travel orders. Transit time (administrative leave) may be granted by the post if travel cannot be scheduled on non-workdays for reasons other than the employee’s personal convenience and due to circumstances beyond the employee’s control. Such circumstances might include lack of air transportation from and/or to post on non-workdays, irregular connections from and/or to post, work requirements that prevent the employee from leaving on a non-workday, or for compassionate reasons. Normally, transit time will be limited to 1 day for each leg of R&R, but should not exceed 2 days. If the employee makes a stopover for their convenience, transit time may only be granted to the stopover point.
3 FAM 3725 DESIGNATED POSTS AND RELIEF AREAS
3 FAM 3725.1 Designation Procedures
(CT:PER-925; 09-24-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees only)
The procedures for designating posts and relief areas are found in 3 FAH-1 H-3720.
3 FAM 3725.2 Designated Posts and Primary Relief Points
(CT:PER-925; 09-24-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees only)
3 FAH-1 Exhibits H-3722(1) - (5) contain a list of the posts and the primary relief points for R&R travel. This list changes from time to time to reflect changing circumstances. (If a post is designated for both R&R travel and family visitation travel, see 3 FAM 3735.4.)
3 FAM 3725.3 Travel to Designated Rest and Recuperation Point
3 FAM 3725.3-1 Option 1: Travel to Designated Relief Point Abroad
(CT:PER-969; 12-23-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees only)
a. Employees and their eligible family members may elect to travel round-trip to the designated relief point (listed in 3 FAH-1 H-3720). When this option is selected, only the designated relief point can be indicated on the travel authorization and cost-construction is not permitted.
b. Voluntary stopovers are not permitted when an employee elects to travel to the designated relief point.
c. Involuntary stopovers are layovers that are caused by circumstances beyond the traveler’s control (e.g., local security reasons, cancelled flights or labor disputes). If an involuntary stopover causes a traveler to incur additional travel expenses (i.e., lodging and M&IE at the involuntary layover point), those expenses may be reimbursed as validated by post’s financial management officer (FMO).
3 FAM 3725.3-2 Option 2: Travel to One Point in the United States or Its Territories
(CT:PER-969; 12-23-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees only)
a. Employees and their eligible family members may elect round-trip travel to one traveler-selected city anywhere within the United States (the 50 States and the District of Columbia) or one city in one of its territories including American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. When this option is selected, only the traveler-selected relief point can be indicated on the travel authorization as the destination and cost-construction is not permitted.
b. Provisions for voluntary and involuntary stopovers, as outlined in 3 FAM 3725.3-1 b and c above, also apply to R&R travel to one traveler-selected point in the U.S. or U.S. territories.
3 FAM 3725.3-3 Option 3: Travel Against the R&R Cost-Construct Cap
(CT:PER-969; 12-23-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees only)
a. Employees and their eligible family members may elect travel against post's R&R cost-construct cap. Each post with an R&R entitlement has a unique "cost- construct cap." In July of each fiscal year, the Travel Management and Policy (TMP) Division, within the Bureau of Administration, tasks the Department's contracted travel management center in Washington, DC to provide two fare quotes for each post that has an R&R entitlement: 1) the cost of the lowest-cost, unrestricted, round-trip ticket from that post to its designated relief point; 2) the cost of the lowest-cost, unrestricted, round-trip ticket from that post to Washington, DC. In order to capture travel costs associated with high-demand periods in which R&R is often taken, the dates of travel used for these fare quotes will be departure from post on December 20 and return on January 3. The higher of the two quotes is rounded up to the nearest $100 (see 3 FAH-1 H-3726.3 for further details on calculation of the cap). When this option is selected, the traveler may proceed to any location or combination of locations, whether within the U.S. or abroad, using any mode of common carrier transportation, class of service, or fare type (restricted or unrestricted). Mileage for use of a rental car or POV is not reimbursable under the cost-construct cap. Any amount exceeding the cap is the financial responsibility of the traveler.
b. When this option is chosen, "R&R Cost-Construct Cap" must be indicated as the destination on the travel authorization.
c. Checked luggage fees and taxi fare to and from the airport at the first destination are reimbursable in addition to the cost-construct cap.
d. If a traveler elects to use a restricted fare for any or all of the travel against the cost-construct cap, the traveler is responsible for change/cancellation penalties, regardless of the reason incurred.
e. There is no reimbursement of expenses related to voluntary stopovers when this option is elected. If an involuntary stopover causes a traveler to incur additional travel expenses (i.e. lodging and M&IE at the involuntary layover point), those expenses may be reimbursed as validated by post’s financial management officer (FMO).
f. Travelers must comply with the Fly America Act for all R&R travel, including travel against the R&R cost-construct cap.
g. In accordance with 14 FAM 541, travel must be booked and ticketed by the travel management center (TMC) serving the employee's post of assignment unless the TMC is unable to issue a ticket on the carrier(s) that will be used for travel. In such cases, the TMC will issue tickets on all carrier(s) on which it can ticket, and the employee will then need to request a reimbursement audit per 14 FAM 541 in order to determine the amount (if any) that may be reimbursed.
h. Travelers lose the ability to utilize government fares (including GSA city pair fares) when they cost construct any type of official travel (including R&R) per 14 FAM 542(f).
