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PHASE 2 · EMPLOYEE PROBLEM-SOLVING CENTER
Guide Overview: Leave, Pay, Safety & Work Rights
Five step-by-step guides for NNSY employees, built only from the NNSY–TVFEMTC Collective Bargaining Agreement. Each guide follows the same order: What Happened?, What Should I Know?, What Should I Do Now?, Important Deadlines / Time Limits, Forms / Documents, Who Should I Contact?, Escalation Steps, What Happens Next?, and CBA References.
Annual Leave & Sick Leave
Leave request denied, leave canceled, doctor's note demanded, or charged AWOL.
Search: vacation denied, sick note, AWOL, leave restriction, use or lose
Overtime & Shift / Schedule Changes
Passed over for overtime, forced overtime, or your shift or tour changed without notice.
Search: skipped for OT, OT rotation, shift change, tour change, schedule moved
Safety & Unsafe Work
Told to do work you believe is unsafe, missing PPE, or a hazard isn't being fixed.
Search: unsafe job, refuse unsafe work, no PPE, hazard report, safety concern
Environmental Pay
You worked in dirty, hazardous, or high-exposure conditions and weren't paid EDP.
Search: EDP, dirty pay, hazard pay, missing differential, exposure pay
Classification / Higher-Level Work / Promotion / Apprentice Rights
Doing higher-grade work without the pay, passed over for promotion, or apprentice concerns.
Search: working out of grade, temp promotion, passed over, PD wrong, apprentice
Need to file or be represented? Use the Phase 1 guides
Every Phase 2 guide points here instead of repeating these steps. If your issue may become a grievance, or management wants to question you, go straight to the completed guides below.
Pathway A — Annual Leave (Article 19)
Annual leave was denied, canceled, conflicted, forced, unplanned, or affected by a family death. Find your situation below.
My leave request was denied
- Leave is subject to workload and manpower.
- Written requests receive written approval or disapproval, with reasons for denial.
Scheduling extended leave
- Before May 15, supervisors solicit written extended-leave schedules.
- Tentative written approval/disapproval is due within 10 workdays after May 15.
Leave requests conflict
- First preference: the employee with the most accumulated leave, counting forced leave.
- If still unresolved: the employee who took the least annual leave in the current leave year, excluding forced leave.
My approved leave was canceled
- Approved leave is not bumped except in an Employer-determined emergency.
- Approved leave may be canceled for unforeseen, unplanned, or unscheduled workload conditions.
I need unplanned leave (calling in)
- First shift: call the supervisor first and, if needed, the posted personnel notification number before or within 3 hours after shift start. Give name, check number, supervisor, reason, and estimated duration.
- Second/third shift: notify the supervisor as soon as absence is anticipated and no later than the first 3 hours, giving reason and estimated duration.
- Report continuing absence by the last date originally reported.
- After reporting to work, contact the immediate supervisor before entering leave status.
Liberal leave, LWOP & advanced annual leave
- Liberal leave grants annual leave to nonessential/nonemergency employees.
- LWOP is available on request when no annual leave is credited.
- Advanced annual leave is at the shop superintendent's discretion.
- No employee is required to take LWOP.
I'm being forced to take leave
- Forced leave requires maximum possible notice, Council discussion, efforts to place employees elsewhere, possible naval-yard loan, volunteers first, and distribution consistent with work.
- An employee generally cannot be forced out while a borrowed employee has the same specialized skills.
Operations interrupted or suspended
- Interrupted/suspended operations may require leave with 24-hour notice, or notice before the prior shift ends.
- Without 24-hour notice, involuntary leave is limited to 5 days per leave year.
- Where required notice cannot be given, administrative excusal may be up to 8 hours before later forced leave when 24-hour notice can be given.
Death in the immediate family
- May support 3 successive workdays, plus 1 travel day when travel exceeds 250 miles.
- Career/career-conditional employees may receive advance LWOP if annual leave is insufficient.
- Qualifying sick leave remains available with acceptable medical certification.
