Leave & Pay

Leave Options

XLV

EXTENSION of Excused Leave for Dependent Care

NASA will continue offering up to 20 hours of excused leave per pay period, through September 14, 2021, for dependent care and caregiving needs arising from school and/or facility closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This flexibility will continue as long as circumstances permit. Supervisors have the authority to grant periods of XLV for civil service employees who are unable to complete their work requirements due to caregiving responsibilities resulting from school and/or facility closures because of coronavirus pandemic. Supervisors will use this excused absence authority in a manner that facilitates as much telework as an employee can reasonably perform during the employee’s established tour of duty, taking into account the employee’s specific circumstances.

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 coronavirus pandemic.
  • 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 require care and supervision.

When possible, requests for XLV should be made in advance in WebTADS with a Remark section annotation of “COVID-19 Caregiving”. When requesting via WebTADS is not possible, requests may be made via e-mail to the supervisor.

Excused Leave for 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. The following is key information regarding this flexibility:

  • Employees are authorized 4 hours per shot received for a vaccination. For employees receiving a two-shot vaccination, in most circumstances 8 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 8 hours of excused leave to receive both vaccinations (4 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 4 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, 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. 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.
  • 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.

Employees who experience adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccination can be authorized sick leave for the recovery period. Employees who wish to preserve their sick leave balance also have the option of using another appropriate leave type (i.e., annual leave, restored annual leave, time off awards, compensatory time, travel compensatory time, and credit hours).

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 remote work.
  • Lack of access to government information technology (IT) equipment/systems.
  • Under self-quarantine due to coronavirus and unable 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.

Families First Coronavirus Response Act

The emergency paid sick leave made available in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act expired on December 31, 2020. If you have questions regarding other leave options, please contact the NASA Shared Services Center at 1-877-677-2123 and request to speak with the Human Resources Leave Programs Team.

(updated: 01/19/2021)

What If...?

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

Take the following actions:

Inform your supervisor and request leave or paid time off, and seek medical care
(See note 1).
Type of Requests Available:
  • Accrued sick leave (See note 4)
  • Annual leave (See note 6)
  • Advanced sick leave
  • Compensatory time
  • Travel compensatory time
  • Credit hours
  • Time Off Awards
  • Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) (See note 7)
  • Telework, if applicable (See notes 3, 5, and 6)

I've been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Take the following actions:

Inform your supervisor and request leave or paid time off, and seek medical care
(See note 1).

You may also request to telework if you are able and wish to do so; however, you are not expected to telework while ill.
Type of Requests Available:
  • Accrued sick leave (See note 4)
  • Annual leave (See note 6)
  • Compensatory time
  • Travel compensatory time
  • Credit hours
  • Time Off Awards
  • Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) (See note 7)
  • Advanced sick leave
  • Advanced annual leave
  • Donated leave
  • Telework, if applicable (See notes 3, 5, and 6)

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

Take the following actions:

Inform your supervisor and request telework if you are not already teleworking.

If able, you may also request intermittent telework and/or request to perform work outside your regular tour of duty, including working outside of core hours.

If you have caregiving responsibilities which interrupt your ability to telework, you may request up to 20 hours of excused leave (XLV) for per pay period.

Note: Excused leave is not an entitlement, and each request will be evaluated on a case-bycase basis
Type of Requests Available:
  • Telework, if applicable (See notes 3, 5, and 6)
  • Annual leave (See note 6)
  • Compensatory time
  • Travel compensatory time
  • Credit hours
  • Time Off Awards
  • Excused Leave (XLV)

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

Take the following actions:

Inform your supervisor and request telework, if you are not already teleworking.

If able, you may also request intermittent telework and/or request to perform work outside your regular tour of duty, including working outside of core hours.

If you have caregiving responsibilities which interrupt your ability to telework, you may request up to 20 hours of excused leave (XLV) for per pay period.

Note: Excused leave is not an entitlement, and each request will be evaluated on a case-bycase basis.
Type of Requests Available:
  • Telework, if applicable (See notes 3, 5, and 6)
  • Accrued sick leave (See note 4)
  • Annual leave (See note 6)
  • Advanced sick leave
  • Compensatory time
  • Travel compensatory time
  • Credit hours
  • Time Off Awards
  • Excused Leave (XLV)

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

Take the following actions:

Inform your supervisor and request leave/other paid time off.

