CSRS Civil Service

Retirement 

System 

Retirement 

Facts 

8 

Credit for 

Unused 

Sick Leave 

Under the 

Civil Service 

Retirement 

System 

RI 83-8 

Previous edition is usable Revised November 1997

United States 

Office of 

Personnel 

Management 

Retirement and 

Insurance 

Service 
Additional retirement information and all publications of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management listed in this pamphlet are available on the 

Internet. 

OPM Website — http://www.opm.gov/asd 
Table of Contents 

Page 

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
 

Credit for Unused Sick Leave . . . . . . . . . . 3
 

Table for Converting Unused Sick Leave
 

into Additional Service . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
 

Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
 

i 
Introduction 

This pamphlet has general information about how 

sick leave is credited in an annuity under the 

Civil Service Retirement System. For more 

detailed information on credit for unused sick 

leave at the time of retirement, you should contact your current employing or personnel office. 

1 
Credit for Unused Sick Leave 

As an employee under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), if you (1) retire on an 

immediate annuity or (2) die leaving a widow, 

widower, or former spouse entitled to a survivor 

annuity, your service will be increased by the 

days of unused sick leave to your credit under a 

formal leave system. The days of unused sick 

leave that are added are used only in counting 

your number of years and months of service for 

annuity computation purposes. The sick leave 

cannot be used in computing your “high-3" average salary or for meeting the minimum length of 

service for retirement eligibility. 

In general, if your leave system charges 8 hours 

of sick leave for 1 day’s absence, 8 hours of 

unused sick leave constitutes 1 day of credit. 

Days are converted to months and years on the 

basis of a 2087 hour work year. To compute the 

additional credit for sick leave at retirement, add 

the months and days of sick leave to the months 

and days of all periods of actual service. 

For example: 

Actual service 30 years, 4 months, 16 days 

*Sick leave at retirement: 4 months, 24 days 

Total credit: 30 years, 9 months, 10 days 

Only years and full months of service are used in 

the annuity computation. Odd days are dropped. 

In the example, the 10 days would be dropped. 

You can use the conversion table to find the additional service time credit provided by unused sick 

leave. If your regular tour of duty is other than an 

average of 8 hours per day, you cannot use this 

table; you should check with your personnel or 

payroll office on how to convert unused sick 

leave into additional service. 

*	 Using the table, 835 hours of sick leave converts to 4 months 

and 24 days of credit. 

3 
Table for Converting Unused Sick Leave Into 

Additional Service 

Months 0 1 2 3 4 5 

0 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

0 

6 

12 

17 

23 

29 

174 

180 

186 

191 

197 

203 

348 

354 

360 

365 

371 

377 

522 

528 

533 

539 

545 

551 

696 

702 

707 

713 

719 

725 

870 

875 

881 

887 

893 

899 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

35 

41 

46 

52 

58 

209 

215 

220 

226 

232 

383 

388 

394 

400 

406 

557 

562 

568 

574 

580 

731 

736 

742 

748 

754 

904 

910 

916 

922 

928 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

64 

70 

75 

81 

87 

238 

244 

249 

255 

261 

412 

417 

423 

429 

435 

586 

591 

597 

603 

609 

760 

765 

771 

777 

783 

933 

939 

945 

951 

957 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

93 

99 

104 

110 

116 

267 

273 

278 

284 

290 

441 

446 

452 

458 

464 

615 

620 

626 

632 

638 

789 

794 

800 

806 

812 

962 

968 

974 

980 

986 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

122 

128 

133 

139 

146 

296 

302 

307 

313 

319 

470 

475 

481 

487 

493 

644 

649 

655 

661 

667 

817 

823 

829 

835 

841 

991 

997 

1003 

1009 

1015 

26 

27 

28 

29 

151 

157 

162 

168 

325 

331 

336 

342 

499 

504 

510 

516 

673 

678 

684 

690 

846 

852 

858 

864 

1020 

1026 

1032 

1038 

How to Use This Table 

Find the number in the table closest to the number of hours of 

your unused sick leave. In the horizontal column you will find 

the number of months and in the vertical column the remaining number of days. 

