I. Agency Estimate of FECA Entitlement: 

A. Weekly Base Payrate (excluding overtime) 

Enter the greatest amount and the effective date of that amount on line 1.

U.S. Department of Labor 

Office of Workers' Compensation Programs

Leave Buy Back (LBB) Worksheet/ 

Certification and Election

Employee Statement - Please carefully read instructions on pages 3 and 4 before filling out this form.

A. Name of Employee: (Last, First, Middle)

C. Social Security Number:

B. OWCP File Number:

D. Period for Which Compensation is Claimed to Repurchase Leave

From: To:

Form CA-7b (June 1996)

• Date of Injury $

• Date Stopped Work $

• Date of Recurrence $

1.

(effective date)

B. Additions to Base Pay: 

If employee works a regular schedule, state the amount earned weekly. If irregular 

schedule, state amount earned 1 year prior to date entered on line 1 ÷ by 52.

• Night Differential 2.

• Sunday Premium 3.

• Subsistence/Quarters 4.

• Other (Specify) 5.

C. Total Weekly Payrate (Add lines 1 through 5) 6.

D. Compensation Rate (Circle either 2/3 or 3/4) 7. 2/3 3/4

E. Total Hours Claimed on CA-7a 8.

F. Total Hours Worked per Week 9.

G. Formula (for FECA Entitlement)

= 10. $

(Weekly Payrate 

See Line 6)

(Compensation Rate 

See Line 7)

$ X X

(Hours 

See Line 8)

÷

(Hours Wkd/Wk 

See Line 9)

Page 1
Page 2 Form CA-7b (June 1996)

II. Agency Certification:

H. Total Amount Due Agency to Repurchase Leave 11. $

I. Estimate of FECA Entitlement (See Line 10) 12. $

J. Balance Due Agency from Employee (Line H minus Line I) 13. $

I hereby certify that the above is consistent with agency payroll records. 

The employing agency agrees to allow the employee to repurchase his/her leave. Leave records will be, or have been, 

changed from ''Leave with Pay'' to ''Leave without Pay'' for the period shown on the leave analysis. 

I further certify that if this claim is signed by the employee, the employee has made arrangements to pay the agency the 

balance between the total amount the agency requires to recredit leave and the amount of the FECA entitlement.

(Signature of Agency Official) (Title/Position)

Phone No Date Signed:

Employing Agency Address for Check:

III. Employee Claim:

K. I hereby elect not to repurchase the leave used at this time.

L. I hereby elect FECA compensation to repurchase leave used for medical care or disability resulting from my Job-related injury

or condition. 

I understand that I am responsible for paying my agency the difference between the FECA entitlement and the amount my agency 

requires to restore my leave, and have done or made arrangements for this. 

I understand that if my actual entitlement to FECA compensation is within 10% of the amount estimated above. OWCP will process 

the leave buy back. If the payrate used in the worksheet above is within 10% of the payrate determined by FECA, and less than the 

full period claimed is approved, OWCP will process payment for the approved period.

(Signature of Claimant) (Date Signed)
Page 3 Form CA-7b (June 1996)

Instructions Form CA-7B 

Leave Buy Back Worksheet

This form is intended to accompany Form CA-7, Claim for Compensation, when the employee is claiming leave buy back.

Things to Know About Leave Buy Back: 

When an employee uses their sick or annual leave to cover an injury-related absence from work, they may elect to receive 

compensation instead. Compensation is paid at 2/3 of the employee's base pay if there are no eligible dependents, or at 3/4 with 

1 or more dependents. The agency pays leave at 100% of salary. In order for leave to be reinstated, the employee must refund to 

the agency the difference between the compensation entitlement and the total amount of leave paid by the agency. 

The employee's pay status must be changed to LWOP in order for compensation to be paid. Leave is not earned while in LWOP. 

Also, contributions to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) are not made during LWOP. Therefore, the repurchase of leave may result in 

a reduction in an employee's leave and/or TSP balance. Consult your personnel office to learn how the change to LWOP would 

effect you. 

