Federal Leave Optimizer
Maximize your time away by strategically aligning annual leave with federal holidays and weekends
2026 Leave Year (Jan 11, 2026 - Jan 9, 2027)
Settings
Leave Balance
Leave that expires at end of leave year
Leave that carries over to next year
Remaining Leave
Use-or-Lose0
0 days × 8 hrs
Regular Leave160
20 days × 8 hrs
Total Available20
160 hours
Federal Holidays Left9
in this leave year
Efficiency Score
Select leave days or click "Optimize" to see your efficiency metrics.
February 2026
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
March 2026
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
April 2026
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
May 2026
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
June 2026
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
July 2026
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
August 2026
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
September 2026
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
October 2026
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
November 2026
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
December 2026
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
January 2027
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
Federal Leave Accrual Rates
Your annual leave accrual rate depends on your years of creditable federal service. Military service counts for non-retired veterans. Accrual rates are the same regardless of work schedule (5/8, 4/10, or 5/4/9).
| Years of Service | Hours/Pay Period | Days/Year | Hours/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 3 years | 4 hours | 13 days | 104 hours |
| 3 to 15 years | 6 hours* | 20 days | 160 hours |
| 15+ years | 8 hours | 26 days | 208 hours |
| SES / SL / ST | 8 hours | 26 days | 208 hours |
*Employees in the 3-15 year category accrue 10 hours in the final pay period of the leave year to reach exactly 160 hours annually.
Use-or-Lose Rules & Carryover Limits
Maximum Carryover
- Most federal employees240 hours (30 days)
- Overseas employees360 hours (45 days)
- SES / SL / ST employees720 hours (90 days)
2026 Key Dates
- Leave year startsJanuary 11, 2026
- Schedule deadlineNovember 28, 2026
- Leave year endsJanuary 9, 2027
Critical: To qualify for potential leave restoration, use-or-lose leave must be scheduled in writing by November 28, 2026. Only three conditions allow restoration: administrative error, exigency of public business, or illness. Restored leave must be used within 2 years.
Example: Use-or-Lose Calculation
An employee with 5 years of service (6 hours/PP accrual) has 220 hours on November 15, 2026. The leave year ends January 9, 2027 with 4 remaining pay periods.
| Pay Period | Starting Balance | Accrual | Ending Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP 23 (Nov 22) | 220 hours | +6 hours | 226 hours |
| PP 24 (Dec 6) | 226 hours | +6 hours | 232 hours |
| PP 25 (Dec 20) | 232 hours | +6 hours | 238 hours |
| PP 26 (Jan 3) | 238 hours | +10 hours* | 248 hours |
Projected balance: 248 hours | Carryover limit: 240 hours
Use-or-lose: 8 hours (1 day) — Take at least 1 day of leave before January 9, 2027 to avoid forfeiture. Best dates: December 26 (after Christmas) or January 2 (after New Year's).
*Final pay period of leave year: 3-15 year employees accrue 10 hours instead of 6.
2026 Holiday Optimization Strategies
2026 has excellent opportunities to maximize time off. Here are the highest-efficiency combinations:
Independence Day Week: 5 Days Off, 2 Leave Days
July 4th falls on Saturday, so the federal holiday is observed Friday, July 3rd.
Wed Jul 1
LEAVE
LEAVE
Thu Jul 2
LEAVE
LEAVE
Fri Jul 3
HOLIDAY
HOLIDAY
Sat Jul 4
Weekend
Weekend
Sun Jul 5
Weekend
Weekend
2.5x efficiency: 16 hours of leave = 5 consecutive days off
Thanksgiving Week: 9 Days Off, 3-4 Leave Days
Combine Thanksgiving Thursday with Mon-Wed off for a full 9 days.
Sat 21
Wknd
Wknd
Sun 22
Wknd
Wknd
Mon 23
LEAVE
LEAVE
Tue 24
LEAVE
LEAVE
Wed 25
LEAVE
LEAVE
Thu 26
T-Day
T-Day
Fri 27
LEAVE*
LEAVE*
Sat 28
Wknd
Wknd
Sun 29
Wknd
Wknd
2.25x efficiency: 32 hours of leave = 9 consecutive days off
*Some agencies grant Black Friday as administrative leave (24 hours / 3 days in that case)
Christmas to New Year's: 10 Days Off, 4 Leave Days
Christmas falls on Friday, New Year's Day on the following Thursday.
Dec 25 (Fri) Christmas → Dec 26-27 Weekend → Dec 28-31 4 LEAVE DAYS → Jan 1 New Year's → Jan 2-3 Weekend
2.5x efficiency: 32 hours of leave = 10 consecutive days off
Sick Leave Retirement Credit
Unlike annual leave (which is paid out at separation), unused sick leave converts to additional service credit at retirement. This can significantly increase your FERS pension.
Conversion Rate
- Full year of credit2,087 hours
- One month of credit174 hours
- One day of credit~5.8 hours
Only complete 30-day months count. Days beyond a full month are dropped.
Value Example
GS-13, $115,000 High-3, with 2,087 hours unused sick leave:
- Additional service credit+1 year
- Pension increase+$1,150/year
- Over 20-year retirement$23,000+
Important: Sick leave credit increases your pension but cannot be used to meet eligibility requirements (MRA, 5/10/20/30-year thresholds). For FERS employees retiring after January 1, 2014, 100% of unused sick leave converts to credit.
Compressed Schedule Impact
Your work schedule doesn't affect accrual rate, but it does affect how quickly you use leave when taking full days off:
| Schedule | Hours/Leave Day | Days to Use 240 Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 5/8 (Standard) | 8 hours | 30 days |
| 5/4/9 (9-hour days) | 9 hours | 26.7 days |
| 4/10 | 10 hours | 24 days |
Key insight: Employees on compressed schedules burn through annual leave faster when taking full days off. This is critical for use-or-lose planning. Taking half-days on longer workdays can stretch your leave balance further.
Plan Your Federal Benefits
Annual leave is just one part of your federal benefits package. Understand how sick leave converts to retirement credit and plan your overall federal retirement strategy.