**CHAPTER 1: GENERAL**

**PURPOSE**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc167182430 .anchor}

This Chapter -

-   Applies to all employees, except those who do not have a regular
    tour of duty on one or more workdays during the administrative
    workweek (e.g., intermittent employees).

-   Describes the various types of leave an employee may request, and
    the documentation required.

-   Supersedes PL 630-1, Chapter 1 dated June 2005.

**POLICY**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc167182431 .anchor}

The Bonneville Power Administration provides a variety of leave that is
earned, requested, granted, denied, and charged in accordance with the
procedures in this Personnel Letter, which derives its authority from
the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regulations and Title 5 U.S.C.
The minimum charge for annual and sick leave is 30 minutes and
additional charges are in multiples of that.

Managers are responsible for ensuring that employees understand the
leave rules and that there is documentation for the leave requested, as
well as maintaining the appropriate records for Payroll Operations.

[**PURPOSE 1**](#__RefHeading___Toc167182430)

[**POLICY 1**](#__RefHeading___Toc167182431)

[**I. DEFINITIONS 2**](#__RefHeading___Toc167182432)

[**II. PRACTICAL USE POLICY 4**](#__RefHeading___Toc167182433)

[**III. RESPONSIBILITIES/AUTHORITIES 5**](#__RefHeading___Toc167182434)

[**IV. RECORDKEEPING 8**](#__RefHeading___Toc167182435)

[**V. REFERENCES 9**](#__RefHeading___Toc167182436)

[**EXHIBIT 1A - Order of Precedence for Leave Conversion
10**](#__RefHeading___Toc167182437)

