With an extra pay period in leave year 2023, most employees will have more annual leave hours to manage. Usually, a leave year has 26 pay periods, however the 2023 leave year has 27. This is important because employees typically earn either 4, 6 or 8 annual leave hours each pay period, but can only carry over 240 hours into the following leave year. A leave year begins on the first day of the first full pay period in a calendar year (January 1, 2023 this leave year) and ends on the day immediately before the first day of the first full pay period in the following calendar year (January 13, 2024.) Since there is an additional pay period this leave year, employees will earn more annual leave than usual, but must keep the balance below 240 hours by January 13, 2024. Any leave over the 240-hour limit is forfeited.

What you need to do?

Use it, lose it, or donate it. Even though you’ll earn more this leave year, there is still a 240-hour carryover limit for most employees. This means that if you have any remaining annual leave over 240 hours after January 13, 2024, you will lose it.

• How to use it
  • Work with your supervisor to use annual leave by January 13, 2024 to stay below the 240-hour limit. Visit the HRM Leave webpage for guidance.
• How to donate it
  • If you can’t use it, please consider donating it to a colleague in need using the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program. The goal of the VLTP is to ease economic hardship for employees experiencing eligible personal or family medical emergencies and who have run out of their available paid leave. Please visit the VLTP section of the HRM Leave webpage for more information, a list of eligible participants, and instructions for how to donate before January 13, 2024.

Help is available

Open an HR Help case:

• Call: 1-877-372-7248, Press 2.
• Email: hrm_contact_center@usda.gov.
• Self-Service: ConnectHR, then select HR Help. For detailed instructions, visit the HR Help How-to Add a Case Guide.