5 USC 6338 - Prohibition of coercion

Collapse to view only § 6338. Prohibition of coercion

§ 6331. Definitions
§ 6332. General authority
§ 6333. Receipt and use of transferred leave
§ 6334. Donations of leave
§ 6335. Termination of medical emergency
§ 6336. Restoration of transferred leave
§ 6337. Accrual of leave
§ 6338. Prohibition of coercion
§ 6339. Additional leave transfer programs
§ 6340. Inapplicability of certain provisions

§ 6331. Definitions

For the purpose of this subchapter—

(1) the term “employee” means an employee as defined by section 6301(2), excluding an individual employed by the government of the District of Columbia;

(2) the term “leave recipient” means an employee whose application to receive donations of leave under this subchapter is approved;

(3) the term “leave donor” means an employee whose application to make 1 or more donations of leave under this subchapter is approved; and

(4) the term “medical emergency” means a medical condition of an employee or a family member of such employee that is likely to require the prolonged absence of such employee from duty and to result in a substantial loss of income to such employee because of the unavailability of paid leave (disregarding any advanced leave).

(Added Pub. L. 100–566, § 2(a), Oct. 31, 1988, 102 Stat. 2834; amended Pub. L. 103–103, § 3, Oct. 8, 1993, 107 Stat. 1022.)

§ 6332. General authority

Notwithstanding any provision of subchapter I, and subject to the provisions of this subchapter, the Office of Personnel Management shall establish a program under which annual leave accrued or accumulated by an employee may be transferred to the annual leave account of any other employee if such other employee requires additional leave because of a medical emergency.

(Added Pub. L. 100–566, § 2(a), Oct. 31, 1988, 102 Stat. 2834.)

§ 6333. Receipt and use of transferred leave

(a)

(1) An application to receive donations of leave under this subchapter, whether submitted by or on behalf of an employee—

(A) shall be submitted to the employing agency of the proposed leave recipient; and

(B) shall include—

(i) the name, position title, and grade or pay level of the proposed leave recipient;

(ii) the reasons why transferred leave is needed, including a brief description of the nature, severity, anticipated duration, and, if it is a recurring one, the approximate frequency of the medical emergency involved;

(iii) if the employing agency so requires, certification from 1 or more physicians, or other appropriate experts, with respect to any matter under clause (ii); and

(iv) any other information which the employing agency may reasonably require.

(2) If an agency requires that an employee obtain certification under paragraph (1)(B)(iii) from 2 or more sources, the agency shall ensure, either by direct payment to the expert involved or by reimbursement, that the employee is not required to pay for the expenses associated with obtaining certification from more than 1 of such sources.

(3) An employing agency shall approve or disapprove an application of a proposed leave recipient for leave under this subchapter, and, to the extent practicable, shall notify the proposed leave recipient (or other person acting on behalf of the proposed recipient, if appropriate) of the decision of the agency, in writing, within 10 days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays) after receiving such application.

(b)

(1) A leave recipient may use annual leave received under this subchapter in the same manner and for the same purposes as if such leave recipient had accrued that leave under section 6303, except that any annual leave, and any sick leave, accrued or accumulated by the leave recipient and available for the purpose involved must be exhausted before any transferred annual leave may be used.

(2)

(A) The requirement under paragraph (1) relating to exhaustion of annual and sick leave shall not apply in the case of a leave recipient who—

(i) sustains a combat-related disability while a member of the armed forces, including a reserve component of the armed forces; and

(ii) is undergoing medical treatment for that disability.

(B) Subparagraph (A) shall apply to a member described in such subparagraph only so long as the member continues to undergo medical treatment for the disability, but in no event for longer than 5 years from the start of such treatment.

(i) the term “combat-related disability” has the meaning given such term by section 1413a(e) of title 10; and

(ii) the term “medical treatment” has such meaning as the Office of Personnel Management shall by regulation prescribe.

(1) may accumulate without regard to any limitation under section 6304; and

(2) may be substituted retroactively for any period of leave without pay, or used to liquidate an indebtedness for any period of advanced leave, which began on or after a date fixed by the employing agency of the employee as the beginning of the medical emergency involved.

(Added Pub. L. 100–566, § 2(a), Oct. 31, 1988, 102 Stat. 2834; amended Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title XVI, § 1675(a), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 484.)

§ 6334. Donations of leave

(a) An employee may, by written application to the employing agency of such employee, request that a specified number of hours be transferred from the annual leave account of such employee to the annual leave account of a leave recipient in accordance with section 6332.

