U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

Annual Leave Accrual Rates for Senior Executive Service, Senior Level and Scientific or Professional Positions, or Equivalent Pay Systems

Members of the Senior Executive Service (SES), employees in senior level (SL) and scientific or professional (ST) positions accrue annual leave at the rate of 1 day (8 hours) for each full biweekly pay period.

In addition OPM has extended coverage for the 8-hour category to employees in the following equivalent categories:

1. Senior Foreign Service;
2. Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service;
3. Senior Cryptologic Executive Service;
4. Federal Bureau of Investigation Senior Executive Service;
5. Drug Enforcement Administration Senior Executive Service;
6. Department of Defense Highly Qualified Experts, paid under 5 U.S.C. 9303(b);
7. Defense Intelligence Senior Level employees paid under 10 U.S.C. 1602;
8. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's employees in Executive Manager (EM) positions;
9. Employees in the Corporation for National and Community Service's NX-2 pay band;
10. Streamlined critical pay employees of the Internal Revenue Service who are paid under 5 U.S.C. 9503;
11. Employees in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Senior Level System (SLS);
12. The Senior Counsel and the Director, External Affairs, at the United States Holocaust Museum;
13. The Farm Credit Administration's employees in grades VH 42-45;
14. Employees in Pay Band V of the Department of Energy's EJ, EK, and EN excepted pay systems;
15. Positions covered by the Library of Congress Executive Schedule (EX) -- i.e., the Deputy Librarian of Congress, the Director of the Congressional Research Service, and the Register of Copyrights;
16. National Defense University's AD employees hired under 10 U.S.C. 1595;
17. Executive Director for the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board;
18. The Federal Housing Finance Board's TF-1 through TF-5 employees;
19. Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight's OF23 - OF27 employees;
20. Department of Homeland Security AD position transferred from the Department of Energy under the authority of P.L. 107-296, Section 303;
21. The Deputy Public Printer position and employees in Senior Level Service (SLS) positions in the Government Printing Office; and
22. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's employees in Corporate Expert (CX) positions.

Agency heads may request that OPM authorize an 8-hour annual leave accrual rate for employees who hold positions covered by pay systems which they believe are equivalent to the SES or SL/ST pay system. (See Compensation Policy Memoranda 2004-23, Extending Coverage of the Higher Annual Leave Accrual Rate)

References
5 U.S.C. 6303(f)
5 CFR 630.301(a), (b), (c), and (d)

• Leave Administration Main Page
• Annual Leave Fact Sheet