Almost every employer has some sort of leave of absence policy, and federal employers have a great reputation for offering good benefits.
USPS, in particular, tends to offer great benefits, but what is their leave of absence policy, and how does it work?
Key Takeaways
USPS Leave Of Absence Policy In 2022
USPS employees are allowed 12 work weeks worth of absences for one or more reasons covered in the USPS manual, including sick time and maternity leave. USPS employees accrue paid time off based on seniority, or how long they’ve been an employee, which is extended to both full-time and part-time employees.
The USPS Leave of Absence Policy covers a lot of bases, and so does the rest of this article, so be sure to take a peek to make sure you understand all of the information!
How Much Sick Leave Do USPS Employees Get?
Leave for USPS employees is accrued on a seniority basis, which means the amount of leave each employee gets is based on how long they’ve worked there and how much they work.
That being said, full-time employees accrue 4 hours for each bi-weekly pay period and part-time employees accrue an hour of sick time per 20 hours worked.
You can find the full sick-time policy here.
How Much Paid Time Off Do USPS Employees Get?
Paid time off is different from sick leave in the way that paid time off is a leave of absence submitted ahead of time for events such as holidays or vacations.
USPS full-time employees that have been there for less than 3 years get 4 hours of PTO per bi-weekly period.
Employees that have worked there full-time for 3-15 years get 6 hours of PTO bi-weekly, with an additional 4 hours added at the end of the year.
Full-time employees that have worked at USPS for 15 years or more get 8 hours of PTO per bi-weekly period.
USPS part-time employees that have worked with USPS for less than 3 years get an hour of PTO per 20 hours worked.
Also, if a part-time employee has worked there for 3-15 years they get an hour per 13 hours worked.
On top of this, any part-time employee that has worked for USPS for 15 or more years accrues an hour of PTO per 10 hours worked.
In a nutshell, the paid time off policy for USPS employees is highly contingent on the amount of time you’ve been employed by USPS and how much you’ve worked in the current fiscal year.
The full policy and stipulations on paid time off for all USPS employees can be found by following this link.
How Much Unpaid Time Off Do USPS Employees Get?
Every USPS employee gets 30 days’ worth of unpaid time off, or leave without pay, per fiscal year.
There are certain requirements that must be met to take leave without pay, such as an employee not having enough paid time off to cover an absence or a family/caregiving-related instance.
As a general rule, unpaid time off is only afforded when the employee does not have any paid time off or if there’s a special circumstance.
Do USPS Employees Get Maternity Leave?
USPS employees do get maternity leave, however, it is unpaid.
USPS employees are given 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave that can be supplemented with any paid time off or sick time that the employee has accrued in the year.
If you need to submit a maternity leave request with USPS, you can find a comprehensive guide on how to do so here.
How Do USPS Employees Submit Time Off?
So now that we better understand the leave of absence policy for USPS employees, how do you go about submitting a time off request?
The most sure-fire way to get some time off if you work for USPS is by speaking to a manager or supervisor, who can help walk you through the process according to the type of time off you’re requesting and why you need it.
As a general rule, most USPS employees use a system known as eLRA, which can be accessed through LiteBlue.
This system allows employees to review time-off requests before submitting them as well as offers convenient access through computers, smartphones, or other mobile devices.
To learn more about eLRA, LiteBlue, and how to submit a time-off request as a USPS employee, you can review this article or speak to a manager or supervisor.
To learn more about USPS, you can also see our posts on whether or not USPS charge for a change of address, if USPS is a good job, and USPS delivery instructions.
Conclusion
There are several different types of time off you can take as a USPS employee, including paid time off, unpaid time off, sick leave, and maternity leave.
Time off with USPS is typically accrued on a seniority basis, which means you accrue more time off per pay period the longer you’ve worked there and the more you work.
Typically, unpaid time off is only afforded to employees in special circumstances and/or those who don’t have enough paid time off to cover an absence.
USPS does offer a 12-week unpaid maternity leave for expecting mothers who are employed by them.
In order to submit a time off request, an employee must speak to a supervisor or use the eLRA system.