How leave is charged
- Leave is charged in tenths of an hour (6 minutes).
Pathway B — Sick Leave (Article 20)
Sick leave, an appointment, certification, SF-71, advance sick leave, or a medical absence is at issue. Find your situation below.
When sick leave can be used
- Incapacity from sickness, injury, pregnancy/confinement.
- Medical, dental, or optical examination/treatment.
- Contagious disease exposure determined by local health authorities.
I have a medical appointment
- Appointment requests are advance requests stating time, place, and date.
Calling in sick
- Notify the supervisor and request sick leave within the first 3 hours of the first day absent.
- Notify again each subsequent third day or first day of each workweek, whichever comes first, unless anticipated duration was given.
Submitting the SF-71
- Submit the SF-71 within 3 workdays after return when certification is not required.
I was told to bring a medical certificate
- Certification is generally required after more than 3 continuous workdays, or when management believes sick leave is abused.
- Special certification requires written notice and review after 1 year, with written explanation if extended or rescinded.
- File certification within 15 calendar days after return.
Signed statement instead of certification
- Allowed only for physician shortage, remoteness, or recurring illness not requiring a physician.
- Must be submitted within 3 workdays.
Medical sent me home
- Sick leave is approved for the remainder of that day.
- Later absences follow call-in rules, and certification if more than 3 additional workdays.
I need advance sick leave
- For serious illness/disability, considered case-by-case up to 30 workdays.
- Hardship requests are expedited.
EAP leave requests
- Use the SF-71, an employee/physician-signed leave slip, and an employee request through the administrative officer.
- The physician's diagnosis, prognosis, and return letter go directly to the medical officer.
Reserve exams & how sick leave is charged
- Sick leave is granted for Reserve physical examinations.
- Sick leave uses 6-minute increments.
âš Time limits matter
Call-in, SF-71, certification, and grievance deadlines are short. Don't wait — contact your steward as soon as the problem happens.
Still Not Sure?
Do not guess. Contact your steward or TVFEMTC.
Employee Problem-Solving Guide · Leave Provisions
Annual Leave & Sick Leave
Use this guide if you have a problem with annual leave or sick leave. Choose the pathway that matches your situation, follow the steps below, and contact a steward early so your time limits are protected.
Common searches: leave denied · vacation denied · leave cancelled · sick leave questioned · doctor's note · medical certificate · AWOL · charged leave wrong · emergency leave · family sick · leave without pay · can't get time off · leave schedule
1. What Happened?
- My annual leave request was denied or cancelled.
- My sick leave is being questioned, or I was told to bring medical documentation.
- I was charged the wrong type of leave or marked AWOL.
- I need emergency or unplanned leave and was refused.
- Leave scheduling in my shop seems unfair or inconsistent.
- I was placed on forced leave, my leave conflicted with a coworker's, or a family death affected my leave.
- An appointment, SF-71, certification, advance sick leave, or medical absence is at issue.
2. What Should I Know?
- The NNSY–TVFEMTC CBA controls how leave is requested, approved, scheduled, and documented for bargaining-unit employees.
- Leave decisions must follow the CBA's leave provisions — not just shop habit.
- Annual leave rules are in Article 19; sick leave rules are in Article 20 (see the pathways above).
- If management questions you about leave and it could lead to discipline, see the Management Questioning / Representation guide.
- A leave dispute may be grievable. See the Grievances guide for the process.
3. What Should I Do Now?
- Write down the date, time, who you spoke with, and exactly what was said.
- Keep copies of your leave request and any approval, denial, or cancellation.
- Keep call-in details, your SF-71, certification or permitted statement, and time records.
- Ask your supervisor for the reason for a denial, in writing if possible.
- Do not sign anything you don't understand — talk to a steward first.
- Contact your steward right away so time limits are protected.
4. Important Deadlines / Time Limits
- Call-in: within the first 3 hours (annual and sick leave).
- Extended leave: schedules solicited before May 15; tentative decision within 10 workdays after May 15.
