Fall Open Enrollment for the NIH Leave Bank will run November 9 – December 14, 2020. The membership period will begin on January 3, 2021. Enrollment in the Leave Bank is open to all NIH Federal employees.
The Leave Bank is a pooled bank of donated 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 emergency.
Below is a testimonial submitted by a Leave Bank recipient who was helped by enrolling in this important benefit!
“During [a medical emergency], the last thing you want to worry about is how you are going to pay the bills should you run out of leave. Knowing I was a leave bank member allowed me to focus on my family and the care of my son. Because of this situation I recommend becoming a member of the leave bank to all my colleagues. Thank you for this wonderful benefit. —NIH Leave Bank Recipient
The Leave Bank differs from the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program (VLTP) in that the Bank is a depository of leave, and leave is distributed to members who are approved to be leave recipients; whereas, the VLTP requires a direct donation from a donor to a recipient. An advantage of the Leave Bank is that eligible members may receive leave from the Bank to cover time out of the office without awaiting donations from co-workers.
To elect 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 currently a 2020 Leave Bank member, your membership will automatically continue into 2021, unless you take action in ITAS during Open Enrollment to elect to 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 to make the membership contribution. ITAS is available at https://itas.nih.gov.
Additional information about this exciting benefit can be found on the NIH Leave Bank website.
Questions may be directed to the NIH Leave Bank Office at 301-443-8393 or LeaveBank@od.nih.gov.