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As soon a Hurricane Harvey hit, NTEU reached out to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) asking if OPM would authorize agencies to put in place emergency leave transfer programs (ELTP) to help federal employees dealing with hardships in the aftermath of the storm. After OPM did this, NTEU urged agencies to immediately establish ELTPs. Several agencies have done so.
Under an ELTP, federal employees may donate annual leave for transfer to employees who were harmed, or those with family members impacted by a disaster or emergency. This program, which is administered at the agency level, provides federal employees with a special opportunity to help their fellow workers in times of need.
While each agency has its own program, here are some general facts about the ELTP:
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Employees must submit a written application to their agencies to become an emergency leave recipient.
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Agencies must review the employee's application and provide notification of the status of the application within 10 business days after it is received. The agency must provide a reason for a disapproval.
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Employees may voluntarily submit written requests to their agency that a specified number of hours of accrued annual leave be transferred from their annual leave account to the ELTP. Emergency leave donors may not donate to a specific emergency leave recipient. Agencies may have varying limits on how much leave may be donated and disbursed.
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If an agency does not receive sufficient amounts of donated annual leave to meet the needs of emergency leave recipients, the agency may contact OPM for assistance in receiving additional donated annual leave from other agencies.
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Any unused annual leave donated to the ELTP must be returned by the agency to emergency leave donors, and if any annual leave was donated by a leave bank, it must be returned to the leave bank.
Learn more and gets forms to receive or donate leave under the ELTP
Hurricane Irma has similarly impacted federal employees in the southeastern part of the United States. NTEU has urged OPM to extend the authority for the leave program so those employees may benefit from the program as well. OPM is exploring that option. NTEU will keep its members posted.
NTEU members with questions about donating or receiving leave should speak with their NTEU representatives.