The Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2015 created a benefit that most eligible veterans never hear about from their hiring agencies: Disabled Veteran Leave. For veterans who enter federal service with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more from the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense, the law provides a one-time bank of paid leave — up to 104 hours — that can be used exclusively for medical treatment related to their service-connected disability. The leave is separate from every other leave category. It does not come out of your sick leave, your annual leave, or your FMLA entitlement.
The catch is the window. Disabled Veteran Leave exists only in the 12-month period beginning on the first day of employment in a covered federal position. Any hours not used within that 12-month period are permanently forfeited — no payout, no rollover, no extension. A veteran who qualifies for 104 hours but uses only 40 in their first year loses the remaining 64 hours forever. This is not a theoretical scenario. It is the default outcome for the majority of eligible veterans who are not actively tracking and using this benefit.
OPM surveys and agency HR audits consistently find that a significant share of eligible veterans are not informed of this benefit at onboarding and never claim it. The law places no obligation on the agency to remind you to use it. The clock runs regardless of whether you knew the benefit existed.
Section IEligibility — the four requirements
Disabled Veteran Leave has four eligibility conditions, all of which must be met simultaneously. They appear simple, but the details matter — particularly around what counts as a "covered" federal position and what documentation is required before your first paycheck.
The disability rating requirement is a hard threshold. A 20% rating does not qualify, even if the veteran has multiple service-connected conditions. A rating that increases to 30% after the 12-month eligibility window has opened does not retroactively create additional DVL entitlement. Veterans who receive an initial rating below 30% and subsequently appeal to the VA should coordinate their timeline carefully — if an upgraded rating arrives within the first 12 months of employment, additional DVL hours may be granted for the remaining window.
If your VA rating is upgraded to 30% or higher within the first 12 months of federal employment, you become eligible for DVL from the date of the rating upgrade — not retroactively from day one. Your agency must be notified of the rating change and must establish the leave bank upon receiving documentation. The 12-month window for that upgraded DVL bank begins on the date of the rating upgrade, not the date of hire.
Section IIHow many hours you receive — the prorated formula
The maximum DVL bank is 104 hours — exactly 13 eight-hour work days. But the actual hours granted are prorated based on your work schedule. Full-time employees (80 hours per biweekly pay period) receive the full 104 hours. Part-time employees receive a proportionally reduced bank based on their scheduled tour of duty.
| Work Schedule | Hours Per Biweekly Period | DVL Hours Granted | Equivalent Work Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time (standard) | 80 hours | 104 hours | 13 days |
| Part-time — 75% | 60 hours | 78 hours | ~9.75 days |
| Part-time — 50% | 40 hours | 52 hours | 6.5 days |
| Part-time — 25% | 20 hours | 26 hours | 3.25 days |
| Intermittent (no regular schedule) | Varies | Not eligible for DVL | — |
If your work schedule changes during the 12-month eligibility window — for example, you shift from 75% part-time to full-time — OPM guidance indicates that the remaining DVL balance may be adjusted to reflect the new schedule. Coordinate with your HR office immediately when a schedule change occurs to ensure your DVL bank is recalculated correctly.
Section IIIThe 12-month countdown — your use-or-lose clock
The single most important operational fact about Disabled Veteran Leave is that it expires. Every hour unused at the end of the 12-month eligibility window is gone permanently. Unlike sick leave — which has no ceiling and never expires — DVL has a hard expiration date tied to your employment start date. The clock does not pause for extended LWOP, military leave, or any other absence. It runs from day one to day 365 (or 366 in a leap year).
Section IVWhat DVL covers — and what it does not
Disabled Veteran Leave is narrower in scope than sick leave, but it still covers a wide range of appointments and treatments. The key requirement is that the leave be used for the medical treatment of a service-connected disability — the same disability that forms the basis of the qualifying rating. Treatment does not need to occur at a VA facility; care provided through the VA Community Care Network (CCN) and Mission Act authorized providers qualifies.
VA Medical Appointments
Any appointment at a VA Medical Center, VA clinic, or Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) for treatment of your service-connected conditions.
VA Community Care (Mission Act)
Treatment authorized through the VA Community Care Network with approved private providers. The approval from the VA is what makes the appointment DVL-eligible, not the location.
Mental Health Treatment
Therapy, psychiatric appointments, and inpatient mental health treatment for service-connected PTSD, TBI, MST, or other mental health conditions rated by the VA.
Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation
PT, occupational therapy, prosthetics fittings, and rehabilitation appointments related to service-connected physical conditions.
Non-Service-Connected Conditions
Appointments for conditions not rated as service-connected by the VA or DoD are not eligible for DVL — even if treated at a VA facility. Use sick leave for these.
Appointments After the 12-Month Window
DVL cannot be used after the 12-month eligibility period ends, regardless of how many hours remain in the bank. The hours are forfeited, not preserved for future use.
