Tenure no longer a factor in senior execs’ annual leave

The Office of Personnel Management last week made permanent a new rule providing all federal executives with about five weeks of annual leave each year, regardless of how long they have worked in government.

In an Oct. 19 Federal Register notice, OPM published final regulations giving every member of the Senior Executive Service and equivalent senior scientific or professional positions one day off for every two weeks worked.

Traditionally, federal employees have accrued more annual leave the longer they have served in government. Until interim regulations took effect in October 2004, senior executives with three years or less of service earned 13 days off, those with three to 15 years earned 20, and those with more than 15 years earned 26 days of annual leave a year. That system still stands for the lower ranks of federal employees.

The rule change for executives was prompted by the 2004 Federal Workforce Flexibility Act and seeks to ease recruitment for employees who do not spend their entire careers in government.

"We believe this additional leave benefit will assist agencies in recruiting mid-career individuals, who may be hesitant to enter federal service if they have to surrender a considerable amount of personal or vacation time without an opportunity to accrue additional paid time off in a timely manner," the regulations state.

In addition to members of the SES, OPM included in the new rules the Senior Foreign Service, the Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service, the Senior Cryptologic Executive Service, the FBI's Senior Executive Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration Senior Executive Service and the Senior Intelligence Service.

Annual leave in the federal service accrues incrementally as employees work. Senior executives can carry up to 90 days of annual leave over to the next calendar year; other employees can transfer 30 days.