Did you know that federal employees may be granted excused absence to donate blood? Here's the scoop based on official guidance:
Heads of executive departments and agencies have the authority to grant employees up to 4 hours of excused absence (also known as administrative leave) to donate blood without charge to their annual leave or loss of pay. This applies when donating during an employee’s regular tour of duty. The policy stems from a 1951 decision (30 Comp. Gen. 521, June 25, 1951).
Agencies can establish policies to allow administrative leave for recurring events like blood donations, but they may deny it in specific cases due to mission needs. Some organizations add their own rules—for example, requiring the blood drive to be local (e.g., on base) to qualify for administrative leave. If the blood drive isn’t local, employees might need to use annual leave instead.
For more details, check out these official sources:
https://www.opm.gov/frequently-asked-questions/pay-and-leave-faq/leave-policy/may-an-employee-be-granted-excused-absence-to-donate-blood/
https://www.opm.gov/frequently-asked-questions/pay-and-leave-faq/leave-policy/may-an-employee-be-granted-excused-absence-to-donate-blood/
