Handbook on Workplace 

Flexibilities and Work-Life

Programs for Elder Care

July 2015
A Message from the Acting Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management 

On June 23, 2014, the President issued a memorandum entitled: “Enhancing Workplace 

Flexibilities and Work-Life Programs.” In this memorandum, the U.S. Office of Personnel 

Management (OPM) is directed to work with agencies to provide appropriate education and 

guidance to all agency employees, including managers and supervisors, on workplace 

flexibilities and work-life programs available for employees’ use. The memorandum also makes 

employees aware that they have a right to request work schedule flexibilities, including telework, 

part-time employment, or job sharing, and directs that agency heads ensure that workplace 

flexibilities are available to employees, to the maximum extent practicable, in accordance with

the laws and regulations governing these programs and consistent with mission needs. 

On July 13, 2015, the White House Conference on Aging is hosting a conference that includes 

the challenges associated with elder caregiving. There are more than 40 million Americans 

already older than 65, with 10,000 more Americans joining their ranks every day. The statistics 

on aging predict that by the year 2050, the number of individuals age 65 or older living in the 

United States will exceed 88 million. As a result, an increasing number of Federal employees

will face the challenge of caring for an aging family member in the coming years. 

To meet our commitment to provide education on workplace flexibilities and work-life 

programs, and to support the 2015 White House Conference on Aging, OPM is issuing a 

“Handbook on Workplace Flexibilities and Work-Life Programs for Elder Care.” This 

handbook provides guidance on the various leave and work schedule flexibilities for elder care, 

and also provides information on work-life programs available to employees providing care for 

an elderly family member, including examples of how the programs can work together to help 

employees better manage family and work responsibilities. 

Promoting a culture in which managers and employees understand the workplace flexibilities and 

work-life programs available helps attract, empower, and retain a talented and productive 

workforce in the 21st century. 

Beth F. Cobert 

Acting Director

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Handbook on Workplace Flexibilities and Work-Life Programs for 

Elder Care

Contents

I. Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 3

II: Leave and Work Schedule Flexibilities for Elder Care ...................................................... 6

A. Sick Leave ................................................................................................................................ 6

B. Advanced Sick Leave .............................................................................................................. 8

C. Annual Leave ........................................................................................................................... 9

D. Advanced Annual Leave ......................................................................................................... 9

E. Family and Medical Leave ................................................................................................... 10

F. Leave Sharing Programs ...................................................................................................... 12

G. Leave Without Pay................................................................................................................ 15

H. Compensatory Time Off ....................................................................................................... 15

I. Alternative Work Schedules .................................................................................................. 16

J. Telework ................................................................................................................................. 18

K. Remote Work ........................................................................................................................ 19

L. Part-time Employment and Job Sharing Arrangements................................................... 20

III. Work-Life Programs for Elder Care ................................................................................. 21

A. Health-Related Benefits ........................................................................................................ 21

B. Employee Assistance Programs ........................................................................................... 21

C. Dependent Care Programs ................................................................................................... 21

IV. Overview of Workplace Flexibilities and Work-Life Programs ..................................... 22

A. Summary of Leave Programs Available for Elder Care ................................................... 22

B. Differences between Sick Leave, Leave Sharing and FMLA ............................................ 23

C. Summary of Work Schedule Flexibilities Available for Elder Care ................................ 24

D. Interaction of Various Workplace Flexibilities and Work-Life Programs for Elder Care

Illustrations .................................................................................................................................. 24

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I. Introduction

The Federal Government offers a wide array of workplace flexibilities and work-life programs

that can be combined in many ways to achieve the type of flexibility that allows employees time 

off for elder caregiving needs. To build on our record of leadership through better education and 

training, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is providing this handbook to provide 

assistance and demonstrate how these flexibilities and programs work together to support 

employees who are providing elder care for a family member. In doing so, we can help ensure 

that the Federal workforce is engaged and empowered to deliver exceptional and efficient service 

to the American public while simultaneously meeting the needs of their families. 

Roles and Responsibilities

This handbook provides various tools for employees to use in preparing and planning for time 

off for elder caregiving. It must be read in conjunction with agency and component-specific

flexibilities and program policies and, to the extent they comport with applicable law, any 

applicable collective bargaining agreements. The division of roles and responsibilities are 

provided below. 

• OPM’s Role. OPM provides leadership on Federal policies and programs by developing and 

maintaining Governmentwide rules and regulations on annual leave, sick leave, the Family 

and Medical Leave Act, Federal leave sharing programs, alternative work schedules, parttime employment, and other workplace flexibilities and programs. OPM also provides 

guidance on telework.

• Agencies’ Role. Federal agencies are responsible for complying with the law and OPM's 

Governmentwide regulations and guidance. Agencies are also responsible for developing 

agency-specific policies dealing with the administration of leave and other workplace 

flexibilities and programs, including any discretionary benefits, in accordance with

appropriate provisions of any applicable collective bargaining agreements. 

• Employees’ Role. Employees must review both OPM and agency-specific rules and 

regulations on leave and other workplace flexibilities and programs to understand the options 

available for taking time off for elder caregiving. It is equally important for employees to 

consult with their agency’s servicing human resources office. 

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Employee Checklist for Planning for Time Off for Elder Caregiving

The following checklist should be used as an organizational tool before meeting with your 

manager or servicing human resource office. (Note: Check with your servicing human resource 

office to confirm what flexibilities are available at your agency.) 

Things to Do: 

 Read the OPM Handbook on Workplace Flexibilities and Work-Life Programs for Elder 

Care 

 Review relevant OPM fact sheets using the links in the Handbook 

 Know your internal agency policies and guidelines for requesting and using leave and other 

workplace flexibilities

 For a need of fixed duration, determine the amount of time off you would like to take 

o Hours needed:_______ 

 Determine your projected leave/paid time off balances at the time leave will be needed 

o Available sick leave hours: _______ 

o Available annual leave hours:_______ 

o Other available paid time off (compensatory time, credit hours): _______ 

o Amount of unpaid time off (LWOP) you wish to take: _______ 

 Determine the gap, if any, between the amount of time off you would like to take, versus the 

amount of leave/paid time off you will have available at the time leave will be needed

o Hours of leave/paid time off hours wanted minus hours of leave/paid time off 

accrued: _______

Know Your Options:

 Advanced Sick Leave and Advanced Annual Leave – 

o What options does my agency provide to repay advanced leave?

o How will I repay the advanced leave?

o Can I apply for donated annual leave to repay advanced leave? 

o How long will it take to repay my advanced leave? 

 Voluntary Leave Transfer or Voluntary Leave Bank Programs – 

o Will I be eligible to become a leave recipient? If so, how/when should I apply? 

o If my agency has a leave bank, when is the open enrollment period? 

o Will I use donated annual leave to repay any potential advanced leave 

indebtedness? 

 Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) – 

o Am I eligible for FMLA? 

o Will I be substituting paid leave for unpaid FMLA leave? If so, what type and 

how much? 

o Do I need to use FMLA leave intermittently? If so, be sure to let your manager 

know. 

 Use of Leave on an Intermittent Basis – 

o Will I need to use leave intermittently rather than in a block of time? If so, be 

sure to discuss with your manager. 

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 Telework – 

o Is situational or routine telework an option? Discuss with your manager. 

o Does my agency permit teleworking from an alternative work location outside of 

the local commuting area as an ad-hoc temporary flexibility? 

