The LBP is an optional program not offered by all agencies. However, FSIS takes pride in being among the few that do. This program allows full-time and part-time FSIS employees to become members by donating accrued or restored annual leave to a leave bank. The program is a bank of donated annual leave to be used by members who have been approved to receive leave to cover their approved absences from work due to personal or family-related medical emergencies. There is no guarantee that recipients will receive all the donated leave needed to cover their absences. The number of hours of donated leave received is contingent upon how many hours are in the bank at the time the applications are approved. Non-members, including employees from other federal agencies, may also donate annual leave to the bank or directly to an individual recipient. The LBP runs concurrently with the VLTP.

The VLTP is a mandatory program offered by all agencies and is open to all full-time and part-time FSIS employees who apply to become recipients and receive donated leave to cover their approved absences from work due to personal or family-related medical emergencies. No membership is required; however, donated leave is not guaranteed and is contingent upon direct donations from colleagues, coworkers, friends and/or family in the Federal Government.

Both are leave sharing programs that depend on generous annual leave donations by federal employees to provide paid leave to qualifying employees experiencing either personal or family-related medical emergencies. The primary difference is that you must be a current member of the LBP to apply to become a recipient and receive donations of leave from the bank or directly from other federal employees. The VLTP does not require membership, but recipients can only receive direct donations from other federal employees.

The ELTP is a program that allows employees who are experiencing severe adverse effects of a major disaster or emergency, as declared by the President, to receive donated annual leave for approved absences. When directed by the President, OPM may authorize agencies (i.e., USDA) to establish an ELTP. Under an ELTP, an employee may donate annual leave for transfer to employees of the same or other agencies who are adversely affected, or have family members who are adversely affected, by the disaster or emergency (e.g., floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, bombings). An FSIS employee who is adversely affected by disasters or emergencies may apply for donated leave through the ELTP without exhausting their annual leave.