OPM Form 71 Request for Leave or Approved Absence

When Is an OPM 71 Required?

Form OPM 71 can be used in the following cases:

1. Accrued annual leave.
2. Advanced annual leave.
3. Restored annual leave.
4. Advanced sick leave.
5. Accrued sick leave.
6. Compensatory time off.
7. Other paid absence.
8. Leave without pay.
9. Family and medical leave.

To prevent delay or a positive action on the application, government employees should fill in the form with accurate and valid information, as well as be ready to provide any additional information (medical documentation and certification) if required.

OPM Form 71 Instructions

Completing Form OPM 71 is a forthright process in which the requestor needs to fill out the necessary information connected with a leave of absence. If the information presented will be incomplete or falsified, then the request may be denied and the requestor may become subject to potential penalties (including removal).

1. Form OPM 71 consists of several parts. The first three sections are dedicated to the personal information of the requestor, including their name and Employee or Social Security Number (SSN).

2. Sections titled "Type of Leave/Absence" and "Family and Medical Leave" contain information about the purpose of the leave. If the leave will be used under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), then the requestor is required to provide additional information and contact their supervisor or personnel office to get additional information about the employee's responsibilities under the FMLA. In this case, the requestor must indicate whether the leave is for:

   • Birth, adoption, or foster care;
   • Serious health condition of a spouse, son, daughter, or parent;
   • Serious health condition of the requestor.

3. Regardless of the kind of leave/absence the requestor has chosen, it is necessary to mark the date, time, and amount of total hours of absence.

4. The next section ("Remarks") is presented as an empty box for the requestor's comments and additional information. For example, when the requestor chooses "Other Paid Absence" as a type of requested leave, they must give specifications about the purpose of leave in this section.

5. In the seventh section, the requestor certifies with their signature and date that:

   • The requested time off will be used according to the purposes indicated in the application;
   • The requestor must comply with procedures and will provide additional documentation if required;
   • Falsification on the application may lead to disciplinary action.

6. The requestor must not fill out the last section of the document as it is supposed to be filled out by the requestor's supervisor after the document is submitted. Here the supervisor will state the official action on the requests, reasoning, signature, and date.