District of Columbia Code
Subchapter XII - Hours of Work; Legal Holidays; Leave
§ 1–612.03. Leave

*NOTE: This section includes amendments by emergency legislation that will expire on February 20, 2023. To view the text of this section after the expiration of all emergency and temporary legislation affecting this section, click this link: Permanent Version.*
(a) All employees shall be entitled to earn annual and sick leave as provided herein, except:
(1) Educational employees under the Board of Education or Board of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia. The leave system for such employees shall be established by rules and regulations promulgated by the respective Boards;
(2) An intermittent employee who does not have a regularly scheduled tour of duty;
(3) Elected officials;
(4) Members of boards and commissions whose pay is fixed under § 1-611.08;
(5) A temporary employee appointed for less than 90 days; or
(6) Repealed.
(7) Employees covered under subchapter X-A of this chapter.
(b) The days of leave are days on which an employee would otherwise work and receive pay and are exclusive of holidays and nonworkdays. The annual leave provided by this section, including annual leave that will accrue to an employee during the year, may be granted at any time during the year by the appropriate personnel authority.
(c) An employee who accepts a position excepted from these provisions under subsection (a) of this section, without a break in service, may elect either a lump-sum payment for any unused annual leave or have such leave retained for recrediting purposes if he or she returns to a position covered by these provisions.
(d) An employee who uses excess annual leave credited because of administrative error may elect to refund the amount received for the days of excess leave by lump-sum or installment payments, or to have the excess leave carried forward as a charge against later accruing annual leave, unless repayment is waived as provided under subchapter XXIX of this chapter.
(e)(1) An employee is entitled to annual leave with pay which accrues as follows:
(A) One-half day for each full biweekly pay period for an employee with less than 3 years of federal or District government service;
(B) Three-fourths day for each full biweekly pay period, except that the accrual for the last full biweekly pay period in the year is one and one-fourth days, for an employee with 3 but less than 15 years of federal or District government service; and
(C) One day for each full biweekly pay period for an employee with 15 or more years of federal or District government service.
(2) For the purposes of this subsection, an employee is deemed employed for a full biweekly pay period if he or she is employed during the days within that period, exclusive of legal holidays and nonworkdays which fall within his or her basic administrative workweek. A part-time employee serving on a prearranged scheduled tour of duty is entitled to earn leave as provided above on a pro rata basis. Leave accrues to an employee who is not paid on the basis of biweekly pay periods on the same basis as it would accrue if the employee were paid based on biweekly pay periods. A change in the rate of accrual of annual leave by an employee under this subsection takes effect at the beginning of the pay period after the pay period, or corresponding period for an employee who is not paid on the basis of biweekly pay periods, in which the employee completed the prescribed period of service.
(f) In determining years of service for leave accrual purposes, an employee is entitled to credit for all service creditable under § 8332 of Title 5 of the United States Code for annuity purposes under Civil Service retirement. An employee who is a military retiree is entitled to credit for active military service only if his or her retirement was based on disability resulting from injury or disease received in the line of duty as a direct result of armed conflict or caused by an instrumentality of war and incurred in line of duty during a period of war as defined by §§ 101 and 301 of Title 38 of the United States Code [revised; see now 38 U.S.C. § 1101]. The determination of years of service may be made on the basis of an affidavit of the employee.
(g) An employee whose current employment is limited to less than 90 days is entitled to annual leave only after being currently employed for a continuous period of 90 days under successive temporary appointments without a break in service. After completing the 90-day period, the employee is entitled to be credited with the leave that would have accrued to him or her since the date of his or her initial temporary appointment.
(h) Annual leave which is not used by an employee accumulates for use in succeeding years until it totals not more than 30 days at the beginning of the 1st full biweekly pay period, or corresponding period for an employee who is not paid on the basis of biweekly pay periods, occurring in a calendar year.
(1) Annual leave in excess of 30 days which was accumulated under an earlier statute remains to the credit of the employee until used. The excess annual leave is reduced at the beginning of the 1st full biweekly pay period, or corresponding period for an employee who is not paid on the basis of biweekly pay periods, occurring in a year, by the amount of annual leave the employee used during the preceding year in excess of the amount which accrued during that year until the employee’s accumulated leave does not exceed 30 days.
(2) Annual leave which is lost due to administrative error when the error causes a loss of annual leave otherwise accruable after June 30, 1960, exigencies of the public business when the annual leave was scheduled in advance, or sickness of the employee when the annual leave was scheduled in advance, shall be restored to the employee:
(A) Restored annual leave which is in excess of 30 days shall be credited to a separate leave account for the employee and shall be available for use by the employee for a period of 2 years. Restored leave shall be included in a lump-sum payment if unused and still available upon the separation of the employee;
(B) Annual leave otherwise accruable after June 30, 1960, which is lost because of administrative error and is not recredited because the employee is separated before the error is discovered, is subject to credit and liquidation by lump-sum payment only if a claim therefor is filed within 3 years immediately following the date on which the error is discovered.