 Remote Work – 

o Does my agency permit an employee to work from a remote location? 

 Work Schedules –

o Is an alternative work schedule (AWS) an option? 

o If my agency offers AWS, what type of schedule does it offer (flexible work 

schedules versus compressed work schedules)? 

o Does my agency allow part-time employment or job sharing?

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II: Leave and Work Schedule Flexibilities for Elder Care

The Federal Government offers various leave and work scheduling flexibilities to assist 

employees in meeting their work and family obligations. This chapter explains the available 

leave options that can be used separately or in combination to help an employee balance his or 

her work and family life related to care of an elderly family member. 

A. Sick Leave

An employee is entitled to a total of 12 weeks (480 hours) of sick leave in a leave year for all 

family care purposes, including to be absent from work to care for an elderly family member 

with a serious health condition or for general family care or bereavement purposes. 

Tip: Sick leave is an entitlement that may be used without invoking leave under the Family 

and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). See Section E. for information on FMLA.

Sick Leave to Care for a Family Member

The individual for whom the employee is providing care must meet the definition of family 

member used for sick leave, Voluntary Leave Transfer Program (VLTP), and Voluntary Leave 

Bank Program (VLBP) purposes.

A family member is an individual with any of the following relationships to the 

employee:

1) Spouse, and parents thereof;

2) Sons and daughters, and spouses thereof;

3) Parents, and spouses thereof;

4) Brothers and sisters, and spouses thereof;

5) Grandparents and grandchildren, and spouses thereof;

6) Domestic partner and parents thereof, including domestic partners of any

individual in 2 through 5 of this definition; and

7) Any individual related by blood or affinity whose close association with the

employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.

The agency determines whom it considers to be an “individual related by blood or affinity whose 

close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.” 

A parent is defined as:

1) A biological, adoptive, step, or foster parent of the employee, or a person who

was a foster parent of the employee when the employee was a minor;

2) A person who is the legal guardian of the employee or was the legal guardian of

the employee when the employee was a minor or required a legal guardian;

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3) A person who stands in loco parentis to the employee or stood in loco parentis to 

the employee when the employee was a minor or required someone to stand in 

loco parentis; or 

4) A parent (as described in the above subparagraphs) of an employee's spouse or 

domestic partner.

For important associated definitions, please see our fact sheet entitled Definitions Related to 

Family Member and Immediate Relative. 

Tip: Based on the definition of family member, sick leave may be used to care for aunts and 

uncles, other relatives and close friends if the agency determines the close association with the 

employee is the equivalent of a family relationship. 

When an employee requests sick leave to care for a family member, the agency may require the 

employee to document his or her relationship with that family member. Agencies should 

establish consistent rules and follow the same documentation requirements for all relationships, 

but agencies have authority to request additional information in order to ensure appropriate use. 

Sick Leave for Caregiving

General Family Care. An employee is entitled to use a total of 13 days (104 hours) of sick leave 

per leave year for general family care or bereavement—including taking care of an elderly 

family member with a minor illness or taking him or her to medical, dental, or optical 

appointments, or making arrangements necessitated by the death of a family member or 

attending the funeral of a family member. 

Care of a Family Member with a Serious Health Condition. An employee is entitled to use up 

to 12 weeks (480 hours) of sick leave each leave year to provide care for a family member with a 

serious health condition. For more information on the definition of serious health condition,

which is the same definition as used in OPM's regulations for administering the Family and 

Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993, please see our fact sheet entitled Sick Leave to Care for a 

Family Member with a Serious Health Condition. Examples of authorized sick leave uses for a 

serious health condition include conditions requiring hospitalization, inpatient care, or continuing 

treatment by a health care provider (e.g., Alzheimer’s, severe stroke, or terminal states of a 

disease, chemotherapy/radiation for cancer, physical therapy for severe arthritis, dialysis for 

kidney disease). Providing care for a family member with a serious health condition may 

involve not only providing physical care (e.g., bathing, dressing, helping with toileting, feeding, 

managing medications) and appointments with healthcare professionals, but also providing 

psychological comfort. 

Scenario: Greg’s mother is hospitalized for pneumonia. Greg has 600 hours of accumulated 

sick leave and wants to use sick leave for the days his mother is in the hospital. His supervisor 

denies his request for sick leave for the period of hospitalization, stating that since Greg’s 

mother will be in the hospital, Greg will not be “caring for her” and is not entitled to sick leave 

for that period. Can Greg’s supervisor deny Greg’s invocation of his sick leave entitlement? 

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OPM’s sick leave regulations allow sick leave to be used if the family member of the 

employee requires psychological comfort and the family member would benefit from the 

employee’s care or presence; therefore, Greg’s sick leave request cannot be denied. However, 

the agency could request certification from the health care provider concerning the family 

member’s need for psychological comfort and that the family member would benefit from the 

employee’s care or presence. 

If the employee previously has used any portion of the 13 days of sick leave for general family 

care or bereavement purposes in a leave year, that amount must be subtracted from the 12-week 

entitlement for use of sick leave for care of a family member with a serious health condition. An 

employee is entitled to no more than a combined total of 12 weeks of sick leave each leave year 

for all family care purposes. 

Tip: An employee who is incapacitated due to his or her own illness, including clinical 

depression resulting from the stress of long-term care for a family member with a serious 

health condition or the death of a family member, is entitled to use sick leave for his or her 

own sickness or illness. The employee’s absence will not count against the 13 days of sick 

leave for general family care or the 12 weeks of sick leave to care for a family member with a 

serious health condition. 

Tip: An elderly family member may live far away from the employee. An employee is 

entitled to use sick leave to travel to and from that family member with a serious health 

condition to provide care. If, while the employee is visiting the family member, he or she 

takes time away from caring for the family member for activities like sightseeing or taking 

trips to visit friends and family, time off from work for those activities should be charged to 

another form of paid time off (i.e., annual leave, credit hours under flexible work schedules, or 

compensatory time off) or leave without pay. 

For more information, see our fact sheets on Sick Leave (General Information), Sick Leave for 

Family Care and Bereavement, and Sick Leave to Care for a Family Member with a Serious 

Health Condition. 

B. Advanced Sick Leave 

At its discretion, an agency may grant advanced sick leave to an employee, when required by the 

exigencies of the situation, for the same reason it grants sick leave to an employee. Employees 

are eligible for a maximum of 240 hours (30 days) of advanced sick leave to care for an elderly 

family member with a serious health condition and a maximum of 104 hours (13 days) for 

general family care purposes (see previous discussion of what types of activities are covered). 

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Tip: Advanced sick leave may be especially beneficial to employees who have little or no 

accumulated sick leave because of previous personal or family care needs. 
Repayment of Advanced Sick Leave

An employee is required to repay advanced sick leave, except in very limited circumstances—

e.g., disability retirement or death. Therefore, an employee requesting advanced sick leave 

should think carefully about whether he or she wants to incur this debt and how the debt will be 

repaid. Note that generally advanced sick leave is repaid by subsequently earned sick leave—

although there are other options for repayment—so if an employee were to use 13 days of 

advanced sick leave, it would take him or her a full year without using another hour of sick leave 

to repay the sick leave debt. Because advanced sick leave must be repaid, an agency should not 

advance sick leave when it is known (or reasonably expected) that the employee will not return 

to duty. 