I.  **DEFINITIONS**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc167182432 .anchor}

> Definitions that are pertinent to more than one chapter are listed
> below. All other definitions are located in the applicable chapter.
>
> **Absence Without Leave (AWOL)**
>
> An absence, which has not been authorized by the proper management
> official.
>
> **Accrued Leave**
>
> Leave which has been earned during the current leave year and which
> remains available for use during that leave year.
>
> **Accumulated Leave**
>
> The total leave carried over from the previous year, including
> restored annual leave (maintained in a separate account) and accrued
> leave.
>
> **Compensatory Time**
>
> An alternative form of compensation for overtime worked under
> authority of either the Fair Labor Standards Act or under 5 CFR, Part
> 550, Subpart A. It is time off for an equal amount of overtime worked,
> instead of pay. Compensatory time is subject to the conditions and
> requirements that apply to the payment of overtime.
>
> **Compensatory Time -- Travel**
>
> A form of compensatory time, under authority of 5 CFR, Part 550,
> Subpart N, for time spent by an employee in a travel status away from
> the employee's official duty station when such time is not otherwise
> compensable under other authority.
>
> **Credit Hours**
>
> For Annual Employees, are hours the employee elects to work with prior
> supervisory approval, during established flexible time bands, which
> are in excess of the employee's basic work requirement and are worked
> so as to vary the length of a workweek or workday. Credit hours are
> regular work hours and not overtime hours.
>
> **Excused Absence**
>
> An absence granted administratively, without loss of pay or charge to
> leave or other personal time-off accounts. (Although commonly known as
> administrative leave, excused absence derives its authority from the
> hours of duty provisions of personnel law and not from leave
> administration provisions.)
>
> **Family Friendly Leave**
>
> Full-time or part-time employees may use a limited amount of sick
> leave for family care or bereavement purposes (See Personnel Letter
> 630-1, Leave Administration\--Sick Leave, Chapter 3, Sick Leave
> Procedures and Requirement (for Self and Family Members), for further
> definitions).
>
> **Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)**
>
> An Act under Public Law 103-3, which became effective February 5,
> 1993, and entitles an eligible employee (who has 12 months total
> Federal service) to be absent from work on Leave Without Pay (LWOP)
> for 12 weeks for any 12-month period for self or a family member with
> a serious health condition (See Personnel Letter 630-1, Leave
> Administration\--Family and Medical Leave, Chapter 8, Family and
> Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Procedures and Requirements, for further
> definitions under FMLA).
>
> **Full-Time Employee**
>
> An employee who occupies a position which is regularly scheduled to
> work 80 hours in a biweekly pay period.
>
> **Intermittent Employee**
>
> An employee who occupies a job/position that does not have a regular
> schedule. An Intermittent employee receives compensation only for time
> actually worked and is not eligible for any type of leave or excused
> absence.
>
> **Leave Ceiling**
>
> The maximum annual leave that may be carried over to the following
> leave year. For most employees, this figure is 240 hours of annual
> leave. For Senior Executive Service employees, this is usually 720
> hours. (Refer to Personnel Letter
>
> 630-1, Chapter 2, Leave Administration\--Annual Leave, Section VI..)
>
> **Leave Without Pay (LWOP)**
>
> An approved absence without pay which may be granted only upon an
> employee\'s request. (The absence of an employee who does not have
> sufficient leave to cover an otherwise authorized absence will be
> treated as though he/she requested leave without pay.)
>
> **Leave Year**
>
> The 12-month period which begins with the first day of the first
> complete pay period in a calendar year and ends with the day
> immediately before the first day of the first complete pay period in
> the following calendar year.
>
> **Medical Certificate**
>
> A written statement signed by a state-licensed diagnostician
> certifying the incapacitation, examination, or period of sickness or
> disability during which the employee was a patient receiving medical
> treatment. A written statement from a state-licensed practitioner
> certifying that the employee is/was receiving counseling/treatment is
> also acceptable. For the purpose of this Personnel Letter, a
> practitioner includes an alcohol or drug abuse counselor, a Christian
> Science practitioner, a marriage counselor, and a psychologist or
> psychiatric social worker, so long as the treatment is within his/her
> authority to administer. (Note: This definition does not apply to the
> Family and Medical Leave Act \[see Personnel Letter 630-1, Chapter 8,
> Leave Administration -- Family and Medical Leave\]).
>
> **On-Call Employee**
>
> An employee under permanent (competitive or excepted) appointment
> where the employee works on an as needed basis during periods of heavy
> workload. An on-call employee is expected to have a cumulative service
> period of at least 6 months in pay status each year. An on-call
> employee may have a full-time or part-time tour-of-duty.
>
> **Over-Ceiling**
>
> For most employees, this occurs when an employee's annual leave
> balance exceeds 240 hours at the end of the leave year. This is known
> as "use-or-lose" leave.
>
> **Part-Time Employee**
>
> An employee who occupies a position which has an established tour of
> duty which is 16-32 hours per week (32-64 hours per pay period if on a
> compressed work schedule); see Personnel Letter No. 340-1, Part-Time
> Employment for authorized exceptions.
>
> **Regularly Scheduled Work**
>
> Work that is scheduled, by an appropriate management official, in
> advance of the established administrative work week.
>
> **Restored Annual Leave**
>
> Annual leave which had been forfeited and is subsequently restored and
> maintained in a separate account.
>
> **Seasonal Employee**
>
> An employee who is employed with recurring periods of work lasting
> less than 12 months, but more than 6 months, in a service year.
> Employees who work on a seasonal basis hold permanent (competitive or
> excepted) appointments. A seasonal employee may have a full-time,
> part-time, or intermittent tour of duty.
>
> **Tour of Duty**
>
> The hours of a day (daily tour of duty) and the days of the week
> (weekly tour of duty) which constitute an employee\'s regularly
> scheduled administrative work week.

II. **PRACTICAL USE OF POLICY**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc167182433 .anchor}

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A.  **Minimum Charge of Annual and Sick Leave**: The minimum charge for
    annual and sick leave is 30 minutes and additional charges are in
    multiples thereof.

B.  **Leave During Administrative Work Week:** Leave may be charged and
    an excused absence may be granted only on days in which the employee
    is otherwise scheduled to work (the employee\'s regularly scheduled
    administrative work week). Leave may not be charged for an absence
    during the specific hours an employee is scheduled to work overtime.

