Administrative Leave

Administrative leave is leave with pay granted during working hours to classified employees for the following reasons:

• to serve on a jury;
• to appear in court as a witness under formal subpoena or summons, except when a defendant in a criminal case (employees may use administrative leave when they receive a traffic summons);
• to provide depositions pursuant to a subpoena/summons, except when a defendant in a criminal case;
• to interview and test for positions in state service;
• to participate in resolution of work-related conflicts;
• to participate in resolution of complaints of employment discrimination;
• to attend work-related administrative hearings;
• to serve on councils, commissions, boards or committees of the Commonwealth;
• to cover an extreme personal hardship during an officially declared emergency when the employee sustains severe or catastrophic damage to or loss of personal property as a result of a natural or technological emergency or disaster (up to 80 hours).

For court appearances, employees may charge to administrative leave only the actual time away from work for official jury duty or service as a witness. Reasonable travel time should be included. If the employee initiates a court action, the employee is not eligible for administrative leave unless he or she is summoned or subpoenaed. Departments may require employees to provide documentation of the actual time required for court duties charged to administrative leave.

Where possible, employees scheduled to work the evening or night shift should be switched to the day shift when they are required to be jurors.

Employees may be granted administrative leave to interview for state agency positions, and to take employment tests. Only the actual time away from work for interviewing and testing, and reasonable travel time, may be charged to administrative leave. Supervisors may establish a reasonable limit on leave time used by employees for interviewing and testing.

Employees involved in grievances as grievants or witnesses will be granted administrative leave for a reasonable amount of time during working hours. Reasonable travel time should also be included. Administrative leave will be granted for employee meetings with the Commonwealth's Department of Employment Dispute Resolution and the Department of Human Resource Management’s Office of Equal Employment Services.

For further information on Administrative Leave.