If able, you may also request intermittent telework and/or request to perform work outside your regular tour of duty, including working outside of core hours.
Type of Requests Available:
  • Accrued sick leave (See note 4)
  • Annual leave (See note 6)
  • Advanced sick leave
  • Compensatory time
  • Travel compensatory time
  • Credit hours
  • Time Off Awards
  • Donated leave
  • FMLA (See note 7)

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

Take the following actions:

If applicable, inform your supervisor of your intent to use unscheduled leave. (See note 2)
Type of Requests Available:
  • Annual leave (See note 6)
  • Accrued sick leave, as appropriate
  • Compensatory time
  • Travel compensatory time
  • Credit hours
  • Time Off Awards

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

Take the following actions:

If you are telework eligible, begin teleworking.

If you are not telework ready, contact your supervisor to discuss your options. If it is deemed that you are not telework ready, your supervisor may approve weather and safety leave (XLV61).

Note: A current Telework Agreement is not necessary under this scenario.

Type of Requests Available:
  • Telework, if applicable (See notes 3, 5, and 6)

If you are considered telework ineligible after a discussion with your supervisor, request weather and safety leave (XLV61). (See notes 8, 9, and 10)

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

Take the following actions:

Inform your supervisor and request leave/other paid time off.

If able, you may also request intermittent telework and/or request to perform work outside your regular tour of duty, including working outside of core hours.
Type of Requests Available:
  • Telework, if applicable (See notes 3, 5, and 6)
  • Accrued sick leave (See note 4)
  • Annual leave (See note 6)
  • Advanced sick leave
  • Compensatory time
  • Travel compensatory time
  • Credit hours
  • Time Off Awards
  • Donated leave
  • FMLA (See note 7)

What if...? Notes

  1. Follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on symptom and exposure criteria.
  2. Leave requests due to concerns about potential exposure to COVID-19 are subject to supervisory approval, based on workload and staffing needs.
  3. If applicable, eligible employees may telework for any portion of the workday, including outside of core hours, during which they are not directly engaged in child or dependent care. Employees should deduct any time spent providing direct care of a child, parent, or dependent, or request other paid time off or excused leave (XLV). Direct care of a child, parent, or dependent is the time spent caring for an individual during which the employee cannot be reasonably expected to perform work (e.g. feeding a child, dressing a parent or child, etc.).
  4. An employee whose dependent/family member contracts COVID-19 and needs care may use up to 12 weeks (480 hours) of leave, other paid time off, or Leave without Pay. Weather and safety leave (XLV61) is not appropriate if you must stay at home to care for family member who has been exposed to COVID-19 and you would otherwise be able to telework.
  5. Teleworking employees are expected to conduct work during the entire workday and must have an appropriate amount of work or training to complete for the duration of their workday. If needed, supervisors may assign work assignments that are telework conducive (e.g., training, research, etc.). If there is not enough work available, the employee may request weather and safety leave (XLV61).
  6. Unscheduled and mandatory telework does not impact your ability to request other leave as appropriate.
  7. FMLA is an unpaid leave status, unless the employee requests to substitute for other paid time off.
  8. Employees should discuss work schedule flexibilities with their supervisor. Weather and safety leave regulations are in 5 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 630, subpart P. Your supervisor may grant weather and safety leave (XLV61) when it is determined that you cannot safely travel to or from, or safely perform work at your normal worksite, a telework site, or other approved locations because of COVID-19.
  9. "Telework Ineligible" means the employee’s work cannot be performed outside of the Center because it is not portable, and no other portable work can be assigned. For example, employees working in a wind tunnel. If the employee is prevented from safely traveling to/from the worksite and/or cannot safely perform work at a location approved by the Agency, then weather and safety leave (XLV61) may be granted. Even if you are ineligible, your supervisor can assign work for you to do at home, as appropriate.
  10. Weather and safety leave (XLV61) may be approved when an asymptomatic employee (i.e., healthy, not displaying symptoms) is subject to movement restrictions (i.e., quarantine) under the direction of public health authorities due to a significant risk of exposure to COVID-19 and they are telework ineligible. However, generally, if employees have a telework agreement in place and are healthy, they are expected to telework.