Expansion of the DOL COVID-19 Workplace

Safety Plan to Include Use of Administrative

Leave for COVID-19 Vaccination

This message is intended for all Department of Labor Federal employees.

Dear Colleagues,

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global public health emergency, and combating the virus is a national priority. A key

component of DOL’s COVID-19 Workplace Safety Plan focuses on protecting the health and safety of all DOL

employees. To help defeat the virus and increase the population of vaccinated DOL employees, effective immediately,

the Department is expanding the DOL COVID-19 Workplace Safety Plan to allow administrative leave for DOL Federal

employees who voluntarily opt to receive the COVID-19 vaccination through any available provider during their regular

tour of duty hours.

Under this authority, an employee may receive up to 4 hours of administrative leave per dose of the COVID-19 vaccine,

not to exceed a maximum of 8 hours total for multiple doses, including travel to and from vaccination appointments. If an

employee spends less time getting the vaccine, only the needed amount of administrative leave will be granted. Time

needed in excess of four hours may be granted, at the employee's request, as annual leave, sick leave, or other forms of

paid or non-paid leave.

Employees may experience side effects (e.g., fever, chills, headache) following receipt of the vaccination. If the employee

becomes too ill to work due to side effects from the vaccine, management may grant administrative leave/excused

absence for the remainder of the day of vaccination and for up to two work days immediately following each dose of the

vaccination. For employees on a flexible schedule, the number of hours of administrative leave for the day of the

vaccination and the two days immediately following vaccination should not exceed 8 hours per day.

In addition, the following procedures for requesting and granting administrative leave to receive the COVID-19 vaccine

apply:

1. Employees must obtain advance supervisory approval before using administrative leave for COVID-19 vaccination

purposes.

2. Requests for the use of administrative leave for this purpose must be made by email and must include the date and

hours within the regularly scheduled workday for which administrative leave is being requested.

3. An employee’s self-certification of the appointment(s) or inability to work due to side effects from the vaccine is

acceptable. In requesting or recording administrative leave for COVID-19 vaccination, employees should not provide

any medical or genetic information to supervisors.

4. Employees may not be credited with administrative leave or overtime work for time spent getting a vaccination

outside of their regular tour of duty hours.

5. Employees on administrative leave are not provided travel reimbursement.

LABORNET
6. Employees must use webTA code “66-Administrative Leave - Agency Directed” to record all time when using

administrative leave during their duty hours to receive the vaccine from a state or local resource (including personal

physicians and pharmacies) and for any hours approved due to an adverse reaction.

7. The purpose for which the administrative leave is used — specifically referenced as “COVID-19 vaccination” — must

be recorded in webTA in the comments section of the employee's time and attendance record.

8. This DOL authority is effective February 1, 2021, and remains in effect until modified or canceled.

9. Employees may amend timesheets to replace previously used annual or sick leave taken for this purpose retroactive

to February 1, 2021, with administrative leave subject to the same limits, timekeeping requirements, and

documentation requirements. (Note: On March 19, 2021, this policy was modified to allow employees to claim

administrative leave for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment retroactive to any date that an employee received the

vaccine.)

All DOL employees are encouraged to obtain the vaccination through whatever provider becomes first available,

including state and local public health departments, local pharmacies, personal healthcare providers, and other vaccine

sources. Accordingly, employees desiring COVID-19 vaccination are encouraged to register with their state and local

authorities.

Questions regarding this matter may be sent to 

Sincerely,

Sydney T. Rose | Chief Human Capital Officer

Last updated: March 23, 2021