FORT SILL, Okla. (June 6, 2013) -- Each week the Cannoneer runs a list of names under the banner Leave Share. Many people, especially those who are being helped, know what this program is about. But not everyone on post knows the benefit of this program. It is the Volunteer Leave Transfer Program list here at Fort Sill.
The Voluntary Leave Transfer Program or VLTP, allows Army civilian employees who have a medical emergency to receive annual leave transferred directly from other employees, either at Fort Sill or elsewhere in the military and federal employee system. The employee continues to receive pay while dealing with their medical emergency, whether it is their own or for a family member. This keeps them from facing a leave without pay situation at this most critical time. Leave share requests should be submitted after an employee has exhausted their own accumulated annual leave and sick leave times, or in anticipation of a medical emergency period, such as surgery followed by prolonged recovery that will exhaust their own leave benefits.
A medical emergency is defined as a medical condition of for the employee or a family member that is likely to require the employee's absence from duty for a prolonged period of time (a minimum of 30 percent of the average pay period) which would result in the employee losing substantial income because they have exhausted paid leave.
A family member of an employee is defined as any of the following:
- A spouse;
- Children, including adopted children, and spouses of children;
- Parents, or spouse's parents;
- Brothers and sisters, or spouses;
- Any individual related by blood or affinity, whose close association with the employee is equivalent of a family relationship.
Donated leave may be used only for the purpose of the medical emergency for which the employee has been approved. Employees must apply to become a leave recipient due to their medical emergency by completing OPM Form 630 and submit it to their supervisor along with medical documentation from their care provider. Supervisors must endorse and/or approve the employee's applications to become a leave recipient.
Also, once leave sharing is approved, supervisors are required to monitor the leave recipient's medical status and periodically request medical documentation, to ensure that the donated leave is used in compliance with program regulations.
Donated annual leave the employee receives may be substituted retroactively for periods of leave without pay they had to take, and can be used to liquidate indebtedness for advance annual or sick leave granted on or after the date the medical emergency began. There is no maximum accumulation of donated leave and no restrictions on the amount that can be carried forward from one leave year to the next.
There are limits to the amount of leave an employee may donate in any one leave year, but agencies are allowed flexibility to waive those limitations.
Normally, an employee in need of additional leave for these medical situations must solicit prospective leave donors on their own at Fort Sill, which limits the amount of leave that they receive. That is why the leave share list that appears each week in the Cannoneer is so important. If you have leave to share, read the list carefully and note the names of those who need additional leave.
Employees wishing to donate leave can use the FS Form 128 for Fort Sill recipients, and OPM 630-B to donate to employees outside of Fort Sill. All applications for leave transfer for employees with medical emergencies, or for employees wanting to donate leave time should be initiated through the employee's administrative supervisor before submitting the forms to the VLTP coordinator at Civilian Personnel Advisory Center (CPAC), fifth floor of Bldg. 4700 Mow-Way. For more information, call 580-442-4354.
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