(i) When an individual who received a lump-sum payment for leave is reemployed before the end of the period covered by the lump-sum payment, except in a position excepted under subsection (a) of this section, he or she shall refund an amount equal to the pay covering the period between the date of reemployment and the expiration of the lump-sum period.
(j) An employee is entitled to sick leave with pay which accrues on the basis of one-half day for each full biweekly pay period: Except, that sick leave with pay accrues to a member of the Firefighting Division of the Fire Department on the basis of two-fifths of a day for each full biweekly pay period. Sick leave may not be charged to the account of a uniformed member of the Metropolitan Police Department or the Fire Department for an absence due to injury or illness resulting from the performance of duty.
(k) The annual and sick leave to the credit of a federal employee who transfers to the District government without a break in service will be transferred to the credit of the employee under the District government leave system. The annual and sick leave to the credit of an employee who transfers from a position under a different leave system(s) without a break in service shall be transferred on an adjusted basis under rules and regulations prescribed by the Mayor.
(l) An employee is entitled to leave, without loss of pay, leave, or credit for time of service, during a period of absence in which he or she is summoned, in connection with a judicial proceeding, by a court or other authority responsible for the conduct of that proceeding to serve as a juror or as a witness on behalf of any party in connection with judicial proceeding to which the United States, the District of Columbia, or a state or local government is a party.
(m) An employee is entitled to leave without loss in pay, leave, service, or performance rating for active duty, inactive-duty training (as defined in 37 U.S.C. § 101), or to engage in field coast defense training under 32 U.S.C. §§ 502 through 505 as a reserve member of the armed forces or member of the National Guard. Leave under this subsection shall not exceed 15 calendar days per fiscal year and, to the extent that it is not used in a fiscal year, shall accumulate for use in the succeeding fiscal year until it totals 15 days at the beginning of a fiscal year. In the case of part-time employment, the rate at which leave accrues under this subsection shall be a percentage of the rate prescribed above which is determined by dividing 40 into the number of hours in the regularly scheduled workweek of that employee during that fiscal year. The minimum charge for leave under this subsection is one hour, and additional charges are in multiples thereof.
(m-1) An employee who is a member of a reserve component of the armed forces, as described in 10 U.S.C. § 10101, or the National Guard, as described in 32 U.S.C. § 101 and who performs, for the purpose of providing military aid to enforce the law or for the purpose of providing assistance to civil authorities in the protection or saving of life, property, or the prevention of injury, under the following:
(1) Federal service under 10 U.S.C. §§ 331, 332, 333, or 12406 or other provision of law, as applicable, or
(2) Full-time military service for his or her state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States is entitled, during and because of such service, to leave without loss of, or reduction in, pay, leave to which he or her would be otherwise entitled, and credit for service or a performance rating. Leave granted by this paragraph shall not exceed 22 workdays in a calendar year.
(m-2) Upon the request of an employee, the period for which an employee is absent to perform service described by this subsection may be charged to the employee’s accrued annual leave or to compensatory time available to the employee instead of being charged as leave to which the employee is entitled under this subsection. The period of absence may not be charged to sick leave. An employee who is a member of the National Guard of the District of Columbia is entitled to leave without limitation and without loss in pay or time for each day of a parade or encampment ordered or authorized under Title 49 of the District of Columbia Official Code. This provision covers each day of service in the National Guard, or a portion thereof, that an employee is ordered to perform by the Commanding General.
(m-3) An amount (other than travel, transportation, or per diem allowance) received by an employee for military service as a member of the reserve or National Guard for a period for which he or she is entitled to military leave shall be credited against the pay payable to the employee for the same period.
(n) An employee is entitled to not more than 3 days of leave without loss of or reduction in pay, leave or service to make arrangements for or attend the funeral or memorial service for an immediate relative.
(n-1)(1) In addition to the leave authorized by subsection (n) of this section, an employee shall be entitled to 10 days of bereavement leave without loss of pay, leave, or service credit when the employee suffers a stillbirth or the employee suffers the death of the employee's child under the age of 21 years.
(2) Leave authorized by paragraph (1) of this subsection must be exercised within 60 days after the death of the employee's child or after the employee suffers a stillbirth.
(3) Leave authorized by paragraph (1) of this subsection shall not count toward the unpaid medical and family leave entitlements in subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 32 and shall be in addition to paid medical or family leave otherwise available to the employee under this subchapter.
(4) For the purposes of this subsection, the term:
(A) "Child" means:
(i) The biological, adoptive, or step-child of the employee or the employee's spouse; or
(ii) A person for whom the employee stands in loco parentis.
(B) "Stillbirth" means the death of a fetus at 20 weeks' gestation or later for the following employees:
(i) An employee who was pregnant with the fetus;
(ii) An employee who is the spouse or domestic partner of the individual who was pregnant with the fetus; or
(iii) An employee who intended to assume parental responsibilities for the fetus had the fetus been born alive.
(o) The Mayor is authorized to issue necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this section.
