Section 630.1206 - Substitution of paid leave(a)Leave without pay. Except as otherwise provided in this section, family and medical leave taken under § 630.1203(a) must be leave without pay.(b)Leave connected to birth or placement.(1) For family and medical leave taken under § 630.1203(a)(1) or (2) (corresponding to subparagraphs (A) and (B) of 5 U.S.C. 6382(a)(1) , respectively), an employee may elect to substitute- (i) Up to 12 administrative workweeks of paid parental leave in connection with the occurrence of a birth or placement, as provided in subpart Q of this part; and(ii) Any annual or sick leave to the employee's credit for such family and medical leave not covered by paid parental leave.(2) The annual or sick leave to the employee's credit under paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section consists of the following:(i) Accrued or accumulated annual or sick leave under subchapter I of chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code (or equivalent annual or sick leave under another authority), without regard to the normal limitations on the use of sick leave;(ii) Advanced annual or sick leave approved under the same terms and conditions that apply to any other agency employee who requests advanced annual or sick leave, except that the normal limitations on the use of sick leave are not applicable; and(iii) Annual leave donated to an employee under the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program or the Voluntary Leave Bank Program, consistent with subparts I and J of this part, or equivalent donated annual leave under another authority.(c)Leave connected to serious health condition or exigency. For family and medical leave taken under § 630.1203(a)(3), (4) , or (5) (corresponding to subparagraphs (C), (D) and (E) of 5 U.S.C. 6382(a)(1) , respectively), an employee may elect to substitute the following paid leave for any or all of the leave without pay: (1) Accrued or accumulated annual or sick leave under subchapter I of chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code (or equivalent annual or sick leave under another authority), consistent with the law and regulations governing the granting and use of annual or sick leave (including the limitations on the purposes for which sick leave may be used under § 630.401(a) and the hours limitations in § 630.401(b) through (e) ) ;(2) Advanced annual or sick leave approved under the same terms and conditions that apply to any other agency employee who requests advanced annual or sick leave; and(3) Annual leave donated to an employee under the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program or the Voluntary Leave Bank Program, consistent with subparts I and J of this part, or equivalent donated annual leave under another authority.(d)Leave to care for a covered servicemember. For family and medical leave taken under § 630.1203(j) (corresponding to 5 U.S.C. 6382(a)(3) and (4) ), an employee may elect to substitute the annual and sick leave identified in paragraph (c) of this section, except that any sick leave credited to the employee may be substituted without regard to any of the normally applicable limitations on the use of sick leave.(e)Employee entitlement to substitute.(1) An employee is entitled to elect whether or not to substitute paid leave for leave without pay under this subpart, as permitted in this section.(2) An agency may not deny an employee's election to make a substitution permitted under this section.(3) An agency may not require an employee to substitute paid leave for leave without pay.(4) An employee may request to use annual leave or sick leave without invoking family and medical leave, and, in that case, the agency exercises its normal authority with respect to approving or disapproving the timing of when the leave may be used.(f)Notification by employee and retroactive substitution.(1) An employee must notify the agency of the employee's election to substitute paid leave for leave without pay under this section prior to the date such paid leave commences (i.e., no retroactive substitution), except as provided in paragraphs (f)(2) through (f)(4) of this section.(2) An employee may retroactively substitute annual leave or sick leave for leave without pay granted under this subpart covering a past period of time, if the substitution is made in conjunction with the retroactive granting of leave without pay under § 630.1203(b) .(3) An employee may retroactively substitute transferred (donated) annual leave for leave without pay granted under this subpart in the circumstances covered by §§ 630.909(d) or 630.1009(d) .(4) An employee may retroactively substitute paid parental leave for applicable leave without pay granted under this subpart, as provided in § 630.1706(a) and subject to the requirements governing paid parental leave in subpart Q of this part. If the employee's leave without pay was not granted on a prospective basis under this subpart, the retroactive substitution of paid parental leave may not be made unless the leave without pay period has been retroactively designated as leave under this subpart, as allowed under § 630.1203(b) . 85 FR 48091 , Aug. 10, 2020