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A Message from the Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management
On January 15, 2015, President Obama issued a memorandum entitled: “Modernizing Federal
Leave Policies for Childbirth, Adoption and Foster Care to Recruit and Retain Talent and
Improve Productivity.” In his January 20, 2015 State of the Union address, the President
mentioned this memorandum and his belief that all employers, including the Federal
Government, should support parents to ensure that they can contribute fully in the workplace,
while also meeting the needs of their families. The President’s memorandum aligns the Federal
Government with the parental leave policies of leading private sector companies and other
industrialized countries.
As part of his effort to ensure that all employees have paid time off available for childbirth,
adoption and foster care, the President has directed all Federal agencies, to the extent permitted
by law, to ensure that discretionary benefits are used to the maximum extent practicable,
including advancement of sick or annual leave, donated annual leave under the voluntary leave
transfer and leave bank programs, and leave without pay. Further, to the extent permitted by
law, the President has directed all Federal agencies to (1) offer 240 hours of advanced sick leave,
at the request of an employee and in appropriate circumstances, in connection with the birth or
adoption of a child or for other sick leave eligible uses, and (2) offer the maximum amount of
advanced annual leave, at the request of an employee, for foster care placement in their home or
bonding with a healthy newborn or newly adopted child. Agencies have been directed to provide
this advanced leave for purposes specified in law and regulation irrespective of existing leave
balances. All Federal agencies must update their advanced sick and annual leave policies to be
in compliance with the President’s memorandum by no later than Monday, June 15, 2015.
The President’s memorandum also requires that by April 15, 2015, the U.S. Office of Personnel
Management (OPM) provide guidance to all Federal agencies to help them implement the
revised advanced leave policies, including how to apply these policies to part-time employees.
To meet the President's requirement, OPM held a series of interagency working group meetings
with representatives from more than 40 agencies. These working group meetings revealed that
many agencies believe that their employees are simply unaware of the wide array of leave and
workplace flexibilities available for childbirth, adoption, and foster care purposes. Agency
working group representatives requested that OPM's forthcoming guidance focus on all current
existing leave flexibilities that employees could use for childbirth, adoption, and foster care
purposes (including advanced sick and annual leave policies).
As a result, OPM determined that a new Handbook focusing on leave and workplace flexibilities
available to employees for childbirth, adoption, and foster care purposes would be the most
appropriate guidance to provide to the agencies. OPM’s Handbook contains guidance to the
agencies on advanced sick and annual leave policies as required by the President’s memorandum
while emphasizing the various leave entitlements and flexibilities available to assist employees.
The Handbook is divided into three distinct sections to fully assist agencies depending on the
specific circumstance of the employee. The sections are: (1) Pregnancy and Childbirth, (2)
Adoption and Foster Care, and (3) Interaction of the Various Leave Programs and Workplace