(b)

(1) In any one leave year, a leave donor may donate no more than a total of one-half of the amount of annual leave such donor would be entitled to accrue during the leave year in which the donation is made.

(2) A leave donor who is projected to have annual leave that otherwise would be subject to forfeiture at the end of the leave year under section 6304(a) may donate no more than the number of hours remaining in the leave year (as of the date of the transfer) for which the leave donor is scheduled to work and receive pay.

(3) The employing agency of a leave donor may waive the limitation under paragraphs (1) and (2). Any such waiver shall be made in writing.

(c) The Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe regulations to include procedures to carry out this subchapter when the leave donor and the leave recipient are employed by different agencies.

(Added Pub. L. 100–566, § 2(a), Oct. 31, 1988, 102 Stat. 2835.)

§ 6335. Termination of medical emergency

(a) The medical emergency affecting a leave recipient shall, for purposes of this subchapter, be considered to have terminated on the date as of which—

(1) the leave recipient notifies the employing agency of such leave recipient, in writing, that the medical emergency no longer exists;

(2) the employing agency of such leave recipient determines, after written notice and opportunity for the leave recipient (or, if appropriate, another person acting on behalf of the leave recipient) to answer orally or in writing, that the medical emergency no longer exists; or

(3) the leave recipient is separated from service.

(b)

(1) The employing agency of a leave recipient shall, consistent with guidelines prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management, establish procedures to ensure that a leave recipient is not permitted to use or receive any transferred leave under this subchapter after the medical emergency terminates.

(2) Nothing in section 5551, 5552, or 6306 shall apply with respect to any annual leave transferred to a leave recipient under this subchapter.

(Added Pub. L. 100–566, § 2(a), Oct. 31, 1988, 102 Stat. 2836.)

§ 6336. Restoration of transferred leave

(a)

(1) The Office of Personnel Management shall establish procedures under which, except as provided in paragraph (2), any transferred leave remaining to the credit of a leave recipient when the medical emergency affecting the leave recipient terminates shall be restored on a prorated basis by transfer to the appropriate accounts of the respective leave donors.

(2) Nothing in paragraph (1) shall require the restoration of leave to a leave donor—

(A) if the amount of leave which would be restored to such donor would be less than 1 hour or any other shorter period of time which the Office may by regulation prescribe;

(B) if such donor retires, dies, or is otherwise separated from service, before the date on which such restoration would otherwise be made; or

(b) At the election of the leave donor, transferred annual leave restored to such leave donor under subsection (a) may be restored by—

(1) crediting such leave to the leave donor’s annual leave account in the then current leave year;

(2) crediting such leave to the leave donor’s annual leave account, effective as of the first day of the first leave year beginning after the date of the election; or

(3) donating such leave in whole or part to another leave recipient; if a leave donor elects to donate only part of restored leave to another recipient, the donor may elect to have the remaining leave credited to the donor’s annual leave account in accordance with paragraph (1) or (2).

(c) The Office shall prescribe regulations under which this section shall be applied in the case of an employee who is paid other than on the basis of biweekly pay periods.

(d) Restorations of leave under this section shall be carried out in a manner consistent with regulations prescribed to carry out section 6334(c), if applicable.

(Added Pub. L. 100–566, § 2(a), Oct. 31, 1988, 102 Stat. 2836.)

§ 6337. Accrual of leave

(a) For the purpose of this section—

(1) the term “paid leave status under subchapter I”, as used with respect to an employee, means the administrative status of such employee while such employee is using sick leave, or annual leave, accrued or accumulated under subchapter I; and

(2) the term “transferred leave status”, as used with respect to an employee, means the administrative status of such employee while such employee is using transferred leave under this subchapter.

(b)

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, while an employee is in a transferred leave status, annual leave and sick leave shall accrue to the credit of such employee at the same rate as if such employee were then in a paid leave status under subchapter I, except that—

(A) the maximum amount of annual leave which may be accrued by an employee while in transferred leave status in connection with any particular medical emergency may not exceed 5 days; and

(B) the maximum amount of sick leave which may be accrued by an employee while in transferred leave status in connection with any particular medical emergency may not exceed 5 days.

(2) Any annual or sick leave accrued by an employee under this section—

(A) shall be credited to an annual leave or sick leave account, as appropriate, separate from any leave account of such employee under subchapter I; and

(B) shall not become available for use by such employee, and may not otherwise be taken into account under subchapter I, until, in accordance with subsection (c), it is transferred to the appropriate leave account of such employee under subchapter I.

