Q. I was injured on duty as a government employee and forced to take leave without pay. I am told that I have 12 months of LWOP status before they can remove me from my position. I have been called into work on the clock several times during the past six months or so. Does my LWOP status date change each time I come in on the clock or does is remain the same? Usually, I was there about 2 hours for a meeting involving union talks in attempts to remove me because of my disability. Before I began LWOP status, I generally worked two hours of limited duty due to my work injury.
A. I checked with the Office of Personnel Management, and they are not aware of any policy such as the one you described. However, the administration of leave is left to each agency, and policies are often negotiated. Therefore, they recommend that you check with your agency for more information. You may also be interested in OPM’s fact sheets on Leave Without Pay and Leave Without Pay-Effect on Federal Benefits and Programs, which you can find at www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/leave-administration/#url=Fact-Sheets.