(p) In units where exclusive recognition has been granted, the Mayor or an appropriate personnel authority may enter into agreements with the exclusive bargaining agent to continue employee coverage under the provisions of this chapter while an employee(s) serves in a full-time or regular part-time capacity with a labor organization at no loss in benefits to the individual employee(s): Provided, however, that the cost to the District shall be paid by the labor organization while the employee(s) is so engaged, and: Provided, further, that this provision shall not limit the negotiability or use of official time by unit employees for the purposes of investigation, processing, and resolving grievances, complaints or any and all other similar disputes.
(q) After advising his or her supervisor, an employee is entitled to utilize up to 10 hours of administrative leave for the purpose of responding to adverse actions initiated under the provisions of subchapter XVI-A of this chapter.
(r) An employee who is a member of the District of Columbia Retirement Board shall be entitled to administrative leave, in accordance with § 1-711(c), while engaged in the actual performance of duties vested in the Board during the employee’s regularly scheduled working hours.
(Mar. 3, 1979, D.C. Law 2-139, § 1203, 25 DCR 5740; Aug. 7, 1980, D.C. Law 3-81, § 2(o), 27 DCR 2632; Feb. 24, 1987, D.C. Law 6-177, § 3(r), 33 DCR 7241; Mar. 24, 1990, D.C. Law 8-97, § 3(c), 37 DCR 1046; Aug. 1, 1996, D.C. Law 11-152, § 302(q), 43 DCR 2978; June 10, 1998, D.C. Law 12-124, § 101(o)(2), 45 DCR 2464; Apr. 12, 2000, D.C. Law 13-91, § 103(q), 47 DCR 520; Oct. 19, 2002, D.C. Law 14-213, § 3(k), 49 DCR 8140; Mar. 13, 2004, D.C. Law 15-105, § 2(b), 51 DCR 881; Mar. 14, 2012, D.C. Law 19-115, § 2(j), 59 DCR 461; Sept. 20, 2012, D.C. Law 19-168, § 1092(b), 59 DCR 8025; Feb. 22, 2014, D.C. Law 20-83, § 2(a), 61 DCR 176; May 23, 2019, D.C. Law 22-315, § 3(j), 66 DCR 1983; Nov. 22, 2022, D.C. Act 24-672, § 2, 0 DCR 0.)
1981 Ed., § 1-613.3.
1973 Ed., § 1-342.3.
This section is referenced in § 1-610.74, § 1-612.03a, § 32-705, and § 38-2021.08.
D.C. Law 13-91, in subsec. (q), substituted “subchapter XVII-A” for “subchapter XVII”.
D.C. Law 14-213 rewrote subsec. (m); and added subsecs. (m-1), (m-2), and (m-3).
D.C. Law 15-105, in subsec. (m-2), validated a previously made technical correction.
D.C. Law 19-115, in subsec. (h), substituted “20 days” for “30 days”.
The 2012 amendment by D.C. Law 19-168 substituted “30 days” for “20 days” throughout (h).
The 2014 amendment by D.C. Law 20-83 deleted “who died as a result of wound, disease or injury incurred while serving as a member of the armed forces in a combat zone” from the end of (n).
Health care benefits expansion, District government employees, leave, see § 32-705.
Retirement of public school teachers, annuities, computation, years of service, see § 38-202
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2 of District Government Family Bereavement Leave Second Emergency Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Act 24-672, Nov. 22, 2022, 0 DCR 0).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2 of District Government Family Bereavement Leave Emergency Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Act 24-318, Feb. 3, 2022, 0 DCR 0).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2 of District Government Family Bereavement Leave Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2021 (D.C. Act 24-108, June 14, 2021, 68 DCR 006467).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2 of District Government Family Bereavement Leave Emergency Amendment Act of 2021 (D.C. Act 24-31, Mar. 17, 2021, 68 DCR 003183).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 1092(b) of Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2012 (D.C. Act 19-413, July 25, 2012, 59 DCR 9290).
For temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 2 of District Government Family Bereavement Leave Temporary Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Law 24-111, Apr. 8, 2022, 69 DCR 001488).
For temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 2 of District Government Family Bereavement Leave Temporary Amendment Act of 2021 (D.C. Law 24-7, June 24, 2021, 68 DCR 004803).
Repeal of § 3 of Law 6-177: Section 4(b) of D.C. Law 6-177 provided that the provisions of § 3 are repealed on the 1st day following the 36-month period after February 24, 1987.
Repeal of § 4(b) of Law 6-177: Section 3(b) of D.C. Law 8-74, effective March 15, 1990, provided that § 4(b) of D.C. Law 6-177 is repealed.
Applicability of § 101(o)(2) of D.C. Law 12-124: Section 401(c) of D.C. Law 12-124, as amended by § 60 of D.C. Law 12-264, provided that § 101(h), (l), (m), (n), (o)(2) through (5), (q), (r), (t), (u), (w), and (y) of the act shall apply as of October 21, 1998.