Chaffetz bill to reform administrative leave policies for federal employees approved by House

The House of Representatives approved legislation on Tuesday that was sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) to reform administrative leave policies for government employees.

Under the Administrative Leave Reform Act, H.R. 4359, paid time off would be limited to 14 days for government employees under investigation for misconduct.

“H.R. 4359 is a commonsense solution to address the misuse of administrative leave for misconduct or performance issues,” Chaffetz, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said. “And while on administrative leave, these employees receive full pay and benefit despite the fact that they’re not working.”

Federal employees sometimes remain on administrative leave for months or years, Chaffetz said, while receiving full pay and benefits.

“Every year, hundreds, if not thousands, of federal employees are under investigation for significant misconduct, and remain on administrative leave for far longer than is necessary to complete an investigation,” Chaffetz said.

Oftentimes, agencies find that it is easier to keep an employee on administrative leave because it is the path of least resistance, Chaffetz added.

The House also approved another bill introduced by Chaffetz pertaining to the maintenance of records resulting from investigations into employee misconduct.

The Office Personnel File Enhancement Act, H.R. 4360, would require agencies to record all adverse findings from an unresolved investigation in a separated employee’s official personnel file.