Tip: Donated annual leave under the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program (VLTP) or

Voluntary Leave Bank Program (VLBP) may be used to liquidate an indebtedness incurred by 

the leave recipient for advanced sick leave used because of a medical emergency, such as an 

elderly family member’s medical emergency. See Section F. on Leave Sharing Programs.

For more information, including information on repayment options, see our fact sheet on

Advanced Sick Leave. 

C. Annual Leave

Annual leave may be used for any purpose, subject to the right of the supervisor to approve a 

time when the annual leave may be taken. Annual leave may be used for any elder caregiving 

need, such as taking the elderly individual or family member shopping, to the bank, to the 

hairdresser, being present for house repairs, or also for any activity for which an employee would 

otherwise use sick leave, such as taking an elderly family member to medical, dental, or optical 

appointments, or any other purpose. Employees have the right to request annual leave, subject to 

the right of the supervisor to approve the time when the employee takes the annual leave. 

Employees should request annual leave in a timely manner, and supervisors should provide 

timely responses to employees' requests.

For more information, see our fact sheet on Annual Leave (General Information). 

Tip: An employee has an entitlement to substitute annual leave for any unpaid FMLA leave 

during any period approved under FMLA. See section E. on Family and Medical Leave.

D. Advanced Annual Leave

At its discretion, an agency may grant advanced annual leave to an employee in the amount not 

to exceed the amount the employee would accrue during the remainder of the leave year. Notethis means that the later in the leave year the employee requests advanced annual leave, the 

smaller the amount that may be advanced. An agency may grant advanced annual leave for the 

same reasons it grants annual leave as specified in law and regulation. New employees are 

eligible to receive advanced annual leave.

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Tip: Advanced annual leave may be especially beneficial to employees who have little or no 

accumulated annual leave because of previous personal or family care needs. 

Repayment of Advanced Annual Leave

An employee is required to repay advanced annual leave, except in very limited circumstances—

e.g., disability retirement or death. Therefore, an employee requesting advanced annual leave 

should think carefully about whether he or she wants to incur this debt and how the debt will be 

repaid. Note that generally advanced annual leave is repaid by subsequently earned annual 

leave, although there are other options for repayment. Because advanced annual leave must be 

repaid, an agency should not advance annual leave when it is known (or reasonably expected) 

that the employee will not return to duty. 

Tip: Donated annual leave under the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program (VLTP) or 

Voluntary Leave Bank Program (VLBP) may be used to liquidate an indebtedness incurred by 

the leave recipient for advanced annual leave used because of a medical emergency, such as an 

elderly family member’s medical emergency. See Section F. on Leave Sharing Programs. 

For more information, including information on repayment options, see our fact sheet on 

Advanced Annual Leave. 

E. Family and Medical Leave

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Federal employees are entitled to a total of 

up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for several purposes including 

the care of the employee’s elderly spouse or parent who has a serious health condition. Note: 

the definition of family member for sick leave, VLTP, and VLBP purposes does not apply to the 

FMLA. Therefore an employee can use FMLA leave only to provide care for the individuals 

specified in law—in other words, a son or daughter, spouse, or parent. Since the focus of this 

handbook is elder care, we are discussing only the use of FMLA for an elderly spouse or parent. 

Tip: Under current law and regulation, an employee must have completed at least 12 months 

of service (not required to be consecutive and not required to be at the same agency) as a 

covered Federal employee (generally, an employee at an executive agency) in order to be 

entitled to FMLA leave. However, an agency may still provide a new employee not eligible 

for FMLA with a FMLA-like benefit.

FMLA to Care for Spouse or Parent

An employee is entitled to use FMLA leave to care for an elderly spouse or parent with a serious 

health condition. 

Spouse. The definition of spouse currently found in OPM’s FMLA regulations is being 

amended in response to the Supreme Court’s June 26, 2013, decision in United States v. 

Windsor, which determined Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to be 

unconstitutional. In OPM’s CPM 2013-14 entitled “Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) 

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Coverage of Same-Sex Spouses,” we explained that the ruling provides employees with samesex spouses the same FMLA entitlements as those with opposite-sex spouses. Spouse now 

means a partner in any legally recognized marriage, regardless of the employee’s State of 

residency. 

Parent. For FMLA purposes, a parent means a biological parent or an individual who stands in 

loco parentis or who stood in loco parentis to an employee when the employee was a child. This 

term does not include parents-in-law. In loco parentis refers to the situation of an individual 

who has day-to-day responsibility for the care and financial support of a child or, in the case of 

an employee, who had such responsibility for the employee when the employee was a child. A 

biological or legal relationship is not necessary. 

Tip: Since sick leave and FMLA leave are two separate entitlements, an employee does not 

need to invoke FMLA to use sick leave to care for his or her elderly spouse or parent who has 

a serious health condition. The employee can invoke his or her sick leave entitlement and take 

up to 12 weeks of sick leave for that purpose, then later invoke FMLA and take up to 12 weeks 

of FMLA for the same (or other) purpose.

Intermittent Use of FMLA Leave or Use on a Reduced Leave Schedule

An employee is entitled to take FMLA leave on an intermittent basis or on a reduced leave 

schedule for absences in connection with a serious health condition. A reduced leave schedule is 

a special kind of intermittent leave that amounts to a change in an employee’s usual number of 

working hours in a workweek or workday, in many cases reducing an employee’s full-time 

schedule to a part-time schedule for the period of FMLA leave. Eligibility and medical 

certification for the serious health condition are established only at the time the employee first 

invokes FMLA—a medical note is not required for each absence related to the serious health 

condition.

Scenario: Tommy takes his father to weekly chemotherapy treatments and often needs to care 

for his father in the days following treatment when his father is weak and cannot care for 

himself. While Tommy has approval to use intermittent FMLA leave for the scheduled 

treatments, can he invoke FMLA on the days he must unexpectedly care for his father during 

recovery from treatment?

Yes, an employee is entitled to intermittent FMLA leave to care for an elderly spouse or parent 

for planned medical events and unexpected medical needs related to the qualifying serious 

health condition.

FMLA Facts Related to Elder Care 

• An employee must invoke his or her entitlement to FMLA leave—an agency may not 

place an employee on FMLA leave. Generally, an employee may not retroactively 

invoke FMLA. 

• The 12-month period begins on the date an employee first takes FMLA leave for any 

purpose and continues for 12 months. 

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• An employee taking FMLA leave based on planned medical treatment of an elderly

spouse or parent must provide not less than 30 calendar days’ notice to the agency of his

or her intention to take FMLA leave—or as much notice as is practicable if the leave is to

begin sooner—and must consult with the agency and make a reasonable effort to

schedule medical treatment so as not to disrupt unduly agency operations, subject to the

approval of the medical care provider.

• If the need for leave is not foreseeable—for example, if a parent needs surgery

unexpectedly and the employee is unable to provide advanced notice of his or her need

for leave—the leave may not be delayed or denied.

Substitution of Paid Leave under FMLA

Tip: When one hears the word “leave,” generally people think that means a type of paid 

leave. But did you know that FMLA leave is actually a type of leave without pay? The main 

purpose of FMLA leave is to provide a period of job-protected time away from the agency for 

employees for certain purposes. FMLA leave ensures that an employee’s job is protected even 

if he or she does not have enough paid leave to cover his or her absence.

