Enrollment Open for NIH Leave Bank

Fall open enrollment for the NIH Leave Bank runs until Dec. 10. The membership period will begin on Jan. 6, 2019.

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

The Leave Bank differs from the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program (VLTP) in that the bank is a depository of leave; leave is distributed to members who are approved to be leave recipients. The VLTP, on the other hand, requires a direct donation from donor to recipient. An advantage of the Leave Bank is that eligible members may receive leave to cover time out of the office without awaiting donations from coworkers.

To become a Leave Bank member, access the Integrated Time and Attendance System (ITAS) during open enrollment and enroll under “Leave Bank Membership.” If you are a 2018 Leave Bank member, your membership will automatically continue into 2019, unless you opt out. The yearly membership contribution is one pay period’s worth of annual leave accrual. The membership contribution will automatically be waived if you lack sufficient leave.

For more information, visit http://hr.nih.gov/leavebank or contact (301) 443-8393 or LeaveBank@od.nih.gov.