Comprehensive Guide on Earned Leave (EL) Rules for Government Employees

EL Rules for Central government Employees

Earned Leave (EL) is essential for government employees to maximize their leave benefits. Central government gets 30 EL in a Calendar Year. This guide provides important & key details of EL.

Earned Leave Credit

Advance Credit:

• Credit Schedule: 15 days of earned leave is credited in advance on January 1st and July 1st each year.
• Adjustments: The credit is reduced by one-tenth of any extraordinary leave taken or periods of dies non (non-working days) in the previous half-year, up to a maximum of 15 days. This is outlined in GID (2) Rules 26 (1) and 27 (3).

Accumulation:

• Maximum Accumulation: Earned leave can be accumulated up to 300 days. Any additional days for which encashment has been allowed along with Leave Travel Concession (LTC) are not included in this limit.
• Handling Excess Credits: When the balance is between 286-300 days, further advance credit of 15 days on January 1st or July 1st is kept separately. This is set off against the leave taken during the half-year ending June 30th or December 31st. If the leave availed is less than 15 days, the remaining days are credited to the leave account, adhering to the 300-day ceiling.

Special Cases for Earned Leave Credit

New Appointments:

• Pro-Rated Credit: For the half-year in which an employee is appointed, earned leave is credited at 2.5 days for each completed calendar month of service.

Retirement or Resignation:

• Pro-Rated Credit: For the half-year in which an employee retires or resigns, leave is credited at 2.5 days per completed month up to the date of retirement or resignation.

Dismissal or Death:

• Pro-Rated Credit: For the half-year in which an employee is dismissed, removed, or dies, leave is credited at 2.5 days per completed month up to the end of the month preceding the event.

Adjustments for Extraordinary Leave:

• Reduction: If an employee retires, resigns, is dismissed, or dies mid-year, the earned leave credited is reduced by one-tenth of any extraordinary leave taken in that half-year.

Rounding Off Fractions:

• Nearest Day: Fractions of a day are rounded off to the nearest whole day, e.g., 7.5 days are rounded to 8 days.

Utilization and Exceptions

Maximum Utilization:

• At a Time: Earned leave can be availed of up to 180 days at a time.

Unavailed Joining Time:

• Crediting Unavailed Time: Unavailed joining time, up to a maximum of 15 days, can be credited to the earned leave account if:
  • The employee is ordered to join the new post without availing full joining time.
  • The employee joins the new post alone and takes their family later within the permissible time for claiming travel allowance.
• Limitations: The combined total of earned leave and unavailed joining time cannot exceed 300 days. This advance credit concession does not apply as per GID (3) Rule 26.

Transfers within the Same Station:

• One-Day Joining Time: One day of joining time for transfers within the same station, if not availed, cannot be credited to the EL account.

Special Provisions

Extended Leave for Group ‘A’ and ‘B’ Officers:

• Beyond 180 Days: Earned leave exceeding 180 days but not more than 300 days can be granted if the excess leave is spent outside India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Pakistan.

Leave Preparatory to Retirement:

• Up to 300 Days: Earned leave can be taken up to 300 days as leave preparatory to retirement.

Source : DOPT