3 FAM 3725.3-4 Cash Payment Not Permitted
(CT:PER-969; 12-23-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees only)
a. Under no circumstances is an employee entitled to a cash payment in lieu of actual R&R travel.
b. If an employee elects to travel against the cost-construct cap and their common carrier ticket costs do not reach or exceed the R&R cost-construct cap, the savings accrue to the U.S. Government. The traveler is not paid for any remaining amount under the cap, and no amount under the cap can be applied towards any other instance of travel.
3 FAM 3725.3-5 Change of Post's Rest and Recuperation Designation
(CT:PER-969; 12-23-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees only)
If a post’s designation is changed from an R&R post to a non-R&R post, employees who began their tour of duty at that post prior to the change and who meet the basic eligibility requirements in 3 FAM 3721.4 will continue their eligibility for R&R travel for the first R&R trip for which they qualify after the change.
3 FAM 3725.3-6 Posts that Gain a Rest and Recuperation Trip
(CT:PER-969; 12-23-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees only)
For non-R&R posts that gain a regular R&R trip, the following rules apply:
(1) Employees with more than 6 months remaining in their tours are eligible for one R&R, provided their tour of duty is at least 2 years at post; and
(2) Employees with more than 18 months remaining in their tour of duty are eligible for two R&Rs, provided their tour of duty is 3 years.
3 FAM 3726 SCHEDULING REST AND RECUPERATION TRAVEL
(CT:PER-925; 09-24-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees only)
Posts generally should not grant travel within 6 months of the beginning or end of the employee’s tour of duty, or within 6 months of a previously authorized R&R or family visitation trip.
3 FAM 3727 SPECIAL REST AND RECUPERATION
3 FAM 3727.1 Special Rest and Recuperation (SR&R)
(CT:PER-1050; 07-30-2021)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees only)
a. In extraordinary circumstances, the Under Secretary for Management (M), acting on behalf of the Secretary, may authorize additional R&R trips for posts already designated for R&R trips as specified in 3 FAM 3725.2, or for a post that does not normally qualify for an R&R but experiences extraordinary circumstances that warrant a one-time R&R. This discretionary R&R travel authorized by M is known as “Special R&R” travel (SR&R).
(1) With the exception of Mexico border posts, any post that is in unaccompanied status or has a combined Post Differential and Danger Pay rate of 35 percent or higher will automatically qualify for one SR&R.
(2) If a post does not automatically qualify for one SR&R or the post automatically qualifies for one SR&R but would like to request additional SR&Rs that post must seek authorization by having the appropriate regional bureau executive director send a memorandum to the Director of the Office of Allowances (A/OPR/ALS). The memorandum must include a clear justification (in 250 words or less) for any requested SR&R including specific “extraordinary conditions of hardship” which exist at post. The Director of A/OPR/ALS will convene a nine-member committee—which shall include one representative from each regional bureau, GTM, M/SS, and Allowances—to review all SR&R requests and send recommendations to M for final approval. In order to recommend an SR&R to M, seven of the nine committee members must vote in favor of the SR&R. A/OPR/ALS will notify all requesting offices of M’s determination and inform GTM of updates to Special R&R information for the annual bidding tool. One-year Priority Staffing Posts (PSP) and posts with Service Recognition Packages (SRP) fall outside the purview of this process.
(3) Authorization for Special R&R expires annually. Requests for new, multiple, or continuation of Special R&R travel must be resubmitted to regional bureaus by memorandum no later than May 15 each year.
b. The Under Secretary for Management may designate in writing a post for a SR&R where the tour of duty is not traditional. A Special R&R may be warranted because of extreme danger, unaccompanied post status, severely substandard living conditions, extreme isolation, or other unusual conditions. Because of their immediate proximity to the United States, Mexico border posts are not eligible for SR&R (or R&R).
c. Clearances for initiating and terminating a SR&R must be obtained by the requesting regional bureau from other foreign affairs agencies when such agencies have personnel at post. (For USAID, contact the regional bureau Administrative Management Staff, USAGM (M/OHR), USDA (FAS/APHIS), and USDOC (OFSHC).)
d. For a post that does not normally qualify for an R&R but experiences extraordinary circumstances that warrant a one-time special R&R, the regional bureau executive director may request from M approval for a one-time R&R for employees serving at post during that time period.
