Claim for Recredit of Involuntary Sick and Annual Leave

An employee of the Department of the Navy appealed disallowance of his claim for recredit of involuntary sick and annual leave. Following medical determination that, due to vision impairment, the claimant should not be required to wear safety goggles necessary to the performance of his job as a painter, he was placed on leave until receipt of prescription safety glasses enabled him to return to his position. Since an agency may place an employee on involuntary leave when medical evidence indicates that he is incapacitated for performance of his assigned duties, and as the written record presented a material dispute of fact that could not be resolved without an adversary hearing, denial of the claim was required.