FMLA leave is unpaid leave. However, in order to remain in a pay status during FMLA leave, 

an employee may elect to substitute accrued, accumulated, or advanced annual or sick leave or 

annual leave donated under the VLTP or VLBP, for any period of unpaid leave under FMLA, 

consistent with current laws and OPM’s regulations for using such leave. 

Effect of Unpaid FMLA Leave on Leave Accrual and other Benefits 

Being in a leave without pay (or unpaid FMLA leave) status affects various employee 

entitlements, including the accrual of annual and sick leave. For example, when a full-time 

employee with an 80-hour biweekly tour of duty accumulates a total of 80 hours of nonpay status 

(either in one pay period, or over the course of several pay periods), the employee will not earn 

annual and sick leave in the pay period. If the employee again accumulates 80 hours of nonpay 

status, he or she will again not earn leave in the pay period in which that new 80-hour total is 

reached. Employees who will be on FMLA LWOP or other LWOP should consult our Effect of 

Extended Leave Without Pay (LWOP) (or Other Nonpay Status) fact sheet for important 

information. 

For more information, please see our Family and Medical Leave fact sheet.

F. Leave Sharing Programs

An employee may be eligible to apply for and receive donated annual leave under an agency’s 

leave sharing programs if the employee is experiencing a personal or family medical emergency

and if the employee will exhaust his or her own available paid leave. There are two leave 

sharing programs that can be used during a medical emergency—the Voluntary Leave Transfer 

Program (VLTP) and Voluntary Leave Bank Program (VLBP).

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Medical Emergency

The term medical emergency means a medical condition of either the employee or an employee's 

family member that is likely to require an employee to be absent or expected to be absent from 

duty for a prolonged period and to result in a substantial loss of income (expected absence 

without available paid leave of at least 24 work hours for a full-time employee) because of the 

employee's lack of available paid leave. 

Available Paid Leave 

Available paid leave includes an employee's accrued, accumulated, recredited, and restored 

annual or sick leave. It does not include advanced annual or sick leave, any annual or sick leave 

in an employee's set aside leave accounts which has not yet been transferred to the employee's 

regular annual or sick leave account, or other forms of paid time off (i.e., credit hours under 

flexible work schedules, compensatory time off, or religious compensatory time off). 

Note: If the employee is applying to be a leave recipient because of a medical emergency 

affecting a family member and the employee has already exhausted his or her entitlement to 12 

weeks of sick leave for family care in that leave year, any remaining sick leave is not 

considered available paid leave and he or she would not be required to exhaust his or her sick 

leave balance before being eligible for donated leave.

Family Member and Parent 

The definitions of family member, parent, and related definitions are the same for the leave 

sharing programs as they are for sick leave. See Section A. on Sick Leave. 

Voluntary Leave Transfer Program

The VLTP allows an employee to donate annual leave directly to another employee who has a 

personal or family medical emergency. Generally, employees receive donated annual leave 

under the VLTP from other employees in their agency. However, family members are entitled to 

donate annual leave to an approved leave recipient who works at another Federal agency. The 

agency may allow donations from Federal employees at other agencies if it believes that the 

employee may not otherwise receive enough donated annual leave to meet his or her needs. 

Scenario: Amina is an employee of the African Development Foundation (ADF). Her mother 

had a catastrophic stroke, and Amina will be using donated annual leave to care for her. 

Amina’s husband works at the Department of Commerce and wants to donate annual leave to 

her. A coworker has volunteered to donate sick leave to her. Her brother, who is a colonel in 

the United States Army, wants to donate annual leave to her. In addition, two other carpool 

members have volunteered to donate annual leave to her, one of whom works for the U.S. 

Postal Service (USPS) and the other for OPM. Amina can receive donated annual leave from 

which of these individuals? 

Generally, leave recipients may receive donations of annual leave only from employees of the 

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same agency. However, any family member employed by another agency covered by the leave 

sharing programs in chapter 63 of title 5, of the United States Code is entitled to donate annual 

leave to a leave recipient. Amina may receive donated annual leave from her husband. Sick 

leave may not be donated under the VLTP or VLBP, therefore, her coworker cannot donate 

sick leave to her. Since active duty military members and USPS employees are not covered by 

the title 5 leave system, Amina may not receive donated annual leave from her brother or the 

carpool member who is an employee of the USPS. If the ADF believes Amina may not receive 

enough donations from coworkers in her agency, it may decide to allow donations from 

employees at other agencies covered by the leave sharing programs. In this case, Amina may 

receive donated annual leave from the carpool member who is an OPM employee.

Voluntary Leave Bank Program

Each agency may establish a VLBP under which an employee may contribute unused annual 

leave for use by a leave bank member who is experiencing a personal or family medical 

emergency. To ensure employees are eligible for the maximum benefits possible, agencies are 

strongly encouraged to establish a leave bank program. The agency's leave bank board operates 

the leave bank and determines how much donated annual leave an employee may receive from 

the leave bank. Any unused donated annual leave is returned to the leave bank. 

Retroactive Substitution of Donated Annual Leave

Donated annual leave under the VLTP or VLBP may be— 

• Substituted retroactively by the employee for any period of leave without pay used 

because of a medical emergency; or 

• Used by the employee to liquidate an indebtedness incurred by the leave recipient for 

advanced annual or sick leave used because of a medical emergency.

Set-Aside Accounts

While using donated annual leave, a leave recipient accrues annual and sick leave into what are 

called “set-aside accounts” so that the employee has some available leave when the medical 

emergency is over. An employee may accrue no more than 40 hours of annual leave and 40 

hours of sick leave in the set-aside accounts. The leave in these accounts will be transferred to 

the employee's regular leave accounts either when the medical emergency ends or if the 

employee exhausts all donated annual leave but the employee’s elderly family member is still

experiencing the medical emergency. Leave in set-aside accounts is not available for use by the 

employee until transferred to the employee's regular leave accounts.

Leave Sharing Facts Related to Elder Care

• Donated annual leave may be used only for a medical emergency—e.g., a medical 

condition of the employee’s elderly family member that is likely to require the employee 

to be absent (or expected to be absent) from duty at least 24 work hours without available 

paid leave—and may not be used to provide general family care for a healthy elderly 

family member. 

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• An agency may allow a leave recipient to use donated annual leave to arrange or attend 

the funeral of a family member for whom the leave recipient had been caring (activities 

solely related to the medical emergency and resultant death of the family member) 

because the employee is still “affected” by the emergency. This is not an entitlement, but 

it may be granted at the discretion of the agency. 

• An employee who returns to work part-time and who uses donated annual leave part-time 

to care for an elderly family member with a medical emergency accrues leave in his or 

her regular annual and sick leave accounts for the time spent in work status and in his or 

her set-aside annual and sick leave accounts when using donated leave. 

• Any unused donated annual leave must be returned to the leave donor(s)/bank when the 

medical emergency ends. 

Tip: An employee is not required to use advanced annual leave or advanced sick leave before 

receiving donated annual leave under the leave transfer or leave bank programs. 

For more information, see our fact sheets on the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program and the 

Voluntary Leave Bank Program. 

G. Leave Without Pay

An employee may request leave without pay (LWOP) to be absent from work for purposes 

related to care of an elderly individual or family member. An employee may request LWOP 

without invoking FMLA, even if he or she has available paid leave. Supervisors should refer to 

agency internal policy and collective bargaining and/or union agreements and consult with 

human resources staff prior to granting approval. 