- SF-71: within 3 workdays after return.
- Medical certification: within 15 calendar days after return; permitted statement within 3 workdays.
- Grievance (Article 33): ordinarily within 15 workdays of the incident or knowledge; Steps 2 and 3 within 5 workdays of the prior decision. See the Grievances guide.
- Don't wait. Contact your steward as soon as the problem happens.
5. Forms / Documents
- Your written leave request, as submitted through your shop's leave process.
- Any written approval, denial, or cancellation.
- SF-71.
- Medical certification or permitted employee statement, if required.
- For EAP: employee/physician-signed leave slip.
- Timecard or pay records showing how the leave was charged.
- Your own dated notes of conversations.
6. Who Should I Contact?
- Your supervisor — notify as required, and to confirm the status of a leave request.
- Your shop steward — your first point of contact.
- The TVFEMTC union office, if you can't reach your steward.
- Use the Contact a Steward button below for confirmed NNSY contact information.
7. Escalation Steps
- Ask your supervisor for the reason for the decision.
- Bring your documents to your steward.
- Your steward tries to resolve it informally with management.
- If it isn't resolved, file a grievance under Article 33 — Step 1 is written to the second-level supervisor. See the Grievances guide.
- Unresolved grievances move to Step 2 and Step 3, each within 5 workdays of the prior decision.
8. What Happens Next?
- Your steward checks your situation against the CBA's leave provisions.
- Many leave problems get settled informally — for example, a request is approved or a leave charge is corrected.
- If a grievance is filed, management responds within the time frames set by the CBA.
- Your steward keeps you updated at each step.
- Use the completed Grievances and Management Questioning / Representation guides where relevant.
9. CBA References
- Article 19 Annual Leave — Sections 1-10.
- Article 20 Sick Leave — Sections 1-8.
- Article 33 Grievance Procedure — Sections 1, 3, 5, 7, 9-12. See the Grievances guide.
- Union Representation / Employee Rights — see the Representation guide.
- Check exact article and section numbers in the original NNSY–TVFEMTC CBA PDF.
PHASE 2 RESOURCES
CBA & Steward Resources
The NNSY–TVFEMTC Collective Bargaining Agreement is the controlling source for every guide on this site, including Annual Leave & Sick Leave, Overtime & Shift / Schedule Changes, Safety & Unsafe Work, Environmental Pay, and Classification / Higher-Level Work / Promotion / Apprentice Rights. Always check the original contract language and talk to a steward before you act.
Related Phase 1 Guides
Want to file a complaint or are you being questioned by management? Go to the completed guides instead of starting over here.
Still Not Sure?
Don't guess. Contact your steward or TVFEMTC.
EMPLOYEE SEARCH PORTAL · PHASE 2
Search the way you’d say it
Find the right problem-solving guide using the everyday words employees use. Every guide is based only on the NNSY–TVFEMTC Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Annual Leave & Sick Leave
- Leave denied
- Can’t get vacation approved
- Called in sick
- Need a doctor’s note?
- Leave request ignored
- Leave restriction letter
Overtime & Shift / Schedule Changes
- Skipped for overtime
- Forced overtime
- Overtime not fair
- Shift changed without notice
- Moved to nights
- Schedule change
Safety & Unsafe Work
- Unsafe job
- Told to work unsafe
- No PPE
- Refuse unsafe work
- Report a hazard
- Safety concern ignored
Environmental Pay
- EDP / environmental pay
- Hazard pay
- Dirty work pay
- Didn’t get environmental pay
- Worked in confined space
- Pay missing
Careers & Promotions
- Classification / job description
- Position description wrong
- Working out of my grade
- Doing higher-level work
- Temporary promotion
- Merit promotion
- Passed over for promotion
- Apprentice rights & training
Need to file or be represented?
If any of these issues turns into a grievance or a management meeting, use the completed Grievances guide and the Management Questioning / Representation guide. They aren’t repeated here.
Still Not Sure?
Don’t guess. Contact your steward or TVFEMTC.