XLV

EXTENSION of Excused Leave for Dependent Care (NEW)

Based on the current uncertainty surrounding the recent COVID variants and status of school systems, NASA will continue offering, through Dec. 18, 2021, up to 20 hours of excused leave per pay period for dependent care and caregiving needs arising from school and/or facility closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It can also be used if a child is participating in a hybrid learning environment (i.e., a mix of virtual and in-person learning days) and the employee’s workday is interrupted by dependent care responsibilities while the child is participating in virtual learning.

Employees who utilize excused leave for dependent care will be required to add to their timecard a comment documenting the school and/or facility that is closed due to COVID-19, which serves as the basis for approving the excused leave for dependent care.

It is important that employees and supervisors fully understand the parameters of authorizing excused leave for dependent care. All employees taking advantage of this flexibility, and supervisors of those employees, must review the updated guidance on using this leave flexibility: https://nasapeople.nasa.gov/coronavirus/caregiving_and_excused_leave_faqs_covid_19.pdf

Employees should only request and use this leave for the intended purposes; supervisors are responsible for ensuring it meets the criteria outlined in the above guidance prior to approving. Please know that misuse is subject to investigation and inappropriate use could result in disciplinary action.

It’s our intent to keep this flexibility in place as pandemic conditions warrant and we will continue monitoring the situation to determine if future extensions are warranted.

Supervisors may grant XLV for employees who are not eligible for weather and safety leave and who meet any of the following special circumstances:

• The employee has a child or children who attend an elementary or secondary school that is closed due to COVID-19 pandemic. To include those children who are participating in a hybrid learning environment on the days they are participating in virtual learning.
• The employee has a younger child or children who are not of school age and normal childcare arrangements are not in effect due to the pandemic.
• The employee has other family members (e.g., adult child or elderly parent with special needs) in the home who now require the employee’s care and supervision due to the care facility or care providers, who typically would have provided the care, being closed or unavailable due to COVID-19.

Excused Leave to Accompany a Family Member Receiving COVID-19 Vaccinations (NEW)

To facilitate the continued vaccination of the country, NASA is offering excused leave to leave-eligible employees to accompany a family member being vaccinated against COVID-19. Key information regarding this flexibility:

• This applies to covered vaccinations received on or after July 29, 2021, and should not be granted retroactively.
• There is currently no end date on authorization of excused leave for accompanying family members to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.
• There is no limit to the number of family members that an employee can accompany to receive a vaccination. Therefore, this flexibility may be used more than once. However, we do ask that employees are mindful of the amount of excused leave they are requesting, and when possible, employees should combine vaccination appointments to limit the amount of excused leave needed (e.g., schedule simultaneous appointments for family members).
• An eligible family member means an individual with any of the following relationships to the employee: (1) Spouse, and parents thereof; (2) Sons and daughters, and spouses thereof; (3) Parents, and spouses thereof; (4) Brothers and sisters, and spouses thereof; (5) Grandparents and grandchildren, and spouses thereof; (6) Domestic partner and parents thereof, including domestic partners of any individual in paragraphs (2) through (5) of this definition; and (7) Any individual related by blood or affinity whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.
• It is anticipated to take four hours per vaccination, which allows for a total of eight hours of excused leave to be granted in most circumstances; however, only the necessary amount of excused leave to obtain both vaccinations will be granted.
• If you do not require the full four hours of excused leave for each vaccination, please only code your timecard with the amount of excused leave needed to facilitate getting vaccinated.
• We understand that some employees may have extenuating circumstances that require more than eight hours to receive both vaccinations (four hours per vaccination); in these instances additional excused leave can be approved. Please discuss your personal circumstances with your supervisor if you are requesting more than four hours of excused leave per vaccination.
• Employees should obtain advance approval from their supervisor before using excused leave for COVID-19 vaccination purposes.
• Employees may not be credited with administrative leave or overtime work for time spent accompanying a family member to receive a vaccination outside their normal work hours.
• When using excused leave for COVID-19 vaccinations, employees should code their time to the hour code type XLV and indicate in the comment section of the timecard “CVL Family.”