LWOP can be used in addition to the flexibilities that are already available, subject to agency 

policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreement. 

Tip: For new employees who are not yet eligible for FMLA, an agency can provide the 

employee with a LWOP benefit that would mirror a FMLA benefit.

See Section E. on FMLA for a discussion of the effect of LWOP on leave accrual and other 

benefits. 

For more information on leave without pay and the impact it has on Federal benefits, see our fact 

sheets on Leave Without Pay and the Effect of Extended Leave Without Pay (LWOP) (or Other 

Nonpay Status) on Federal Benefits and Programs. 

H. Compensatory Time Off

Three types of compensatory time off may be earned and used: compensatory time off in lieu of 

overtime pay; compensatory time off for travel; and religious compensatory time off. 

Compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay. This is time off with pay for (1) irregular or 

occasional overtime work; or (2) regularly scheduled or irregular or occasional overtime work, 

15 
when permitted under agency flexible work schedule programs. It is subject to agency policy and 

the premium pay limitation, and there are separate Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) rules for 

employees who are covered (i.e., FLSA non-exempt) or not covered (i.e., FLSA exempt).

Accrued compensatory time off must generally be used by the end of the 26th pay period after the 

pay period during which it was earned. One hour of compensatory time off is granted for each 

hour of overtime work. 

Scenario: Vivek’s father is going to have a double knee replacement in October. Vivek works 

as a FLSA-exempt Budget Analyst, and it is near the end of the fiscal year. His office is shorthanded and his supervisor asks if he could work extra time to ensure they close out all fiscal 

year end tasks on time. They agree that Vivek will work this time as compensatory time that 

he can take off in October to care for his father following his knee replacement surgery.

Compensatory time off for travel. This type of compensatory time may be earned by an 

employee for time spent in a travel status away from the employee’s official duty station when 

such time is not otherwise compensable, and may be used as paid time off during an expected 

future absence. There is no limitation on the amount of compensatory time off for travel an 

employee may earn, but it is generally forfeited if not used by the end of the 26th pay period after 

the pay period during which it is earned. 

Scenario: Noor is a NASA employee who is traveling a lot to campus recruiting fairs helping 

recruit science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students to come work at 

NASA, and is earning a lot of compensatory time off for travel. Her mother is undergoing 

chemotherapy and radiation for cancer, and Noor and her sisters are taking turns caring for her.

Noor and her supervisor have discussed Noor using her compensatory time to care for her 

mother.

Religious compensatory time off. To the extent that modifications in work schedules do not 

interfere with the efficient accomplishment of an agency's mission, an employee whose personal 

religious beliefs require that he or she abstain from work at certain times of the workday or 

workweek must be permitted to work alternative work hours so that the employee can meet the 

religious obligation. Employees interested in earning religious compensatory time off should 

speak with their supervisors. 

Scenario: Aaron’s father died from complications related to Alzheimer’s disease. Aaron will 

be sitting shiva (the mourning period in Judaism for first-degree relatives) for a week, and has 

gotten approval to take religious compensatory time, and to work the religious compensatory 

time after he returns to work following the week of mourning.

For more information, see our fact sheets on compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay, 

compensatory time off for travel, and religious compensatory time off. 

I. Alternative Work Schedules

Alternative Work Schedules (AWS) permit an employee to complete an 80-hour biweekly pay 

period in less than 10 days. Employees have a right to request an alternative work schedule 

16 
without fear of retaliation in accordance with agency policy and any collective bargaining 

agreements. These schedules enable managers and supervisors to meet their program goals 

while, at the same time, helping employees to better balance work, personal, and family 

responsibilities. There are two categories of Alternative Work Schedule—compressed work 

schedules and flexible work schedules. 

Compressed Work Schedules. These are fixed work schedules that enable full-time employees to 

complete the basic 80-hour biweekly work requirement in less than 10 workdays. These 

schedules must be negotiated through collective bargaining or, when not applying to a bargaining 

unit, voted on by a majority of the employees to be covered by the schedule. 

Example: An employee is required to work 4 days a week, 10 hours each day. This is a fixed 

schedule that cannot be changed without taking leave. Although the work schedule is fixed, 

the employee may use the AWS day off for elder care responsibilities.

Flexible Work Schedules. These are flexible work schedules that enable employees to select and 

alter their work schedules to better fit their personal needs and help balance work, personal, and 

family responsibilities. There are various types of flexible work schedules that provide different 

degrees of flexibility within the 80-hour biweekly work requirement: 

• Flexitour – employees elect start/stop times, which then become fixed.

• Gliding – employees may vary start/stop times daily.

• Variable Day – employees may vary the length of the workday.

• Variable Week – employees may vary the number of hours worked each week.

• Maxiflex – employees may work fewer than 10 workdays biweekly. 

Credit Hours. Some agencies permit employees who work under a flexible work schedule to 

earn credit hours, which can assist employees in better managing family responsibilities, 

including care of an elderly family member. Based on agency policy, and perhaps provisions of a 

collective bargaining agreement, employees may be able to request to work additional hours to 

use at a later time. A total of 24 credit hours may be carried over to be used in a later pay period. 

For more information, see our fact sheet on Credit Hours Under a Flexible Work Schedule. 

Alternative Work Schedule Facts Related to Elder Care

• Alternative Work Schedules may permit employees to work fewer than 10 days in a pay 

period, freeing up a day or more for elder care responsibilities.

• Employees who work under Flexible Work Schedules often may adjust working hours to 

accommodate medical appointments or responsibilities, saving earned leave for other 

times when needed.

• Flexible work schedules can help employees arrange work hours in line with other elder 

care/in-home care providers. 

17 
J. Telework

Telework provides employees the flexibility to better manage their work, family, and personal 

responsibilities. Under an agency's telework policy, an employee may be permitted to work at 

home or at another worksite. Telework may also be used in conjunction with paid leave or other 

workplace flexibilities and can provide employees with valuable additional time for elder care 

responsibilities by reducing commuting time or by allowing employees to temporarily care for a 

family member who resides in a different geographic location. Agencies must satisfy their 

collective bargaining obligations in accordance with law. 

Telework must be approved by the employee’s supervisor based on the agency telework policy 

and the ability of the employee to accomplish his or her work and should be accompanied by a 

formal written telework agreement that spells out expectations. Such telework agreements 

should, for example, outline a work schedule that indicates the days and hours of the week the 

employee will be working, outline any additional requirements (e.g., technology needs) beyond 

requisites laid out by law, clarify any assumptions regarding the frequency and modes of 

communication (e.g., email vs. telephone, core hours for contact, or speed or expected timeframe 

for returning calls and emails) and establish terms under which the agreement can be modified or 

terminated. The official worksite for an employee covered by a telework agreement is the 

location of the regular worksite (i.e., the place where the employee would normally work absent 

a telework agreement) as long as the employee is scheduled to physically report to the regular 

worksite at least twice each biweekly pay period.

The manager and the employee should establish a dialogue to determine whether the employee 

can accomplish all or at least some part of his or her duties while caring for an elderly family 

member. The focus should remain on the work, while striking a balance with the employee’s 

caregiving responsibilities. The open dialogue should occur throughout the period of caregiving. 

