How does Leave without Pay (LWOP) affect an employee?
LWOP status for employees who are performing military duty or being paid workers compensation counts as a continuation of Federal employment for all purposes upon the employees return to duty. Leave accrual is lost each time a full-time employee accumulates 80 hours of LWOP. For career tenure, the first 30 calendar days of each LWOP period is creditable service. For completion of the probation period, 22 days of LWOP are creditable service. To meet time-in-grade requirements for promotion, LWOP status is creditable service. For retirement benefits, a total of 6 months in LWOP status in any calendar year is creditable service. For health benefit purposes, enrollment continues for no more than 365 days in LWOP status. The government contribution continues while in a LWOP status. The employee contribution remains the employees responsibility for payment. Life insurance coverage continues for 12 consecutive months in LWOP status without cost to the employee. For within-grade increases, a t