C.  **Order of Precedence for Converting Leave:** Any period of approved
    leave which exceeds the employee's leave balance in the category of
    leave requested, will be sequentially converted in the order of
    precedence indicated in Exhibit 1A of this Personnel Letter, until
    all excessive leave is fully accounted for.

    **Note**: Credit hours are technically not an excused absence;
    rather, they are hours of work that are earned in advance to
    substitute for future hours of work (e.g., to shorten a future
    workday or workweek). They are referenced in this Personnel Letter
    for the convenience of the user only.

D.  **Alternating Paid and Unpaid Leave:** Periods of paid leave and
    LWOP may not be alternated in order to obtain the benefit of holiday
    pay.

E.  **Charge of AWOL:** Any period of absence which has not been
    authorized in accordance with the provisions of this Personnel
    Letter will be treated as AWOL. A charge of AWOL may be changed to
    an authorized absence upon managerial approval of the absence.

F.  **Negotiated Agreements:** Provisions of this Personnel Letter shall
    be administered in conjunction with any collective bargaining unit
    requirement.

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III. **RESPONSIBILITIES/AUTHORITIES**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc167182434
     .anchor}

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A.  **Chief Executive Officer, through the Chief Operating Officer** is
    responsible for leave administration in accordance with delegated
    authorities and governing laws, regulations, and Departmental
    policies which are conveyed in this Personnel Letter. The Chief
    Executive Officer approves LWOP in excess of 52 calendar weeks. The
    Chief Executive Officer has sole authority/responsibility to declare
    system-wide Office closures, and for closure of Offices in Portland
    and Vancouver. These authorities are redelegated to the Chief
    Operating Officer and/or to those officials who, from time-to-time,
    are called upon to perform the duties of the Chief Executive
    Officer.

B.  **Senior Vice Presidents, as well as Vice Presidents who do not
    report to a Senior Vice President** have sole responsibility for
    making the determination that an exigency exists, which may warrant
    cancellation of previously approved annual leave.

C.  **Senior Vice Presidents and Vice Presidents** are responsible for
    leave administration in accordance with the provisions of this
    Personnel Letter. These officials have delegated authority to issue
    administrative orders for alteration of work place, moving of
    offices, breakdown of equipment, and similar interruption of normal
    operations, provided other duties or training cannot reasonably be
    scheduled during the interruption (not to exceed 8 hours).

D.  **Tier II Managers** are responsible for leave administration in
    accordance with the provisions of this Personnel Letter (PL). Tier
    II managers, or second-level managers, whichever is lower, have
    delegated authority to approve LWOP in excess of 30 days but less
    than 6 months. In addition, Tier II managers have delegated
    authority to grant LWOP for periods in excess of 6 months and, in
    certain cases for longer periods, as described in Chapter 5. They
    are responsible for ensuring that subordinate managers and employees
    plan and schedule leave so that a minimum disruption of work
    results, and employees do not forfeit annual leave.

E.  **Chief Human Capital Officer** is responsible, through appropriate
    staff:

-   For official leave policy inquiries and communications with OPM and
    the Department of Energy (DOE) offices;

-   For providing advice and assistance to managers regarding leave
    administration, and;

-   For providing periodic leave administration reminders to employees.

-   He/she has delegated authority to administer the Voluntary Leave
    Transfer Program and to restore annual leave forfeited as the result
    of an approved exigency.

F.  **Managers** Can approve LWOP for less than 30 continuous calendar
    days. Managers are responsible for approving/disapproving leave
    requests, and for planning and scheduling work assignments of
    subordinate employees so that a minimum disruption of work results
    and employees do not forfeit annual leave. Managers have delegated
    authority to approve/deny leave and excused absence in accordance
    with the provisions of this Personnel Letter. Refer to BPA's
    Collective Bargaining Agreements for any responsibilities specific
    to a particular bargaining unit. In addition, for all employees,
    managers have the responsibility to:

-   Assure that employees and timekeepers understand leave rules;

-   Maintain awareness of subordinate\'s leave balances so as to avoid
    approval of nonexistent leave and to remind employees about the
    potential loss of annual leave, including restored leave;

