Federal Employees Married to Military Get 40 Hours of Paid Leave for PCS Moves

If you’re a federal employee married to someone in the military or Foreign Service, you know the drill: PCS (Permanent Change of Station) orders drop, and suddenly your life is a whirlwind of packing, logistics, and trying to handle a cross-country move while still hitting your deadlines. The PCS Leave for Military Spouse Federal Workers Act is designed to give you a much-needed break.

The Logistics Lifeline: 40 Hours of Paid Time

This bill establishes a new type of paid leave—at least 40 hours—specifically for federal employees whose spouses are permanently reassigned. This isn’t a loan against your sick or annual leave; it’s a brand-new entitlement, and it covers pretty much everyone working for the federal government, including temporary employees and those at the VA or Postal Service. The goal is simple: give you paid time off to manage the move without burning through your vacation days.

To be clear, this leave is strictly for activities directly related to facilitating the move to the new duty station. Think utility shut-offs, house hunting, or coordinating the movers—the kind of stuff that eats up a Saturday (or three). The agency head can even grant more than 40 hours if they think it’s necessary, which is a nice bit of flexibility built into the system.

Use It or Lose It: The Fine Print on Timing

There are a few key rules that keep this benefit focused. First, you have to provide your agency with a copy of your spouse’s PCS orders when you request the time off—no orders, no leave. Second, the clock starts ticking fast. You can use the leave intermittently or all at once, but it must be used no later than one month after you physically move to the new location. If you don't use all 40 hours in that window, it’s gone; it doesn't roll over, and you can’t cash it out. This makes sense from a policy standpoint—it’s designed to cover the immediate, intense period of relocation, not accrue as a long-term benefit.

For the average federal employee trying to juggle a career and a military spouse’s constantly shifting assignments, this 40 hours is huge. It means you don't have to choose between taking unpaid leave or using precious vacation time just to coordinate the basics of setting up a new life. It’s a direct acknowledgment of the unique logistical stress placed on military families and a practical way to support the federal workforce retention, especially among those who face frequent moves. It’s a clean, targeted benefit that cuts straight to a real-world problem.