[Entitlement to Home Leave, Annual Leave, and Travel Expenses]

A Department of Agriculture employee, after serving 4 years in Puerto Rico, had claimed home leave and 45 days of annual leave. Agriculture denied the employee's entitlement to the claim because she had been recruited for permanent duty, and Agriculture policy provides home leave only to employees on rotational assignments. However, GAO held that, since the employee's place of residence remained in the United States, she was entitled to annual leave accumulation ordinarily provided to a U.S. resident serving overseas. Further, Agriculture's refusal to grant home leave merely because the employee was not on rotational assignment was legally in error. GAO also held that, since the employee had served for more than a 12-month period at her permanent station, Agriculture improperly declined to offer her a renewal agreement which would have made her eligible for travel expenses. Accordingly, the agency should take action to effect the employee's overseas transfer entitlements and review its policy regarding overseas transfer assignments.