3 FAM 3727.2 Eligibility Requirements for SR&Rs
(CT:PER-1050; 07-30-2021)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees only)
a. Eligibility for SR&Rs differs from regular R&Rs, as shown in the following table:
|
Authorized TOD |
Employee serves |
Eligible for |
|
2 years with 1 R&R |
24 months |
1 R&R |
|
Less than 24 months |
No R&R |
|
|
2 years with no R&R and 1 SR&R |
12-24 months |
1 SR&R |
|
Less than 12 months |
No R&R |
|
|
2 years with 1 R&R and 1 SR&R |
24 months |
1 R&R and 1 SR&R |
|
12-24 months |
1 SR&R |
|
|
2 years with 1 R&R and 1 SR&R |
Less than 12 months |
No R&R |
|
2 years with 1 R&R and 2 SR&Rs |
24 months |
1 R&R and 2 SR&Rs |
|
18-24 months |
2 SR&Rs |
|
|
12-18 months |
1 SR&R |
|
|
2 years with 1 R&R and 2 SR&Rs |
Less than 12 months |
No R&R |
|
2 years with 1 R&R and 3 SR&Rs |
24 months |
1 R&R and 3 SR&Rs |
|
18-24 months |
3 SR&Rs |
|
|
12-18 months |
2 SR&Rs |
|
|
Less than 12 months |
No R&R |
b. An employee who extends for a third year at an R&R post becomes eligible for two regular R&Rs, but no additional SR&Rs.
c. Employees are encouraged to review GTM/CDA’s Standard Operating Procedures for additional details regarding TODs and R&Rs.
d. The TOD requirements outlined above do not apply to tours of duty at Special Incentive Posts (SIPs) as authorized by the Under Secretary for Management. Employees in such a category should consult applicable service recognition packages and post policies to determine eligibility for R&R travel.
e. Special R&Rs are authorized for employees serving at unaccompanied posts from which family visitation travel may be authorized. However, there are separate eligibility requirements for family visitation travel. Refer to 3 FAM 3730 for guidance on R&R in connection with Family Visitation Travel.
f. The Bureau of Global Talent Management, Office of Employee Relations, Work Life Division, is available for policy guidance.
3 FAM 3727.3 Posts that Gain a Special R&R
(CT:PER-925; 09-24-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees only)
When a post gains one or more SR&Rs, employees and EFMs may be eligible for those additional SR&Rs if they have more than six months remaining in their tours and they otherwise meet the tour of duty requirements set forth in 3 FAM 3727.2.
3 FAM 3727.4 Posts that Lose a Special R&R
(CT:PER-925; 09-24-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/Commerce/Agriculture/USAGM)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees only)
a. The SR&R committee reviews authorizations on an annual basis. When extraordinary circumstances that warranted a SR&R are no longer present at a post, the Special R&R committee will recommend that M terminate the SR&R benefit. Those changes will be shared with the losing posts in a cable that provides the effective date of the loss.
b. If a post has one or more SR&Rs and subsequently loses some or all of its SR&R trips, then employees and EFMs who were serving at post when the reduction in SR&Rs became effective will retain the SR&R benefits that they would have received prior to the SR&R reduction. For example, if an employee was serving at a post whose 2 SR&Rs were subsequently reduced to 1 SR&R, that employee would still retain the 2 SR&R benefit.
c. Employees and EFMs arriving at posts on or after the effective date of a termination of an SR&R travel benefit may not be authorized any SR&R trips that were terminated on or before their date of arrival.
3 FAM 3728 AND 3729 UNASSIGNED
3 FAM Exhibit 3725.3-1
R&R Travel Scenarios
(CT:PER-1163; 11-17-2023)
Scenario 1: Travel from Post to Designated Relief Point
Employee A is posted in Cairo where the R&R designated relief point is London. The employee and their family are issued and travel directly on a round-trip unrestricted ticket from Cairo to London to Cairo.
Scenario 2: Travel from Post to One Point in the United States:
Employee B is posted in Tashkent. The employee selects Atlanta, Georgia as the one traveler-selected point in the U.S. for R&R. They are issued an unrestricted, round-trip ticket for travel from Tashkent to Atlanta to Tashkent and travels directly on that routing.
Scenario 3: Travel from Post to Multiple Points in the U.S. and/or Abroad:
Employee C is posted to Accra. Since the employee plans to travel to multiple points in Europe for R&R, they are exercising the Cost-Construct Cap option. The Cap is centrally determined in Washington using the higher of the unrestricted round-trip cost of travel to the designated relief point or to Washington, DC. Employee C can work with their travel management center (TMC) on their desired itinerary with the U.S. Government paying up to the cost-construct cap and the employee paying any costs that exceed the Cap, if any.