Unscheduled
Leave Request Hotline:
877-477-3273
TTY
866-833-8777
Have
your FMLA case numbers handy.
Sick Leave for Employee Incapacitation
Sick leave insures employees against loss of pay if they are incapacitated for
the performance of duties because of illness, injury, pregnancy and
confinement, and medical (including dental or optical) examination or
treatment.
Medical
Documentation Required for Sick Leave Authorization
Documentation
to be furnished by the employee’s attending physician or other attending practitioner who is performing within the scope
of his or her practice:
The documentation
should provide an explanation of the nature of the employee’s illness or injury sufficient to indicate to management
that the employee was (or will be) unable to perform his or her normal duties for the period of absence.
Normally, medical
statements such as “under my care” or “received treatment” are not acceptable evidence of incapacitation
to perform duties.
Requests for Annual Leave
Emergencies
An exception to the advance approval requirement is made for emergencies;
however, in these situations, the employee must notify appropriate postal
authorities of the emergency and the expected duration of the absence as
soon as possible.
When sufficient information is provided to the supervisor to determine that
the absence may be covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA),
the supervisor completes a PS Form 3971 and mails it to the employee’s
address of record along with Publication 71,
Notice for Employees
Requesting Leave for Conditions Covered by Family and Medical Leave
Policies.
When the supervisor is not provided enough information in advance of the
absence to determine that the absence is covered by FMLA, the employee
must submit PS Form 3971 and applicable medical or other certification
upon returning to duty and explain the reason for the emergency to his or her
supervisor.
Supervisors approve or disapprove the leave request. When the request is
disapproved, the absence may be recorded as LWOP or absent without
leave (AWOL) at the discretion of the supervisor as outlined in ELM
512.422. 