Availability of Sick Leave for Travel to Access Medical Care

Thepurposeoftheseis
FAQs
tomakeclearthatFederalemployeesmayusesickleavefor
timeassociatedwithaccessingmedicalcare.

1. MaysickleavebeusedtocovertraveltimetoalocationwhereaFederalempl
receivemedicalexaminationortreatment?

A: Yes.Anagencymustgrantsickleavetoanemployeefortheemployeetorecei
medicalexaminationortreatment.CFR5 630.41Accessingthatmedical
examinationortreatmenttypicallyinvolvestravel,andthattravel
sickleavetotheextentthatthetraveltimeoccursduringtheemploy
establishedforleave-chargingpurposes.Whilesuchtravelwillgenerall
distances—
forexample,toandfromalocaldoctor’sofficeorhospital—anemplo
mayfinditnecessarytotravellongerdistances,includingoutofstate,t
care.Insuchinstances,sickleavemaybeusedtocovertime. necessarytravel

2. MaysickleavebeusedtocovertraveltimeforaFederalemployeewhoaccompan
familymembertoalocationwherethefamilymemberwillreceivemedicalexamin
treatment?

A: Yes.Anagencymustgrantsickleavetoanemployeefortheemployeetoprovid
toa“familymember”
(asdefinedin5CFR630.21(b))receivingmedicalexamination
ortreatment,
subjecttoapplicableannual CFR630.41(a)(3). limits.5 An
employee’straveltimeinconnection
afamilymember’s with medical carewouldbe
coveredbysickleaveonthesame described basisinas Question1.

OPMhas expla inedthispreviously FAQ : in

“May
a I use sick leave to take a family
member to a medical appointment? Theinten tofOPM’sregulationsning gover
the
useofsickleaveforfamily reisca
toall
owanempl oyeeto providephysicalcareand
other
as
sistancetoafamily ember,
masappropriate. smay
Thiinclude , forexample,
provi
dingtransportationand/oraccompanyingafamilymembertoahealthcare
provider’sffice
o ortoahospitalorother hcarefaci
healt
lity.”

3. WhenshouldanagencyadvancesickleavetoaFederalemployee?

A: Whenanemployeehasnotaccruedsufficientsickleavetomeettheemploye
anagencymaygrantadvancedsickleave.Thissickleavecanbeusedforthee
toreceivemedicalexaminationortreatmentorfortheemployeetoprov
familymemberreceivingmedicalexaminationortreatment,subjecttoap
annuallimits.5CFR630.42Anemployee’straveltimeinconnectionwithaccessin
thismedicalcarewouldbecoveredbyadvancedsick sameleave
basison
asthe
describedinQuestion1.
4. HowshouldaFederalemployeerequestsickleave?

A: Anemployeeshouldrequestsickleavewithinsuchtimelimitsastheage
require.5CFR630.4Anagencymayrequireemployeestorequestadvanced
approvalofsickleaveformedicalexaminationortreatment. mp lies
Iftheemploye
withtheagency’snotificationandcertificationrequirements(seeQue
theagencymustgrantsickleave.

5 . Whattypeofsupportingevidence
Federal
musta
employeesubmitfortheuseofsickleav

A: Anemployeeshouldprovideadministrative lyacceptableevidencefortheuseofsick
leave.5CFRAn 630.45 agencymayconsideranemployee’sself-certificationasto
thereasonfortheemployee’sabsenceasadministrativelyacceptablee
regardlessdurat ofthe
ionoftheabsence.Foranabsenc
einexcessofthre
eworkdays
(oralesse rperiodwhen det
erminednecessaryby
gency)
the,an
a agencymayrequire
theemployeetoprovide amedical
certificate
orotheradministrativelyacceptable
evidence. Amedicalcertificatesimplymeansawrittenstatementsignedby
orotherpractitionercertifyingthattheemployeereceivedanexamina
itneednotcontaindetailsregardingthemedicalexaminationortrea
CFR
5 630.21(b).

6 . Inadditiontosickleaveandadvancedsickleave,whatotheroptionsareav
Federalemployeewhoneedstoreceivemedicalexaminationortreatment?

A: Anemployee maybeabletoreceivedonated
leavethrough
anagency’sVoluntary
LeaveTransferProgram(VLTP)orVoluntaryLeaveBankProgram(VLBP).Under
VLTP (whichagenciesmustadminister),anemployeemayreceivedonatedann
leavedirectlyfromanotheremployee.UnderVLBP(whichagenciesarenotre
toadminister),anemployeemayreceivedonated
leaveif
annual
theyarealeavebank
member.

Toqualifyforleaveunderthese an
programs,
employeemustbeexperiencing
a
“medicalemergency,”whichmeanstheemployeeorafamilymemberhasamedical
conditionthatwillrequiretheemployeetobeabsentfromdutyforapro
thatwillresultinasubstantiallossofincomeduetotheunavailabi
CFR630.92,5CFR630.9,5CFR630.19,5CFR630.12Theemployee
mustexhausttheiravailablepaidleaveandbeinleavewithoutpayst
24hoursbeforereceivingleaveunderVLBP/VLTP.Anemployeemayuseleave
underVLBP/VLTP fornecessary traveltoaccessmedicalcareonthesamebasis
describedinQuestion1.

Inaddition,anemployeeisentitledto12weeksofFMLAleaveduringany12-month
periodforcertainqualifyingcircumstances,includingtheexistenceofa
conditionthatmakestheemployeeunabletoperformanyoneormoreofth
functionsoftheemployee’sposition,ortocareforafamilymemberwhohasa
healthcondition.5CFR630.12(a). AnemployeemayuseFMLAleavefor
 necessarytraveltoaccessfor
medical
anemployee
care oranemployee’sfamily
memberonthesamebasisasdescribedinQuestion1.

Formoreinformationconcerningsickleaveandotherformsofleaveavailablefo
needsofafederalemployeeoranemployee’sfamilyse
member,
seeOPM’s
plea
website
.