Tip: It is important to remember that an employee may not care for a family member while 

engaged in the performance of official duties. However, when making a determination about 

telework eligibility when an employee will be caring for an elderly family member, the focus 

should remain on the work and the ability of the employee to perform official duties without 

interruption for specified periods of time, not on the proximity of the elderly family member in 

the home. Decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis.

Temporary Agreement for Working in a Different Geographic Location

In certain situations, an agency may grant a temporary exception to the physical reporting 

requirement, such as for employees to care for elderly family members in a different geographic 

location. For more information, see OPM's telework webpage and our Official Worksite for 

Location-Based Pay Purposes fact sheet.

As is the case for any telework arrangement, telework from a temporary location away from an 

employee’s official worksite should be accompanied by a formal written telework agreement that 

spells out expectations. If an agency approves a temporary exception to the physical reporting 

requirement, there is no change to an employee’s worksite or location-based pay. Extensions of 

18 
telework from a temporary location away from an employee’s official worksite may be granted 

on a case-by-case basis.

Scenario: Roland is a Federal employee who works in Philadelphia. His father is receiving

in-home hospice care in Michigan. Roland needs to be in Michigan to assist with the care of 

his father. Roland discusses with his supervisor the fact that there is a home office on the third 

floor of his father’s house, and that his father is being cared for on the first floor. So his 

supervisor has approved Roland’s request to telework temporarily from Michigan for a few 

hours a day when other family members are caring for his father. According to the agency’s 

policy, Roland’s official duty station will not change. 

K. Remote Work

In certain cases, an agency may approve a remote work arrangement. Remote work 

arrangements may be approved in situations in which the employee is not scheduled to report 

physically to the regular worksite (i.e., the place the employee would work absent an agreement) 

at least twice each biweekly pay period and a temporary exception has not been granted. Remote 

work arrangements may be appropriate when the time period that the arrangement will last is 

unknown or extends beyond what the agency considers temporary and becomes a more longstanding arrangement. In this arrangement, the official worksite is the remote worksite, which 

may cause a change in the location-based pay the employee receives. A remote work 

arrangement could also change an employee’s bargaining unit status, which could change other 

conditions of employment applicable to the employee. Remote work arrangements should be 

documented in a formal agreement that addresses all the contingencies that may arise (including, 

for example, whether the arrangement is time-limited or permanent, and, if the former, 

expectations about the terms of the employee returning to the primary worksite at the conclusion 

of the caregiving period). 

Remote work is not appropriate for all employees but may be available for employees wanting to 

be closer to elderly family members. The distinction as to whether a work situation should be 

considered telework or remote work is extremely fact-specific, and must be made by the agency 

on a case-by-case basis.

Remote work can provide employees with valuable additional time for elder care responsibilities 

by allowing employees to care for a family member who resides in a different geographic 

location or location that makes commuting to a traditional office setting difficult. 

Remote work is not a substitute for elder caregiving, and an employee may not actively care for 

an elderly family member while working from the home or an alternative worksite. To support 

work accomplishment, the employee cannot be expected to effectively accomplish work while 

actively caring for an elderly family member. 

Scenario: Roland’s father has now passed away and his mother has grown increasingly reliant 

on him. Realizing the importance of being close to his aging mother, Roland discusses with 

his supervisor his interest in resigning so that he can move permanently to Michigan. Since 

temporarily teleworking from Michigan worked well, his supervisor instead suggests Roland 

19 
consider working remotely from Michigan. The agency approves this request, Roland’s 

official worksite is changed to Michigan, and Roland moves there permanently. 

L. Part-time Employment and Job Sharing Arrangements

Agencies are encouraged to offer part-time schedules to employees who are caring for an elderly 

family member. Agencies are also encouraged to develop job sharing programs in consultation 

with their human resources offices. Prior to implementing new or revised job sharing programs 

for bargaining unit employees, agencies may be required to satisfy collective bargaining 

obligations in accordance with law.

Part-time 

A part-time employee works between 16 and 32 hours each week (or between 32 and 64 hours a 

pay period) on a prearranged schedule and is eligible for benefits. Part-time employees are 

eligible, on a prorated basis, for the same benefits as full-time employees: leave, retirement, and 

health and life insurance coverage.

Scenario: Anna and her husband are caring for Anna’s mother, who has dementia, in their 

home. They have some in-home care, but cannot afford to pay for full-time care for her 

mother. Anna discusses her situation with her supervisor, and he approves her to work a parttime schedule of 20 hours a week. The extra hours are just what Anna needs to be able to care 

for her mother.

Job Sharing 

Job sharing is a form of part-time employment in which the schedules of two or more part-time 

employees are arranged to cover the duties of a single full-time position. Generally, a job 

sharing team means two employees at the same grade level. Job sharers are subject to the same 

personnel policies as other part-time employees. Job sharing does not necessarily mean that each 

job sharer works half-time or that the total number of hours is 40 per week. 

Tip: Employees should carefully consider all the personal issues involved in switching to a 

part-time or job-sharing schedule, such as a reduction in pay, increased share of health 

insurance premiums, and the change in leave accrual. Although procedures for requesting 

such schedules vary from agency to agency, the first step is usually to begin discussions with 

the immediate supervisor.

For more information, see our Part-time and Job Sharing fact sheet.

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III. Work-Life Programs for Elder Care

A. Health-Related Benefits

Federal employees enjoy a broad selection of health plans and health related benefits to meet 

their family care needs. Long term care insurance and flexible spending accounts are two of the 

health-related benefits that Federal employees can use in managing an elder care situation. 

Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP). Long term care insurance can be 

used for long term care for those enrolled and their qualified relatives, and can help pay for 

ongoing expenses incurred when caring for an elder. For more information about FLTCIP and to 

find out if you are eligible to enroll, please visit www.ltcfeds.com. 

Flexible Spending Account (FSA). Flexible spending accounts allow an employee to put aside 

a portion of his or her salary before taxes to pay for many common out-of-pocket expenses

related to health care and dependent care. For more information on OPM’s Federal Flexible 

Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS) and how to utilize FSAs to assist with elder care needs, 

please see www.fsafeds.com. 

B. Employee Assistance Programs

All Federal agencies are required by law to provide Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). An 

EAP is a voluntary, work-based program to help employees work through various life 

challenges, such as caring for an elderly parent or loved one. Your agency’s EAP can direct 

employees to a wide range of resources available to assist with the care of an elderly family 

member, such as short-term counseling; confidential assessments; referrals for assisted living and 

long term care facilities; financial resources; estate planning; legal planning and resources; and 

even assistance with Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. Employees should contact their 

EAP coordinator to learn more about the specific services offered at their agency. EAP 

coordinators can be located through your local HR office or searching the work-life contact 

database at www.opm.gov/CCLContact/. 

For more information, please see OPM’s resources on Employee Assistance Programs and Elder 

Care. 

C. Dependent Care Programs

Many agencies offer dependent care programs that provide support for elder caregivers. 

Examples of such programs include: 

• Seminars and brown-bags to provide information related to elder care; 

• Support groups for elder caregivers; and

• Emergency back-up care, which provides care services when existing care arrangements 

have fallen through unexpectedly. 

