Open Enrollment for NIH Leave Bank

Open enrollment for the 2017 NIH Leave Bank is currently under way and will end on Dec. 12.  Enrollment is open to all NIH federal employees. The membership period will begin on Jan. 8, 2017.  

The Leave Bank is a pooled bank of donated annual and restored leave available to eligible members. The program acts like an insurance policy for your paycheck and amounts to paid leave for members who have exhausted all of their leave and are affected by a personal or family medical emergency. 

“Being a member of the leave bank saved my family financially,” said one enrollee. “Although I had to exhaust my leave, I didn’t have to worry about my income as I knew the leave bank would be there for me to draw from. During this type of emergency, the last thing you want to worry about is how you are going to pay the bills should you run out of leave.” 

To become a 2017 member, access ITAS during open enrollment and choose “Leave Bank Membership.” If you are currently a 2016 Leave Bank member, your membership will automatically continue into 2017, unless you opt out.  

For each membership year, there is a contribution requirement. The annual membership contribution is one pay period’s worth of annual leave accrual (4, 6 or 8 hours). If you don’t have the needed accrued leave, you can still join. The membership contribution will automatically be waived.

More information about this benefit can be found at http://nihleavebank.od.nih.gov. Questions may be directed to the NIH Leave Bank office at (301) 443-8393 or LeaveBank@od.nih.gov.