Federal employees have a new tool to get the most out of their vacation time and sick leave – including time off to care for a new child.

The Office of Personnel Management released a new guide April 15 listing all the varieties of sick leave, vacation time and administrative options available to feds.

The guide will help federal human resources managers and employees navigate the options and get the most out of their leave, according to Brenda Roberts, deputy associate director for pay and leave at OPM.

The guide stems from a Jan. 15, 2015 presidential memo directing agencies to advance six weeks of sick leave to federal employees to care for a new child or sick family member. While agencies had the authority to do this already, the directive pushes agencies to grant the requests whenever possible.

"Many employees are simply unaware of the various benefits the federal government has to offer for this purpose and how to use them together," Roberts said. "We believe the guide is a useful tool that helps support the president's initiatives."

The new leave policies will help agencies recruit and retain a talented workforce, according to Roberts.

The guide covers how to use leave for pregnancy and childbirth, adoption and foster care, and how all the types of leave and workplace programs interact with each other. The book covers alternative work schedules and telework as well.

"OPM believes that this new Handbook will allow agencies to be in a better position to assist employees or their family members who are experiencing childbirth, adoption, and foster care," OPM Director Katherine Archuleta wrote in the guide. "In doing so, the Federal Government will continue to support parents to ensure they can both contribute fully in the workplace and also meet the needs of their families."

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