Annual Leave—Are You Kidding Me?

Annual Leave—Are You Kidding Me?
By Brian J. Wagner
NAPS Past President

Now that the USPS peak and holiday seasons are behind us, you are probably thinking of taking a well-deserved and earned vacation. I agree. Never lose sight of taking annual leave each year to ensure your health and mental well-being. Also, do not put yourself in a “use-or-lose” annual leave situation at the end of each USPS leave year. Here’s the scoop!

As I have written before, annual leave is an employee earned benefit with the intent to use leave—not lose it. It is recognized in ELM Section 512.11: “Annual leave is provided to employees for rest, for recreation, and for personal and emergency purposes.”

Sure, it may be nice to carry over some annual leave into the next leave year to take time off for a special family event or if you plan to retire and want a nice terminal leave check. However, the USPS does not allow for unlimited carryover of annual leave each year.

Fortunately, through the consultative process between NAPS and the USPS, there was an agreement to permanently increase the annual leave carryover amount by an additional 80 hours. Starting in 2024 and beyond, the permanent maximum annual leave carryover balance is 640 hours.

NAPS consultation also resulted in a permanent increase in the total number of annual leave hours that may be exchanged under the USPS Annual Leave Exchange program. This new exchange limit is 168 hours. Besides having some extra spending money from the program, a member avoids exceeding the maximum carryover in the following leave year. These are some enhanced, permanent EAS benefits that NAPS was able to achieve on behalf of all EAS employees and our active members.

Furthermore, this column is meant to shine a light on the need for members to maintain their mental and physical health throughout their postal careers. Therefore, you need to plan ahead and use—not lose—well-earned annual leave.

Peace of mind and good health are priceless commodities that can’t be bought by exchanging annual leave for cash. I encourage active members to take annual leave each year as part of the three Rs: relaxation, recreation and recharge.

This column also is meant to spotlight an important issue that some members have experienced and continue to experience today—the inability to get annual leave approved. I am not kidding!

In some instances, EAS employees are being told the only way they can take annual leave is if they find their own replacement. What? Are you kidding me? This type of answer is what you can expect from a lackluster postal leader.

EAS employees should not be required to find their own replacement if they want to take their well-earned annual leave. It is a manager’s responsibility to ensure there is sufficient EAS coverage and scheduling to replace an EAS employee who has a reasonable request for annual leave.

I also have been contacted by members who have submitted reasonable requests for annual leave, months in advance, but are having their future leave denied because of the “needs of the service.” Unfortunately, these needs are unknown as the disapproval comes with no reason given, except “needs of the service.” What? Are you kidding me?

Again, this is just another example of lackluster postal leadership denying reasonable EAS annual leave requests with a lackluster response and no reasonable explanation given. I am surprised the manager’s title isn’t the “Wizard of Oz” for being all-knowing.

All-knowing that future annual leave can’t be approved because of the “needs of the service,” but, also not knowing what those future service needs are. It’s these types of lackluster excuses by some in postal leadership who put EAS employees in a position of losing well-earned annual leave at the end of the USPS leave year.

For the record, according to ELM 512.62, Nonbargaining Unit Employees Vacation Planning, reads:

“Vacation leave is granted to non-bargaining unit employees when their services can be best spared. Postmasters and other responsible officials must schedule leave so that:

a. Employees do not forfeit leave; and

b. Postal operations are not impaired.”

Therefore, do not hesitate or delay requesting annual leave as soon as reasonably possible. Make sure you submit all annual leave requests with a properly completed PS Form 3971. Do not rely on an email to your manager requesting annual leave.

Put all annual leave requests in writing so it is properly documented, especially in the event you run the risk of being in a use-or-lose annual leave status. Also, continue to remind your manager in writing of your need to take annual leave during the year to avoid losing it because you are over the new maximum carryover limit of 640 hours.

As a reminder to all active members, there is a USPS policy letter dated June 24, 2002, by DeWitt O. Harris, USPS vice president, Employee Resource Management, that can be found on NAPS’s website under the “Forms and Documents” section.

This policy states that a PS Form 3971, “Request for or Notification of Absence,” when submitted by an EAS employee should be approved or disapproved within three business days. Do not let your annual leave requests linger. Get an answer, approved or disapproved, as soon as reasonably possible. This will help you plan for your well-earned annual leave, along with giving your manager time to plan for your approved absence.

However, if your reasonable annual leave requests are constantly being disapproved with lame excuses about finding your own replacement or not given a valid reason for “needs of the service,” contact your local NAPS representative immediately. NAPS is here to assist our active members with their ability to take their well-earned annual leave so they may enjoy relaxing, recreating and recharging. NAPS also is here to help our active members avoid losing annual leave as a result of lackluster excuses.

Perhaps in upcoming pay talks NAPS can secure that no active member will lose earned annual leave because postal leadership did not have sufficient EAS coverage or the contant “needs of the service” excuse doesn’t outweigh an EAS employee from losing well-deserved and earned annual leave.

One thing that is not lackluster is my ice-cream-flavor-of-the-month recommendation: lactose-free peanut butter fudge swirl.