[Administrative Leave Granted During Extended Period of Disability]

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) requested a decision concerning reconstruction of the pay and leave accounts of a former EEOC employee who was erroneously placed on extended administrative leave when he suffered a recurrence of a work-related injury. The employee had incurred the injury while on temporary duty with EEOC and was placed in an administrative leave status. He did not return to work. After termination of the employee's temporary duty, EEOC discovered that he had been improperly placed on administrative leave status. The employee subsequently requested a lump-sum payment for his unused accrued annual leave. GAO held that there is no authority for an agency to grant extended administrative leave, and EEOC should rescind the erroneously granted extended leave and charge available sick and annual leave to retrieve those payments. Further, in the event collection action is necessary, EEOC may legally deduct from the workers' compensation award the amount of the erroneous salary payments.