5 C.F.R. Subpart G—Shore Leave
Title 5 - Administrative Personnel
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 6305.
This subpart applies to an employee as defined in section 6301 of title 5, United States Code, who is regularly assigned to duties aboard an oceangoing vessel. An employee is considered to be regularly assigned when his continuing duties are such that all or a significant part of them require that he serve aboard an oceangoing vessel. Temporary assignments of a shore-based employee, such as for limited work projects or for training, do not constitute a regular assignment. Extended voyage means a voyage of not less than 7 consecutive calendar days duration. Oceangoing vessel means a vessel in use on the high seas or the Great Lakes; but does not include a vessel which operates primarily on rivers, other lakes, bays, sounds or within the 3-nautical-mile limit of the coastal area of the 48 contiguous States, except when used in mapping, charting, or surveying operations or when in or sailing to or from foreign, territorial, Hawaiian, or Alaskan waters, or waters outside its normal area of operations or outside the 3-nautical-mile limit. Shore leave means leave authorized by section 6305(c) of title 5, United States Code, and this subpart. Voyage means the sailing of an oceangoing vessel from one port and its return to that port or the final port of discharge. [33 FR 12475, Sept. 4, 1968, as amended at 60 FR 67287, Dec. 29, 1995] (a) An employee earns shore leave at the rate of 1 day of shore leave for each 15 calendar days of absence on one or more extended voyages. (b) (1) For an employee who is an officer or crewmember, a voyage begins either on the date he assumes his duties aboard an oceangoing vessel to begin preparation for a voyage or on the date he comes aboard when a voyage is in progress. The voyage terminates on the date he ceases to be an officer or crewmember of the oceangoing vessel or on the date on which he is released from assignment of his duties relating to that voyage aboard the oceangoing vessel at the port of origin or port of final discharge, whichever is earlier. (2) For an employee other than an officer or crewmember, a voyage begins on the date of sailing and terminates on the date the oceangoing vessel returns to a port at which the employee will disembark in completion of his assignment aboard the vessel, or on the date he is released from his assignment aboard the vessel, whichever is earlier. (c) In computing days of absence, an agency shall include (1) the beginning date of a voyage and the termination date of a voyage; (2) the days an employee spends traveling to join an oceangoing vessel to which assigned when the vessel is at a place other than the port of origin; (3) the days an employee spends traveling between oceangoing vessels when the employee is assigned from one vessel to another; (4) the period representing the number of days within which an employee is reasonably expected to return to the port of origin when his oceangoing vessel's voyage is terminated, or his employment as an officer or crewmember is terminated, at a port other than the port of origin; (5) for an employee who is an officer or crewmember, the days on which he is on sick leave when he becomes sick during a voyage (whether or not continued as a member of the crew) but not beyond the termination date of the voyage of the oceangoing vessel or his repatriation to the port of origin, whichever is earlier; (6) for an employee other than an officer or crewmember, the days on which he is carried on sick leave but not beyond the date on which he returns to the port of origin or the termination date of the voyage, whichever is earlier; and (7) the days of approved leave from a vessel (paid or unpaid) during a voyage. (a) Authority. (1) An employee has an absolute right to use shore leave, subject to the right of the head of the agency to fix the time at which shore leave may be used. (2) Shore leave may be granted during a voyage only when requested by an employee. (3) An employee shall submit his request for shore leave in writing and whenever an employee's request for shore leave is denied, the denial shall be in writing. (b) Accumulation. Shore leave is in addition to annual leave and may be accumulated for future use without limitation. (c) Charge for shore leave. The minimum charge for shore leave is one day and additional charges are in multiples thereof. (d) Lump-sum payment. Shore leave may not be the basis for lump-sum payment on separation from the service. (e) Terminal leave. (1) Except as provided by paragraph (e)(2) of this section, an agency shall not grant shore leave to an employee as terminal leave. For the purpose of this paragraph terminal leave is approved absence immediately before an employee's separation when an agency knows the employee will not return to duty before the date of his separation. (2) An agency shall grant shore leave as terminal leave when the employee's inability to use shore leave was due to circumstances beyond his control and not due to his own act or omission. (f) Forfeiture of shore leave. Shore leave not granted before (1) separation from the service, or (2) official assignment (other than by temporary detail) to a position in which the employee does not earn shore leave, is forfeited. When an official assignment will result in forfeiture of shore leave, the agency to the extent administratively practicable shall give an employee an opportunity to use the shore leave he has to his credit either before the reassignment or not later than 6 months after the date of his reassignment when the agency is unable to grant the shore leave before the reassignment.
Title 5: Administrative Personnel
PART 630—ABSENCE AND LEAVE
Subpart G—Shore Leave
§ 630.701 Coverage.
§ 630.702 Definitions.
§ 630.703 Computation of shore leave.
§ 630.704 Granting shore leave.