-   Require proper evidence for use of sick leave (see PL 630-1, Chapter
    3 Leave Administrations\--Sick Leave);

-   Ensure that employee leave documentation, as required by this
    guidance, is maintained in accordance with Time and Labor procedures
    and the provisions of this PL;

-   Ensure that the duties of an employee who is incapacitated through
    injury, illness, or pregnancy, are consistent with BPA\'s interest
    in his/her continued health and well-being (a change in job/position
    duties or temporary reassignment may, in some cases, be required);

-   Ensure that an exigency is properly documented and approved prior to
    canceling the leave of an employee with use-or-lose leave;

-   Ensure that donated leave is used by a recipient, under the
    Voluntary Leave Transfer Program, only for the purpose of the
    approved medical emergency for which the leave recipient was
    approved;

-   Determine whether requests for leave under the Family and Medical
    Leave Act (FMLA) and Family Friendly Leave meet the criteria
    contained in this Personnel Letter, and to require proper medical
    documentation as needed (a copy of the medical documentation will be
    filed in the Employee Medical File \[EMF\] in the Human Capital
    Management office; and

-   Maintain such records as are necessary for Payroll Operations to
    carry out its responsibilities to forward information on the use of
    FMLA and sick leave for a family member usage when an employee moves
    to another Federal organization serviced by a different payroll
    office.

G.  **Payroll Operations** shall maintain such records as are prescribed
    by Code of Federal Regulation, Parts 1 to 699, Administrative
    Personnel. Payroll Operations shall forward information to DOE or
    another agency when an employee moves to a job/position serviced by
    a different payroll office.

H.  **Employees** are responsible for requesting approval of leave as
    soon as it is known that such leave will be desired or required.
    Employees must plan all nonemergency leave well in advance to allow
    the manager time to schedule the unit\'s work assignments and to
    avoid situations where employees approach the end of the leave year
    with use-or-lose leave which may have to be forfeited. Employees are
    responsible for notifying their managers as soon as they are aware
    that they will not be able to report for work, but not later than 2
    hours into the daily tour of duty of the first half of the day of
    absence or a lesser period of time, if required by the employee's
    manager.

> Employees are responsible for accurately and timely reporting their
> leave usage by following procedures in Personnel Letter 630-1, Leave
> Administration\--Annual Leave, Chapter 2, Section III. They are
> responsible for following their manager's leave approval procedures,
> and for appropriately using sick leave. If they are receiving donated
> leave through the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program, they are
> responsible for notifying their supervisors and the Medical Program
> Coordinator of the termination of their medical emergencies, and for
> providing medical documentation, as required, to certify a medical
> emergency.
>
> Employees are responsible to give reasonable notice of leave when
> invoking their entitlement under the Family Medical Leave Act.
> Employees should submit the FMLA Application form (3510.04e) to the
> manager at least 30 calendar days before the date the leave is to
> begin or as soon as it is practicable to do so for birth, placement,
> or planned medical treatment.
>
> Employees are responsible for notifying their managers of any
> condition that might affect their ability to perform work, and for
> providing any required medical statements in connection with such a
> condition and subsequent return to duty.

IV. **RECORDKEEPING**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc167182435 .anchor}

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A.  **Records Maintained by Payroll Operations:** Every employee absence
    must be documented and maintained in accordance with Title 5, Code
    of Federal Regulations, Parts 1 to 699, Administrative Personnel and
    relevant General Accounting Office standards. Payroll Operations
    shall maintain such records as are prescribed by Title 5 and shall
    forward information to DOE or another agency when an employee moves
    to a job/position serviced by a different payroll office.

B.  **Records Maintained by Managers:** Managers shall maintain such
    records as are necessary for Payroll Operations to carry out its
    responsibilities in the preceding paragraph.

> Documentation and approval of leave requests are official records and
> must be maintained in Official Files and retained for 3 years. The
> file code is FI-18-11. Storage options are as follows:

1.  Electronic records (including OPM Form 71e and e-mail messages) must
    be stored in a secure drive and labeled or indexed to ensure
    availability and access throughout their active life. In addition,
    the leave electronic file should be retained in such a way as to
    allow for records disposal at the end of 3 years. Electronic files
    should be set up by calendar year and indexed by employee name.