21 
IV. Overview of Workplace Flexibilities and Work-Life Programs

Sections II and III of this Handbook provide information regarding the leave programs, 

workplace flexibilities, and work-life programs available for elder caregiving. This section 

provides a brief summary of benefits and is designed to demonstrate interactions among the 

various leave programs, workplace flexibilities, and work-life programs to help employees 

understand how these options can be used together. 

A. Summary of Leave Programs Available for Elder Care

The following provides a quick summary of the various leave programs available for elder care

purposes, broken out by program. An employee may be able to use some or all of these leave 

programs, depending on his or her leave balances, family association, and interests and needs of 

the individual employee. 

A new employee who is not eligible for FMLA may:

Consider the following types of leave to accompany an elderly family member to medical 

appointments and care for a family member with a minor injury or illness or a serious health 

condition (Note: incapacity lasting at least 24 work hours meets the requirements for use of 

donated annual leave under VLTP and VLBP): 

• Use sick leave entitlement—limited to 12 weeks per leave year to care for a family 

member with a serious health condition and a total of 12 weeks per leave year for all 

family care purposes 

• Request annual leave 

• Request advanced sick leave 

• Request advanced annual leave 

• Request donated annual leave under VLTP/VLBP—may only be used if employee 

has exhausted his or her available paid leave. Donated annual leave may be used to 

repay advanced sick or advanced annual leave taken during a medical emergency once 

the employee is approved for a leave sharing program

• Request leave without pay outside of FMLA 

An employee who is eligible for FMLA may: 

Consider the following types of leave to accompany an elderly family member to medical 

appointments and care for a family member with a minor injury or illness or a serious health 

condition (Note: incapacity lasting at least 24 work hours meets the requirements for use of 

donated annual leave under VLTP and VLBP): 

• Use sick leave entitlement—limited to 12 weeks per leave year to care for a family 

member with a serious health condition and a total of 12 weeks per leave year for all 

family care purposes

• Request advanced sick leave (agency may require invocation of FMLA if employee 

is caring for an elderly spouse or parent with a serious health condition) 

• Request annual leave (agency may require invocation of FMLA if employee is caring 

22 
for an elderly spouse or parent with a serious health condition)

• Request advanced annual leave (agency may require invocation of FMLA if 

employee is caring for an elderly spouse or parent with a serious health condition) 

• Request donated annual leave under VLTP/VLBP—may only be used if employee 

has exhausted his or her available paid leave (agency may require invocation of 

FMLA if the employee is caring for an elderly spouse or parent with a serious health 

condition). Donated annual leave may be used to repay advanced sick or advanced 

annual leave taken during the medical emergency once the employee is approved for 

the leave sharing program 

• Invoke FMLA for up to 12 weeks if employee is caring for an elderly spouse or 

parent with a serious health condition—unpaid leave 

o May substitute sick leave for unpaid FMLA leave 

o May substitute advanced sick leave for unpaid FMLA leave 

o May substitute annual leave for unpaid FMLA leave 

o May substitute advanced annual leave for unpaid FMLA leave 

o May substitute donated annual leave for unpaid FMLA leave 

o May take on an intermittent basis 

• Request leave without pay outside of FMLA 

B. Differences between Sick Leave, Leave Sharing and FMLA

The following chart highlights the key differences in the individual for whom an employee may 

provide care for purposes related to sick leave, leave sharing, and FMLA. Since an employee 

may need to take leave to care for a variety of elderly family members —not just parents—

including a parent-in-law, a parent’s same or opposite-sex domestic partner, a grandparent, or an 

aunt or uncle, an employee will need to pay close attention to the definitions associated with the 

different programs. The sick leave and leave sharing programs entitle an employee to care for 

anyone who meets the definition of family member. The definition of family member is shown in 

the chart below. The term family member is not used in the FMLA regulations. Under FMLA, 

an employee can care only for the individuals mentioned in the FMLA statute, as shown in the 

chart below, when that person has a serious health condition. It is important to consider the 

employee’s relationship to the individual for whom he or she will be providing care in order to 

properly advise the employee which program(s) he or she can use to care for that individual. 

An employee may care for the following individuals using these leave programs

Sick Leave/Leave Sharing FMLA

An individual with any of the following 

relationships to the employee:

• Spouse, and parents thereof; 

• Sons and daughters, and spouses thereof; 

• Parents, and spouses thereof; 

• Brothers and sisters, and spouses thereof; 

• Grandparents and grandchildren, and 

An individual with any of the following 

relationships to the employee:

• Spouse (same-sex or opposite-sex); 

• Son or daughter (under the age of 18 or 

incapable of self-care because of a mental 

or physical disability); or 

• Parent

23 
spouses thereof;

• Domestic partner and parents thereof, 

including domestic partners of any 

individual in the 2nd to 5th bullets of this 

definition; or 

• Any individual related by blood or affinity 

whose close association with the 

employee is the equivalent of a family 

relationship

C. Summary of Work Schedule Flexibilities Available for Elder Care

The following provides a quick summary of the various work schedule flexibilities available for 

elder care purposes. An employee may be able to use some or a combination of these 

flexibilities depending on agency policy, applicable collective bargaining agreements, 

supervisory approval, and the needs of the individual employee.

An employee who will care for an elderly individual or family member 

May request the following flexibilities to adjust his or her work schedule and/or reduce 

commuting time to allow more time to handle elder care matters: 

• Request telework—could be used temporarily from a different geographic location, if 

such ad-hoc arrangements are permitted under an agency’s telework policy. Could 

also be used part-time or intermittently under an agency’s telework policy 

• Request remote work—could be used on full-time, part-time or intermittent basis as 

approved by the agency on a case-by-case basis under an agency’s remote work 

policy 

• Request an alternative work schedule—employees have a right to request

compressed or flexible schedules to complete an 80-hour biweekly pay period 

• Request part-time employment—certain benefits will be prorated

• Request job sharing—generally two employees at same grade level share a job and

are considered part-time employees 

D. Interaction of Various Workplace Flexibilities and Work-Life Programs 

for Elder Care Illustrations 

An employee facing elder caregiving responsibilities may find it helpful to review the following 

to provide an understanding of what leave programs, workplace flexibilities, and work-life 

programs may be used in combination to meet employees’ specific needs. Please note that the 

examples do not exhaust all of the various workplace flexibilities or work-life programs

available to the employee, but serve as illustrations of how the various flexibilities and programs 

can be used together to help the employee meet work and family needs. We encourage each 

employee to use the checklist provided on pages 4-5 and the summaries provided on pages 22-24 

24 
to decide which flexibilities would work best for his or her situation and discuss those options 

with his or her manager/supervisor. 

Illustration 1: Parent Losing Vision 

Felicia works in Baltimore, Maryland. Her father lives by himself in New Brunswick, New 

Jersey. Her father’s health is relatively good, but he has macular degeneration that has caused 

him to give up driving. Felicia’s father is dealing with feelings of depression related to losing his 

independence and Felicia wants to help. What options does Felicia use to help her father? 

• Alternative Work Schedule (AWS)/Telework. Felicia has been approved to work a 5-

4/9 schedule with an AWS day off every other Friday. She is also permitted to telework 

the Thursday before her AWS day off. This allows Felicia to avoid the commute and 

provides her with the opportunity to drive to New Jersey after teleworking on Thursday 

evening in order to give Felicia her full AWS day off to assist her father with medical and 

other appointments, such as a vision rehabilitation program where he learns to use various 

assistive devices. She is able to spend weekends taking care of her father’s other needs, 

e.g., grocery shopping. Felicia appreciates being able to use telework in combination with 

AWS to care for her father so she can save her sick leave for any future longer-term care 

needs he may have or any sick leave needs of her own. 

