1. What is Sick Leave Credit?

Sick Leave Credit is the additional service time added to your Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) retirement calculation based on your unused sick leave hours at retirement. This credit can increase your annuity.

2. How the Calculation Works

The calculator uses the standard FERS formula:

Where:

• \( Hours \) — Your unused sick leave hours at retirement
• \( 2087 \) — Standard hours in a work year (26 pay periods × 80 hours + 7 hours)
• \( Years of Service \) — Your total years of federal service

Explanation: The formula converts your unused sick leave into additional months of service credit, which can increase your retirement annuity.

3. Importance for FERS Retirement

Details: Sick leave credit can significantly impact your retirement benefits by increasing your total service time used in the annuity calculation. Each month of additional credit can increase your lifetime annuity payments.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter your total unused sick leave hours and your years of federal service. The calculator will show how much additional service time your sick leave represents.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How is sick leave credit applied to retirement?
A: It's added to your total service time when calculating your annuity. For FERS, each 2087 hours equals about one year of credit.

Q2: Is there a maximum sick leave credit?
A: No, all unused sick leave can be converted to service credit, though partial months are rounded down.

Q3: How does this differ from CSRS?
A: CSRS uses a different calculation (1 day = 1 day of credit) and can provide more benefit than under FERS.

Q4: When should I use my sick leave?
A: Generally better to preserve sick leave for retirement credit unless you need it for medical reasons.

Q5: Does sick leave affect my high-3 calculation?
A: No, it only adds to your length of service, not your high-3 salary average.