Section VThe dollar value — what you are leaving on the table
Because DVL is paid leave charged to a separate bank rather than your sick or annual leave balance, every hour you use preserves an equivalent hour of sick leave that you would otherwise have spent. At retirement, that preserved sick leave converts to additional FERS service credit. The indirect value of fully using your DVL bank is therefore not just the 104 hours of covered medical appointments — it is the downstream pension value of the sick leave hours you did not have to spend.
Section VIHow to claim it — the four-step process
Obtain your VA rating documentation
Your rating decision letter from the VA or your DoD disability determination is the required documentation. You need a document that clearly states your combined or individual service-connected disability rating of 30% or higher and the effective date of that rating. The letter must show the rating was in place at or before your federal hire date, or document when it was upgraded to 30%+.
Notify your HR office on or before day one
The statute and OPM implementing guidance require you to notify your employing agency of your qualifying disability rating at the time of hire or as soon as possible thereafter. Notification after the 12-month window opens does not extend the window — but it does establish the DVL bank retroactively to your hire date for any remaining window time. Submit the documentation in writing — email to HR is sufficient if you retain a copy.
Confirm the leave bank is established in your timekeeping system
After submitting documentation, your agency's HR or payroll office must establish the DVL bank in your official timekeeping record. Verify this within two weeks of submission. Ask your timekeeper or HR office to confirm the bank appears in your leave record. Do not assume it has been established because you submitted the paperwork — processing errors occur.
Request DVL by code when submitting leave requests
When requesting leave for VA appointments, specifically indicate that the leave should be charged to Disabled Veteran Leave — not sick leave. The timekeeping code varies by agency system (NFC, Defense Finance, GSA Payroll, etc.), but DVL is a distinct leave category. Your supervisor approves it like any other leave request. Bring appointment documentation (VA appointment confirmation) to your supervisor if requested — though agencies are limited in what medical documentation they may require.
Section VIIDVL and its interaction with sick leave and FMLA
Disabled Veteran Leave, sick leave, and FMLA are three separate categories that can apply to the same absence — but they interact in specific ways. DVL is always charged first when the absence is for treatment of a service-connected disability within the 12-month window and DVL hours remain in the bank. Sick leave is never substituted for DVL while DVL is available and applicable — doing so would mean using a cash-value asset (sick leave, which converts to pension credit) when a separate purpose-built bank is available.
| Leave Type | Purpose | Ceiling | Pension Credit at Retirement | Cash Payout at Separation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disabled Veteran Leave | SC disability treatment only | 104 hrs; 12-month window | No — separate bank, no conversion | No |
| Sick Leave | Personal illness, family care, medical appointments | None — accumulates indefinitely | Yes — 2,087 hrs = 1 year service credit | No (pension credit only) |
| Annual Leave | Any personal purpose | 240 hrs carryover | No | Yes — full payout at hourly rate |
| FMLA | Serious health condition, family care, birth/adoption | 12 weeks per leave year | No direct — indirectly through concurrent leave | No |
FMLA and DVL can run concurrently if the VA appointment is also for a serious health condition as defined by FMLA. In that case, the absence counts against both the FMLA 12-week entitlement and the DVL bank simultaneously. This is actually beneficial in most cases — it protects the employee's job under FMLA while using DVL for pay, preserving sick leave for other purposes. Employees should discuss concurrent designation with their HR office when planning extended or recurring VA treatment.
Section VIIIMaximizing the benefit — a strategic schedule
- Schedule and document your VA appointments proactively in months 1 through 9. Most VA scheduling systems allow appointments to be booked 90 days in advance. Enter the federal system knowing you have 13 days of DVL to use and build a treatment calendar that depletes the bank before month 10. Mental health therapy, physical therapy, and specialty care are all valid uses — backlog them into this window.
- Use DVL for recurring appointments, not just acute care. Veterans with chronic service-connected conditions — musculoskeletal injuries, hearing loss, tinnitus, PTSD — often have recurring monthly or quarterly appointments. Designating these as DVL uses is the most efficient way to consume the bank without disrupting your work schedule or your sick leave balance.
- Coordinate Community Care referrals early in the year. VA Community Care referrals can take weeks to process. If you plan to use DVL for CCN-authorized care with a private provider, start the referral process in the first 30 to 60 days of employment — do not wait until month nine to discover the referral pipeline is backed up and your window is nearly closed.
- Notify HR if your disability rating is upgraded during the first year. If a pending VA claim resolves during your 12-month window and your rating increases to 30% or more for the first time, contact HR immediately. You are entitled to a DVL bank from the date of the rating upgrade — but only if you notify your agency promptly and provide the updated rating documentation.
- Keep copies of all DVL-related submissions and confirmations. If your agency improperly denies DVL, charges your absences to sick leave instead, or fails to establish the bank, you will need documentation to file a grievance or an OPM complaint. Retain a copy of every email, every leave request, and every HR response related to your DVL claim.
Optimal strategy: exhaust DVL bank entirely for all VA service-connected disability appointments within the 12-month window. Use sick leave only after DVL bank is depleted or for non-service-connected medical needs. Annual leave should be the last resort for any medical appointment — it is the only leave type with a retirement cash-out value.