• Sick Leave. Felicia is entitled to use sick leave to take her father to medical or optical 

appointments that occur during her scheduled workday. 

• Agency-Sponsored Elder Care Support Group and Employee Assistance Programs 

(EAP). Felicia recently joined an elder care support group at work. She also received 

several referrals from her agency's EAP for organizations that work with people with 

limited vision to help her father cope with his declining independence. The EAP also 

provided referrals for counseling for her father because of his depression.

Illustration 2: Parent Moves into Continuing Care Retirement Community 

Karen works in Atlanta, Georgia, and her mother lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Karen’s 

mother is relatively healthy, but she is recovering from a nasty fall that has led to her decision to 

move into a continuing care retirement community. As a result, Karen and her sister need to 

help her mother clean out her large house and prepare it for sale. However, Karen’s office is 

short-staffed, making it a bad time for her to take leave. What options does Karen use? 

• Telework from Different Geographic Location. Karen is approved to telework from 

her mother's house each weekday and can spend the evenings and weekends with her 

mother and sister to sort, clean, pack, hold a garage sale, arrange for contractors to work 

on the house, meet with potential realtors, and get the house listed for sale. Since this 

telework arrangement is temporary (lasting 2 months upon Karen’s request), Karen’s 

duty station does not change even though she is not coming into the office twice during a 

biweekly pay period. Based on the duration of the telework arrangement, the temporary 

nature, and case-by-case determination by the agency, she maintains the duty station of 

her official work site as if she were reporting into the regular office location. Therefore, 

25 
this situation is not considered remote work since Karen is expected to return to her 

official worksite at the end of the 2-month agreed upon duration. 

• EAP. Karen receives referrals for moving companies and realtors through her EAP. 

• Sick Leave/Annual Leave. Karen is entitled to use sick leave to take her mother to 

medical appointments or to care for her mother if she gets sick. She requests annual 

leave for activities that require her to be absent from work for which sick leave would not 

be appropriate, such as taking her mother to social outings and gatherings. 

Illustration 3: Parent’s Recovery from Surgery

Bill works in Washington, DC, and his father lives on his own in Charleston, South Carolina. 

Bill's father needs a hip replacement, and he will need someone to stay with him during his 

recovery since he lives by himself. Bill wants to help out, but his agency really needs him at 

work. What options does Bill use to help his father? 

• Sick Leave. Bill uses sick leave for care of a family member with a serious health 

condition to care for his father while he is hospitalized and for any time he is actively 

caring for his father (and not teleworking) during his period of recovery from hip 

replacement surgery. 

• Telework from Different Geographic Location. Bill asked his agency to telework 

temporarily from his father’s house in Charleston during his father’s recovery from hip 

replacement. Bill’s request to extend the temporary telework arrangement is granted 

twice because his father’s recovery was not progressing as quickly as expected. 

• Remote Work. Although Bill’s father is recovering very nicely, Bill believes it is best 

for him to permanently move to Charleston to be close to his father and puts in his 

resignation notice. Since Bill is a hard-working and valuable employee and his 

supervisor needs him on the job, his supervisor offers Bill a remote work arrangement 

which allows Bill to live and perform work in Charleston in order to be closer to his 

father.

Illustration 4: Caring for an Ill Parent 

Benjamin has a low sick leave balance as a result of caring for his wife during her recovery from

breast cancer. Benjamin’s father is now seriously ill after having a heart attack. After being 

hospitalized and placed in a rehabilitation center, his condition does not improve. It becomes 

clear that Benjamin’s father will have to move into a continuing care facility. What options does 

Benjamin use? 

• Sick Leave. Benjamin uses his sick leave to provide psychological comfort to his father 

while he is in the hospital and in the rehabilitation center. 

• FMLA. Although Benjamin has a positive sick leave balance, between his wife’s cancer 

and his father’s care, he has exhausted his 12 weeks of sick leave to care for a family 

member with a serious health condition. So he invokes his FMLA entitlement as his 

26 
father's time in the rehabilitation center continues. He substitutes annual leave for FMLA 

leave without pay in order to remain in a pay status. 

• EAP. From a list provided by his agency EAP, Benjamin investigates several nursing 

facilities where his father could move once he leaves the rehabilitation center. 

Benjamin’s EAP also provides referrals for attorneys specializing in elder law who can 

provide legal counseling. 

• Annual Leave. Benjamin requests annual leave to clean out his father's apartment and to 

meet with attorneys regarding legal responsibility for his father’s affairs. 

• Voluntary Leave Transfer Program (VLTP). After he exhausts his annual leave, 

Benjamin applies to receive donated annual leave under the VLTP to care for his father. 

Benjamin is eligible to receive donated annual leave even though he has a sick leave 

balance since he has exhausted his annual leave and the 12 weeks of sick leave per leave 

year for family care purposes. 

Illustration 5: Employee Balancing Child and Elder Care Responsibilities

Anna and Fred have two sons and care for Anna's mother who has Alzheimer's disease and is 

living with them. Fred cares for his mother-in-law during the day and works at night, and Anna 

works during the day and cares for her mother in the evenings. Recently one of their sons, who 

has learning disabilities, has been having problems with one of his teachers and is getting in 

fights. Anna's mother, who has a history of wandering from home, was just discharged from the 

hospital where she was treated for kidney problems because she refuses to drink enough liquids. 

Anna feels like she has not slept in years. She is having problems concentrating at work, and her 

performance is suffering. She feels as if she does not have a break, her marriage is falling apart, 

she does not know how to handle her son’s bad attitude at school and at home, and she is scared 

that something tragic will happen to her mother. What resources does Anna use to help with her 

situation? 

• EAP. A co-worker suggests Anna contact her EAP. Her EAP counselor provides shortterm counselling to help Anna cope with family stressors and refers her to an Alzheimer’s 

support group. 

• Part-time Work Schedule. Anna’s EAP suggests that she consider working a part-time 

work schedule which might help her better deal with the stress of her multiple 

responsibilities.

Illustration 6: Serious Illness and Death of a Parent

Chloe lives with her mother, who has contracted a severe case of the flu and ends up in the 

hospital. While in the hospital, Chloe’s mother was diagnosed with pneumonia. Unfortunately, 

her condition rapidly deteriorates, and Chloe’s mother dies. What flexibilities are there to assist 

Chloe? 

• Telework and Sick Leave. Chloe uses a combination of telework and sick leave for 3 

days while her mother is sick in bed with the flu.

27 
• Sick Leave. Chloe uses the remaining balance of her sick leave to provide psychological

comfort to her mother as her condition worsens.

• Annual Leave and VLTP. After exhausting her annual leave, Chloe applies for the

VLTP and uses donated annual leave to continue round-the-clock care for her mother.

After her mother’s death, Chloe’s agency approves her to remain on the VLTP to make

arrangements for her mother’s funeral and attend the funeral.

• EAP. Upon her return to work, Chloe contacts her EAP to find support with grief

counseling.

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United StateS 

Office Of PerSOnnel ManageMent

Employee and Services

Pay and Leave

1900 E Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20415

ES/PL-25