Instructions Form CA-7B
Leave Buy Back Worksheet
This form is intended to accompany Form CA-7, Claim for Compensation, when the employee is claiming
leave buy back.
Things to Know About Leave Buy Back:
When an employee uses their sick or annual leave to cover an injury-related absence from work, they may
elect to receive compensation instead. Compensation is paid at 2/3 of the employee's base pay if there are no
eligible dependents, or at 3/4 with 1 or more dependents. The agency pays leave at 100% of salary. In order
for leave to be reinstated, the employee must refund to the agency the difference between the compensation
entitlement and the total amount of leave paid by the agency.
The employee's pay status must be changed to LWOP in order for compensation to be paid. Leave is not
earned while in LWOP. Also, contributions to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) are not made during LWOP.
Therefore, the repurchase of leave may result in a reduction in an employee's leave and/or TSP balance.
Consult your personnel office to learn how the change to LWOP would effect you.
When a Leave Buy Back (LBB) payment is made during the same year that leave is used, the employee's
earnings are reduced by the amount repaid, and tax is not paid for the compensation received. Where leave
repurchase is not completed during the same year in which leave is used, the employee may not adjust their
prior year tax form. They may only claim the amount of leave paid as an employee expense, if they itemize
deductions. Further questions regarding tax implications of LBB should be addressed to the IRS.
A claimant may not repurchase leave used during a period they were eligible for COP.
When disability does not exceed 14 days beyond the COP period, 3 day LWOP must be charged before
compensation can be paid. If leave was used for this period, compensation can not be paid for the 3 days, but
the claimant will have to pay back leave paid during the 3 days to repurchase the leave.
Instructions to the Employee:
Please submit a claim for a minimum of 10 hours unless no further claim is anticipated. Medical documentation
must be provided for all dates claimed.
1. Complete the Form CA-7 for the dates claimed. Where more than one continuous period of leave is
claimed, complete Form CA-7a following the instructions for completing that form.
2. Submit the completed CA-7, CA-7a, if appropriate, and medical documentation for all dates claimed, to
your agency official. If there are discrepancies, try to reconcile the difference with your agency official
prior to submission of the claim.
3. The agency official will provide you with an estimate of worker's compensation benefits due, the total
amount owed the agency in order for the leave to be restored, arid the amount you must pay the agency.
Using this information, determine whether you wish to repurchase your leave, and check the appropriate
block. If you choose to repurchase the leave, you will be required to pay to the agency the difference
between the compensation due and the amount owed to the agency.
a. If the total amount of FECA benefits estimated by the agency is not more than 1 0% above the amount
determined by OWCP to be accurate, OWCP will process a payment for all hours supported by medical
evidence. If medical evidence supports some, but not all of the hours claimed, payment will be made
for the approved hours. You may submit a new claim with medical support for the additional hours.
b. If the total amount of FECA benefits estimated by the agency is more than 10% above the correct
amount, OWCP will not process the payment. Instead, the Off ice will offer you a new election with the
correct amount of FECA benefits payable,
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