2.  Paper records must be stored in a secured cabinet with limited
    assess. Files should be set up by calendar year and indexed by
    employee name.

> Refer to the BPA Records Manual or call Records Management for more
> information (503-230-5456).

C.  **Employee Medical Files:** Records containing medical information
    (e.g., specific information regarding medical conditions submitted
    in support of requests for advanced sick leave, leave under the
    Family Medical Leave Act, and long periods of leave for illness) on
    an employee are subject to the Privacy Act and shall be forwarded to
    the Medical Program Coordinator in Personnel Services for filing in
    the Employee Medical Folder.

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V.  **REFERENCES**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc167182436 .anchor}

-   5 U.S.C., Chapter 61, Hours of Work

-   5 U.S.C., Chapter 63, Leave

-   5 CFR, Part 610, Hours of Duty

-   5 CFR, Part 630, Absence and Leave

Cleve Brooks

Chief Human Capital Officer

**ORDER OF PRECEDENCE FOR LEAVE
CONVERSION**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc167182437 .anchor}

+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| **Type of Excess Leave**   | Order of Precedence for Leave           |
|                            | Conversion                              |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
|                            |                                         |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| **Sick Leave**             | 1\. Compensatory Time Off-Travel        |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 2\. Compensatory Time Off               |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 3\. Credit Hours                        |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 4\. Restored Annual Leave               |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 5\. Annual Leave                        |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 6\. Donated Leave                       |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 7\. Leave Without Pay                   |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| **Annual Leave**           | 1\. Compensatory Time Off-Travel        |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 2\. Restored Annual Leave               |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 3\. Compensatory Time Off               |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 4\. Credit Hours                        |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 5\. Donated Leave                       |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 6\. Leave Without Pay                   |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| **Compensatory Time Off**  | 1\. Compensatory Time Off-Travel        |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 2\. Credit Hours                        |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 3\. Restored Annual Leave               |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 4\. Annual Leave                        |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 5\. Donated Leave                       |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 6\. Leave Without Pay                   |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| **Compensatory Time Off-** | 1\. Compensatory Time Off               |
|                            |                                         |
| **Travel**                 | 2\. Credit Hours                        |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 3\. Restored Annual Leave               |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 4\. Annual Leave                        |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 5\. Donated Leave                       |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 6\. Leave Without Pay                   |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| **Military Leave           | 1\. Compensatory Time Off-Travel        |
| (Regular)**                |                                         |
|                            | 2\. Compensatory Time Off               |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 3\. Credit Hours                        |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 4\. Restored Annual Leave               |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 5\. Annual Leave                        |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 6\. Donated Leave                       |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 7\. Leave Without Pay                   |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| **Military Leave (Law      | 1\. Compensatory Time Off-Travel        |
| Enforcement)**             |                                         |
|                            | 2\. Compensatory Time Off               |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 3\. Credit Hours                        |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 4\. Restored Annual Leave               |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 5\. Annual Leave                        |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 6\. Donated Leave                       |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 7\. Leave Without Pay                   |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| **Restored Annual Leave**  | 1\. Compensatory Time Off-Travel        |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 2\. Compensatory Time Off               |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 3\. Credit Hours                        |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 4\. Annual Leave                        |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 5\. Donated Leave                       |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 6\. Leave Without Pay                   |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+

+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| **Type of Excess Leave**   | **Order of Precedence for Leave         |
|                            | Conversion**                            |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
|                            |                                         |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| **Credit Hours**           | 1\. Compensatory Time Off-Travel        |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 2\. Compensatory Time Off               |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 3\. Restored Annual Leave               |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 4\. Annual Leave                        |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 5\. Donated Leave                       |
|                            |                                         |
|                            | 6\. Leave Without Pay                   |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| **Donated Leave**          | 1\. Leave Without Pay                   |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| **Federal Employee         | 1\. Leave Without Pay                   |
| Compensation Act**         |                                         |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+