What’s so special about them?
Legal Basis: CSC Mc 41, s. 1998;CSC MC 6, s. 1999)
Everybody has heard about Special Leave Privileges that employees in the government service get to enjoy. However, there area few who fail to take advantage of such kind of privilege since they do not know the conditions it covers. Here are the specifics in the granting of Special Leave Privileges.
In addition to the vacation, sick, maternity and paternity leave, officials and employees with or without existing Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA), except teachers and those covered by special leave laws, are granted special leave privileges subject to the following conditions:
- Personal milestones such as birthdays/wedding/wedding anniversary celebrations and other similar milestones, including death anniversaries.
- Parental obligations such as attendance in programs, PTA meetings, graduations, first communion; medical needs, among others, where a child of the government employee is involved.
- Filial obligations to cover the employee’s moral obligation toward his parents and siblings for their medical and social needs.
- Domestic emergencies such as sudden urgent repairs needed at home, sudden absence of a “yaya” or maid, and the like.
- Personal transactions to cover the entire range of transactions an individual does with government and private offices such as paying taxes, court appearances, arranging a housing loan, etc.
- Calamity, accident hospitalization leave pertain to force majeure events that affect the life, limb, and property of the employee or his immediate family.Immediate family refers to spouse, children, parents, unmarried brothers and sisters or any relative living under the same roof or dependent upon the employee for support.
CSC Memorandum Circular No. 6, s. 1999 provides the Expanded Conditions which cites that an employee can still avail of his birthday or wedding anniversary leave if such occasion falls on either a Saturday,Sunday or Holiday, either before or after the occasion. Employees applying for special privilege leaves shall no longer be required to present proof that they are entitled to avail of such leaves. An employee can avail of one special privilege leave for three (3) days or a combination of any of the leaves for maximum of three (3) days in a given year. Special leave privileges are non-cumulative which means that if not enjoyed, it cannot be carried over to the succeeding year. Likewise, it is non-commutable or non-convertible to cash.