When a Leave Buy Back (LBB) payment is made during the same year that leave is used, the employee's earnings are reduced 

by the amount repaid, and tax is not paid for the compensation received. Where leave repurchase is not completed during the 

same year in which leave is used, the employee may not adjust their prior year tax form. They may only claim the amount of 

leave paid as an employee expense, if they itemize deductions. Further questions regarding tax implications of LBB should be 

addressed to the IRS. 

A claimant may not repurchase leave used during a period they were eligible for COP. 

When disability does not exceed 14 days beyond the COP period, 3 day LWOP must be charged before compensation can be 

paid. If leave was used for this period, compensation can not be paid for the 3 days, but the claimant will have to pay back leave 

paid during the 3 days to repurchase the leave.

Instructions to the Employee: 

Please submit a claim for a minimum of 10 hours unless no further claim is anticipated. Medical documentation must be provided 

for all dates claimed. 

1. Complete the Form CA-7 for the dates claimed. Where more than one continuous period of leave is claimed, complete 

Form CA-7a following the instructions for completing that form. 

 

2. Submit the completed CA-7, CA-7a, if appropriate, and medical documentation for all dates claimed, to your agency 

official. If there are discrepancies, try to reconcile the difference with your agency official prior to submission of the claim. 

 

3. The agency official will provide you with an estimate of worker's compensation benefits due, the total amount owed the 

agency in order for the leave to be restored, arid the amount you must pay the agency. Using this information, determine 

whether you wish to repurchase your leave, and check the appropriate block. If you choose to repurchase the leave, you 

will be required to pay to the agency the difference between the compensation due and the amount owed to the agency. 

 

a. If the total amount of FECA benefits estimated by the agency is not more than 10% above the amount 

determined by OWCP to be accurate, OWCP will process a payment for all hours supported by medical 

evidence. If medical evidence supports some, but not all of the hours claimed, payment will be made 

for the approved hours. You may submit a new claim with medical support for the additional hours. 

 

b. If the total amount of FECA benefits estimated by the agency is more than 10% above the correct 

amount, OWCP will not process the payment. Instead, the Off ice will offer you a new election with the 

correct amount of FECA benefits payable, 
Page 4 Form CA-7b (June 1996)

Instructions to the Agency: 

Items A through D (top of form) are self-explanatory.

Section I. Agency Estimate of FECA Entitlement: 

Item A: Enter all three pay rate types and effective dates if applicable. Choose the greatest amount of the three and enter the 

amount and effective date in Line 1. A recurrent pay rate should only be used if: 

(1) the employee stops work more than 6 months following their first return to regular, full time duty and 

(2) the loss of time is due to disability rather than medical examinations or treatment. 

For unusual situations, please refer to Payrate Desk Aid. 

Item B: If the employee works a regular schedule, enter the differentials earned weekly. If an irregular schedule, give the total 

amount earned for the year prior to the date in Line 1 divided by the number of weeks worked in that year. 

Please refer to Payrate Desk Aid for guidance on inclusions and exclusions. If in doubt, consult a Claims Examiner. 

Item C: Add lines 1 through 5 and enter the total in Line 6. 

Item D: Circle the appropriate rate: 2/3 for employees without dependents; 3/4 with dependents. Dependents include: spouse; 

children under 18 living with or supported by the employee; children under 23 in school fuil time; children over 18 incapable of 

self support; and parents wholly supported by the employee. 

Item E: Enter the total hours claimed, from Form CA-7a. 

Item F: Enter the total hours in the employee's normal work week. 

Item G: Formula for FECA Entitlement. Use this formula to calculate estimate of FECA entitlement and enter the result in Line 

10. 

Example of computation: The weekly pay from line 6 is $574.00. The employee is married, works 40 hours a week, and is 

claiming 82 hours of leave. FECA entitlement is calculated as follows: 

$574.00 x 3/4 x 82 hours ÷ 40 hours = $882.52

Section II. Agency Certification: 

Item H & I are self-explanatory. For Line J, subtract Line I from Line H. 

Sign and date, and advise the employee of the amount they owe to the agency.

Section III. Employee Claim: 

If the employee elects not to repurchase the leave, retain the form in the agency files. If the employee elects to repurchase the 

leave, submit all claim documents (CA-7, CA-7a & CA-7b) plus any medical documentation to OWCP for processing.