Excused Leave for Employees Receiving COVID-19 Vaccinations

To facilitate the expeditious vaccination of the Federal workforce, NASA is offering leave-eligible employees excused leave to receive COVID-19 vaccinations and to recover from any adverse reactions to a COVID-19 vaccination dose. The following is key information regarding this flexibility:

• Employees are authorized four hours per shot received for a vaccination. For employees receiving a two-shot vaccination, in most circumstances eight hours of excused leave is authorized. However, only the amount of excused leave necessary to obtain both vaccinations will be granted. Please ensure you only request the amount of excused leave needed to facilitate being vaccinated.
• The agency understands that some employees may have extenuating circumstances that would require more than the eight hours of excused leave to receive both vaccinations (four hours per vaccination), which can include travel time. In these instances, additional excused leave can be granted in coordination with the supervisor. Employees should discuss their personal circumstances with their supervisor if they are requesting more than four hours of excused leave per vaccination.
• Employees may not be credited with administrative leave or overtime work for time spent getting a vaccination outside their tour of duty
• When using excused leave for COVID-19 vaccinations or to recover from adverse reactions to a COVID-19 vaccination dose, employees should code their time to the hour code type XLV, and in the remarks of the timecard indicate “CVL”. Please ensure you only code your timecard with the amount of excused leave needed to facilitate being vaccinated or to recover from a vaccination dose. Employees should coordinate and communicate with their supervisor before using excused leave for COVID-19 vaccination purposes.
• Employees who have already taken personal leave to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, may submit prior pay period adjustments to take advantage of this added flexibility. Instructions on submitting prior pay period adjustments can be found here.
• If an employee needs to request leave to facilitate a family member receiving the vaccination, excused leave would not be appropriate. In this instance, employees should consider requesting sick leave to care for a family member. The hour code type to be used in the time and attendance system for this type of sick leave is FFSL.
• NASA is granting up to two workdays of excused leave if an employee has an adverse reaction to a COVID-19 vaccination dose (i.e., no more than two workdays of excused leave for any adverse reactions associated with a single vaccination dose). Only the necessary amount of time off needed to recover should be approved. If an employee requires more than two workdays to recover, another appropriate leave type will need to be requested (e.g., sick leave).
• Employees who have already taken personal leave on or after March 11, 2021 as a result of an adverse reaction to a COVID-19 vaccination, may submit a prior pay period adjustment to take advantage of this added flexibility. Instructions on submitting prior pay period adjustments can be found here.

XLV61

Weather & Safety Leave

XLV61 is strictly for employees who are UNABLE to telework due to any of the following:

• Official work assignment/duties are not conducive to telework.
• Lack of access to government information technology (IT) equipment/systems.
• Under self-quarantine due to coronavirus and unable to telework due to the position not being conducive to telework. For this use, employees must write a comment on their timecards to indicate "coronavirus observation."

Employees who are not teleworking, due to circumstances listed above, and have received their supervisor’s approval should record "Weather and Safety Administrative Leave" using hour type "XLV61," subject to supervisor approval.

Emergency Paid Leave (EPL)

Telework, Leave, and Pay FAQs for Employees

Telework, Leave, and Pay FAQs for Supervisors

Coding Telework, Weather/Safety Leave and Excused Leave

Caregiving and Excused Leave FAQS COVID-19

• I am experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking a medical diagnosis.

• I've been diagnosed with COVID-19.

• I have caregiving responsibilities due to school and/or facility closures.

• A member of my household is not symptomatic but is under self-quarantine due to a significant risk of exposure to COVID-19.

• A dependent/family member has COVID-19 and requires my care.

• My center is open and I'm authorized to use unscheduled leave.

• My center is open with restricted access and mandatory telework is in effect.

• I am subject to Federal, State, or local quarantine or isolation order or are advised to self-quarantine by a health care provider related to COVID-19.