4 
Table for Converting Unused Sick Leave Into 

Additional Service 

6 7 8 9 10 11 

1044 

1049 

1055 

1061 

1067 

1073 

1217 

1223 

1229 

1235 

1241 

1246 

1391 

1397 

1403 

1409 

1415 

1420 

1565 

1571 

1577 

1583 

1589 

1594 

1739 

1745 

1751 

1757 

1762 

1768 

1913 

1919 

1925 

1931 

1936 

1942 

1078 

1084 

1090 

1096 

1102 

1252 

1258 

1264 

1270 

1275 

1426 

1432 

1438 

1444 

1449 

1600 

1606 

1612 

1618 

1623 

1774 

1780 

1786 

1791 

1797 

1948 

1954 

1960 

1965 

1971 

1107 

1113 

1119 

1125 

1131 

1281 

1287 

1293 

1299 

1304 

1455 

1461 

1467 

1473 

1478 

1629 

1635 

1641 

1646 

1652 

1803 

1809 

1815 

1820 

1826 

1977 

1983 

1989 

1994 

2000 

1136 

1142 

1148 

1154 

1160 

1310 

1316 

1322 

1328 

1333 

1484 

1490 

1496 

1502 

1507 

1658 

1664 

1670 

1675 

1681 

1832 

1838 

1844 

1849 

1855 

2006 

2012 

2018 

2023 

2029 

1165 

1171 

1177 

1183 

1189 

1339 

1345 

1351 

1357 

1362 

1513 

1519 

1525 

1531 

1536 

1687 

1693 

1699 

1704 

1710 

1861 

1867 

1873 

1878 

1884 

2035 

2041 

2047 

2052 

2058 

1194 

1200 

1206 

1212 

1368 

1374 

1380 

1386 

1542 

1548 

1554 

1560 

1716 

1722 

1728 

1733 

1890 

1896 

1902 

1907 

2064 

2070 

2075 

2081 

For example: 441 hours equals 2 months and 16 days. 

Another example: 1452 hours equals 8 months and 11 days. 

(If the number of hours falls between two figures shown on 

the table, use the next higher figure.) 

5 
Additional Information 

You may obtain copies of the pamphlets listed 

below from your personnel office, from OPM’s 

Website (http:\\www.opm.gov\asd), or from OPM 

ONLINE (OPM’s electronic bulletin board) at 

(202) 606-4800. To access OPM ONLINE, your 

communications software should be set to the following: 

Baud: Up to 28,800 

Parity: None 

Data bits: 8 

Stop bit: 1 

The pamphlets in the Retirement Facts Series, 

which provide more detailed information about 

the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), are: 

•	 Retirement Facts #1 -The Civil Service 

Retirement System (RI 83-1) 

•	 Retirement Facts #2 - Military Service Credit 

Under the Civil Service Retirement System 

(RI 83-2) 

•	 Retirement Facts #3 - Deposits and Redeposits 

Under the Civil Service Retirement System 

(RI 83-3) 

•	 Retirement Facts #4 - Disability Retirement 

Under the Civil Service Retirement System 

(RI 83-4) 

•	 Retirement Facts #5 - Survivor Benefits Under 

the Civil Service Retirement System (RI 83-5) 

•	 Retirement Facts #6 - Early Retirement Under the 

Civil Service Retirement System (RI 83-6) 

•	 Retirement Facts #7 - Computing Retirement 

Benefits Under the Civil Service Retirement 

System (RI 83-7) 

•	 Retirement Facts #8 - Credit for Unused Sick 

Leave Under the Civil Service Retirement System 

(RI 83-8) 

•	 Retirement Facts #9 - Refunds Under the Civil 

Service Retirement System (RI 83-9) 

•	 Retirement Facts #10 - Voluntary Contributions 

Under the Civil Service Retirement System 

(RI 83-10) 

6 
•	 Retirement Facts #11 - Information for Separating CSRS Employees Who Are Not Eligible for 

an Immediate Annuity (RI 83-13) 

•	 Retirement Facts #12 - Information About 

Reemployment for CSRS Annuitants (RI 83-18) 

•	 Retirement Facts #13 - CSRS Offset Retirement 

(RI 83-19) 

•	 Retirement Facts #14 - Law Enforcement and 

Firefighter Civil Service Retirement System 

Retirement (RI 83-20) 

Pamphlets applicable to employees in both the 

Civil Service Retirement System and Federal 

Employees Retirement System are: 

•	 Court-Ordered Benefits for Former Spouses 

(RI 84-1) 

•	 Work-Related Injuries and Fatalities — What You 

and Your Family Need to Know About Your 

Benefits (RI 84-2) 

•	 Life Events and Your Retirement and Insurance 

Benefits (For Employees) RI 84-3) 

• Thinking About Retirement? (RI 83-11) 

Publications for employees who are under the 

Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) 

are: 

•	 FERS Brochure (An Overview of Your Benefits) 

(RI 90-1) 

•	 FERS Facts #1 - Information for Separating 

FERS Employees Who Are Not Eligible for an 

Immediate Annuity (RI 90-11) 

•	 FERS Facts #2 - Information About 

Reemployment for FERS Annuitants (RI 90-18) 

For employees who are eligible to transfer to the 

Federal Employee Retirement System: 

•	 FERS Transfer Handbook (A Guide to Making 

Your Decision) (RI 90-3) 

7 
Pamphlets on the Federal Employees Health and 

Life Insurance Programs are: 

•	 Federal Employees Health Benefits Guide 

(RI 70-1) 

•	 Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) 

under the Federal Employees Health Benefits 

Program (RI 79-27) 

•	 Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Booklet 

(RI 76-21) 

8 
Notes 

9
 
Notes 

10
 
Notes 

11
 
Retirement & Insurance Service 

Serving over 10 million customers, Federal employees, 

annuitants, and their families