Note: The agency-wide Safety Boot Reimbursement Policy was updated on Oct. 1, 2020, with an increased reimbursement limit and a resetting of the three-year reimbursement cycle for all eligible employees. It has come to leadership’s attention that there may be some miscommunication in the field on our commitment to ensuring that every eligible employee is able to benefit from this updated policy (internal link).

The agency remains absolutely committed to ensuring that all eligible employees are reimbursed for the safety boots they need for their work. With that in mind, no employee should be discouraged from submitting their request for reimbursement, and requests from eligible employees should not be denied due to misunderstandings of local funding or confusion around the budget modernization effort. As a reminder, employees can apply for reimbursement by connecting to the program’s link on their ConnectHR page.

 WASHINGTON, D.C. – In fiscal year 2021, the maximum reimbursement to employees for the purchase or maintenance of required safety boots will increase to $500. The price of approved boots and manufacturer maintenance has increased significantly since the USDA Forest Service implemented the Safety Boot Reimbursement Program in 2015, when the allowable amount was $300. The reimbursement, paid from program funds, is available to any employee who has a job task that requires fire- or field-going safety boots. This task must be identified in their official position description, on a job hazard analysis, or described in Forest Service Health and Safety Code Handbook 6709.11 Chapter 70.

Effective Monday, Mar. 15, the 45-day restriction and waiver has been eliminated from the system. Nevertheless, employees still have 45 days from the date of an eligible boot expense(purchase/re-sole/refurbish) to submit a request for reimbursement for supervisory review and approval.

Safety Boot Reimbursement is a personnel related cost funded by support effort budget line items.

Beyond the 45 days, all justifications should be sent to employee’s respective supervisor or Line Officer for approval for employee reimbursement. As stated previously, the maximum reimbursement to employees for purchase or maintenance of required safety boots is $500 over a 3-year period. As a reminder, the 3-year reimbursement cycle reset on Oct. 1, 2020 even though not explicitly stated in the updated policy. Employees are eligible for the $500 reimbursement effective October 1, 2020.

Please note that all existing labor agreement provisions and program requirements for reimbursement remain the same as before; the only change to the Safety Boot Reimbursement Program is an increase in the maximum reimbursement amount.

The Safety Boot Reimbursement Program is a recognition by the Forest Service of the effort and cost borne by the workforce in the era of record-setting fires. Providing safety boots helps ensure the health and safety of our employees. Agency leadership is committed to caring for and investing in a resilient workforce, and the increased stipend is an opportunity for leadership to act on this commitment.

Information on the Safety Boot Reimbursement Program can be found on the Forest Service Safety Boot SharePoint site (internal site) or in Forest Service Handbook 650911k_40 (internal site). Additional information may also be found in applicable collective bargaining agreements for represented employees. Employees can apply for reimbursement by connecting to the program’s link on their ConnectHR page.