CSRS Retirement Facts 8 - Credit for Unused Sick Leave Under the Civil Service Retirement System

Oct 12, 2026

CSRS Retirement Facts 8 explains how unused sick leave is credited at annuity computation for employees covered under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). If an employee retires on an immediate annuity or dies leaving a survivor entitled to a survivor annuity, credited sick-leave days increase total years and months of service. The pamphlet clarifies limitations: sick leave does not affect the “high-3” average salary or minimum service eligibility, and odd days are dropped. Conversion uses 8 hours per sick-leave day and a 2087-hour work year, with tables to convert hours into months and remaining days.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResumes

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Credit for Unused Sick Leave

Converting Unused Sick Leave into Additional Service

How to Use the Conversion Tables

Additional Information

CSRS Civil Service Retirement System Retirement Facts 8 Credit for Unused Sick Leave Under the Civil Service Retirement System United States Office of Personnel Management Retirement and Insurance Service RI 83-8 Previous edition is usable Revised November 1997 Additional retirement information and all publications ofthe U.S. Office of Personnel Management listed in this pamphlet are available on the Internet. OPM Website—[http://www.opm.gov](http://www.opm.gov/asd)[/](http://www.opm.gov/asd)[asd](http://www.opm.gov/asd) Table of Contents Page Introduction ................... 1 Credit for Unused Sick Leave .......... 3 Table for Converting Unused Sick Leave into Additional Service ............ 4 Additional Information ............. 6 Introduction This pamphlet has general information about how sick leave is credited in an annuity under the Civil Service Retirement System. For more detailed information on credit for unused sick leave at the time of retirement, you should contact your current employing or personnel office. Credit for Unused Sick Leave As an employee under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), if you (1) retire on an immediate annuity or (2) die leaving a widow, widower, or former spouse entitled to a survivor annuity, your service will be increased by the days of unused sick leave to your credit under a formal leave system. The days of unused sick leave that are added are used only in counting your number of years and months of service for annuity computation purposes. The sick leave cannot be used in computing your “high-3" average salary or for meeting the minimum length of service for retirement eligibility. In general, if your leave system charges 8 hours of sick leave for 1 day’s absence, 8 hours of unused sick leave constitutes 1 day of credit. Days are converted to months and years on the basis of a 2087 hour work year. To compute the additional credit for sick leave at retirement, add the months and days of sick leave to the months and days of all periods of actual service. For example: Actual service 30 years, 4 months, 16 days *Sick leave at retirement: 4 months, 24 days Total credit: 30 years, 9 months, 10 days Only years and full months of service are used in the annuity computation. Odd days are dropped. In the example, the 10 days would be dropped. You can use the conversion table to find the additional service time credit provided by unused sick leave. If your regular tour of duty is other than an average of 8 hours per day, you cannot use this table; you should check with your personnel or payroll office on how to convert unused sick leave into additional service. * Using the table, 835 hours of sick leave converts to 4 months and 24 days of credit. | Table for Converting Unused Sick Leave Into Additional Service | | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Months | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | | 0 | 0 | 174 | 348 | 522 | 696 | 870 | | 1 | 6 | 180 | 354 | 528 | 702 | 875 | | 2 | 12 | 186 | 360 | 533 | 707 | 881 | | 3 | 17 | 191 | 365 | 539 | 713 | 887 | | 4 | 23 | 197 | 371 | 545 | 719 | 893 | | 5 | 29 | 203 | 377 | 551 | 725 | 899 | | 6 | 35 | 209 | 383 | 557 | 731 | 904 | | 7 | 41 | 215 | 388 | 562 | 736 | 910 | | 8 | 46 | 220 | 394 | 568 | 742 | 916 | | 9 | 52 | 226 | 400 | 574 | 748 | 922 | | 10 | 58 | 232 | 406 | 580 | 754 | 928 | | 11 | 64 | 238 | 412 | 586 | 760 | 933 | | 12 | 70 | 244 | 417 | 591 | 765 | 939 | | 13 | 75 | 249 | 423 | 597 | 771 | 945 | | 14 | 81 | 255 | 429 | 603 | 777 | 951 | | 15 | 87 | 261 | 435 | 609 | 783 | 957 | | 16 | 93 | 267 | 441 | 615 | 789 | 962 | | 17 | 99 | 273 | 446 | 620 | 794 | 968 | | 18 | 104 | 278 | 452 | 626 | 800 | 974 | | 19 | 110 | 284 | 458 | 632 | 806 | 980 | | 20 | 116 | 290 | 464 | 638 | 812 | 986 | | 21 | 122 | 296 | 470 | 644 | 817 | 991 | | 22 | 128 | 302 | 475 | 649 | 823 | 997 | | 23 | 133 | 307 | 481 | 655 | 829 | 1003 | | 24 | 139 | 313 | 487 | 661 | 835 | 1009 |

FAQs

When does unused sick leave get credited under CSRS?

Unused sick leave is credited when a CSRS employee retires on an immediate annuity or dies and leaves a widow, widower, or former spouse entitled to a survivor annuity.

What limits apply to using credited sick leave at retirement?

Credited sick leave is used only to count years and months of service for annuity computation. It cannot be used to compute the “high-3” average salary or to meet the minimum length of service for retirement eligibility.

How are hours of unused sick leave converted into additional service time?

If the leave system charges 8 hours of sick leave for 1 day’s absence, 8 hours of unused sick leave equals 1 day of credit. Days are converted to months and years based on a 2087-hour work year, and the conversion tables provide the additional months and remaining days.

Oct 12, 2026

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