Form OPM 71, Request for Leave or Approved Absence

OPM Form 71, Request for Leave or Approved Absence, is the Office of Personnel Management form on which an employee requests leave or an approved absence from duty and a supervisor records the decision. It carries the reference 5 CFR 630 and was formerly Standard Form (SF) 71.

The form has two halves. The employee completes items 1 through 7: name, employee number or the last 4 digits of the Social Security number (SSN), organization, the type of leave or absence with dates, times and total hours, an optional Family and Medical Leave block, remarks, and a signed certification. The supervisor completes item 8, the official action on the request, by marking Approved or Disapproved, giving a reason for disapproval and signing.

Item 4 lists the types of leave and absence: accrued, restored or advanced annual leave; accrued or advanced sick leave; compensatory time off; other paid absence (specified in Remarks); and leave without pay. Sick leave is tied to a stated purpose, such as illness or injury of the employee, a medical, dental or optical examination, or care of a family member.

The Privacy Act statement on the form cites Section 6311 of Title 5, United States Code, as the authority for collecting the information, which management and the payroll office use to approve and record leave. The form prints "Local Reproduction Authorized" and "Previous editions usable."

An employee who wants leave or an approved absence from duty uses OPM 71 to make the request, when the employing agency uses this form for leave requests. The certification in item 7 says the employee must comply with the employing agency's procedures for requesting leave or approved absence, so your agency's rules decide when the form is required.

Specific groups the form addresses:

• Employees requesting annual leave, sick leave, compensatory time off, other paid absence or leave without pay.
• Employees who will use annual leave, sick leave or leave without pay under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993; they complete item 5 and mark the reason: birth, adoption or foster care, a serious health condition of a spouse, son, daughter or parent, or their own serious health condition.
• Supervisors, who complete item 8 by approving or disapproving the request, giving a reason if disapproved, and signing.

The form does not say that anyone other than the employee may sign item 7. It asks only for the last 4 digits of the SSN in item 2, not the full number. For questions about your Family and Medical Leave entitlements and responsibilities, the form tells you to contact your supervisor or personnel office.

Complete OPM 71 when you need to request leave or an approved absence from duty. The form sets no deadline of its own: it says you must comply with your employing agency's procedures for requesting leave or approved absence, so any advance-notice rule comes from your agency.

If you plan to use annual leave, sick leave or leave without pay under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, fill in item 5 on the same request. Your agency may require additional documentation, including medical certification of a serious health condition, and the form tells you to contact your supervisor or personnel office for details.

If the supervisor disapproves a request for annual leave, item 8a says action should be started to reschedule it, and the reason for disapproval goes in item 8b.

OPM 71 is not sent to OPM. The certification in item 7 says you must follow your employing agency's procedures for requesting leave or approved absence, and the form prints no mailing address, portal or e-mail channel of its own.

• To your supervisor: sign and date items 7a and 7b, then give the form to the supervisor who completes item 8, Official Action on Request (approved or disapproved, reason for disapproval, signature and date).
• Through your agency's process: use whatever channel your agency sets for leave requests. The Privacy Act statement says management and your payroll office use the information to approve and record your use of leave.
• Additional documentation: attach any documentation your agency asks for, including medical certification, if required.

Ask your supervisor or personnel office which channel your agency uses. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows your agency's channels described above.