(c)

(1) Any annual or sick leave accrued by an employee under this section shall be transferred to the appropriate leave account of such employee under subchapter I, and shall be available for use—

(A) as of the beginning of the first applicable pay period beginning after the date on which the employee’s medical emergency terminates as described in paragraph (1) or (2) of section 6335(a); or

(B) if the employee’s medical emergency has not yet terminated, once the employee has exhausted all transferred leave made available to such employee under this subchapter.

(2) In the event that the employee’s medical emergency terminates as described in section 6335(a)(3)—

(A) any leave accrued but not yet transferred under this section shall not be credited to such employee; or

(B) if there remains, as of the date the emergency so terminates, any leave which became available to such employee under paragraph (1)(B), such leave shall cease to be available for any purpose.

(d) Nothing in this section shall be considered to prevent, with respect to a continuing medical emergency, further transfers of leave for use after leave accrued under this section has been exhausted by the employee.

(Added Pub. L. 100–566, § 2(a), Oct. 31, 1988, 102 Stat. 2837; amended Pub. L. 103–103, § 4, Oct. 8, 1993, 107 Stat. 1022.)

§ 6338. Prohibition of coercion

(a) An employee may not directly or indirectly intimidate, threaten, or coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any other employee for the purpose of interfering with any right which such employee may have with respect to contributing, receiving, or using annual leave under this subchapter.

(b) For the purpose of subsection (a), the term “intimidate, threaten, or coerce” includes promising to confer or conferring any benefit (such as an appointment, promotion, or compensation), or effecting or threatening to effect any reprisal (such as deprivation of appointment, promotion, or compensation).

(Added Pub. L. 100–566, § 2(a), Oct. 31, 1988, 102 Stat. 2837.)

§ 6339. Additional leave transfer programs

(a) For the purpose of this section—

(1) the term “excepted agency” means—

(A) the Central Intelligence Agency;

(B) the Defense Intelligence Agency;

(D) the Federal Bureau of Investigation;

(E) the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; and

(F) as determined by the President, any Executive agency or unit thereof, the principal function of which is the conduct of foreign intelligence or counterintelligence activities; and

(2) the term “head of an excepted agency” means—

(A) with respect to the Central Intelligence Agency, the Director of Central Intelligence;

(B) with respect to the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency;

(D) with respect to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation;

(E) with respect to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; and

(F) with respect to an Executive agency designated under paragraph (1)(F), the head of such Executive agency, and with respect to a unit of an Executive agency designated under paragraph (1)(F), such individual as the President may determine.

(b)

(1) The head of an excepted agency shall, by regulation, establish a program under which annual leave accrued or accumulated by an employee of such agency may be transferred to the annual leave account of any other employee of such agency if such other employee requires additional leave because of a medical emergency.

(2) To the extent practicable, and consistent with the protection of intelligence sources and methods (if applicable), each program under this subsection shall be established—

(A) in a manner consistent with the provisions of this subchapter applicable to the program; and

(B) without regard to any provisions relating to transfers or restorations of leave between employees in different agencies.

(c)

(1) Notwithstanding any provision of subsection (b), the head of an excepted agency may, at his sole discretion, by regulation establish a program under which an individual employed in or under such excepted agency may participate in a leave transfer program established under the provisions of this subchapter outside of this section, including provisions permitting the transfer of annual leave accrued or accumulated by such employee to, or permitting such employee to receive transferred leave from, an employee of any other agency (including another excepted agency having a program under this subsection).

(2) To the extent practicable and consistent with the protection of intelligence sources and methods, any program established under paragraph (1) shall be consistent with the provisions of this subchapter outside of this section and with any regulations issued by the Office of Personnel Management implementing this subchapter.

(d) The Office shall provide the head of an excepted agency with such advice and assistance as the head of such agency may request in order to carry out the purposes of this section.

(Added Pub. L. 100–566, § 2(a), Oct. 31, 1988, 102 Stat. 2838; amended Pub. L. 103–359, title V, § 501(i), Oct. 14, 1994, 108 Stat. 3429; Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title XI, § 1122(a), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2687; Pub. L. 107–306, title III, § 322, Nov. 27, 2002, 116 Stat. 2391; Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title IX, § 931(a)(1), Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4575.)

§ 6340. Inapplicability of certain provisions

Except to the extent that the Office of Personnel Management may prescribe regulations, nothing in section 7351 shall apply with respect to a solicitation, donation, or acceptance of leave under this subchapter.

(Added Pub. L. 100–566, § 2(a), Oct. 31, 1988, 102 Stat. 2838.)