Leave Buy Back opens today!
The Annual Leave Buy Back Program provides an optional monetary incentive for eligible employees that utilize less than 5 days of sick leave throughout the calendar year. You may have the opportunity to redeem up to five (5) days of unused sick and/or vacation time, and be paid for those hours at your hourly rate as of December 31, 2025.
Who is eligible to participate?
To participate in the 2025 Leave Buy Back Program, employees must meet the following criteria:
- Be employed and active on the City of Boston payroll as of December 31, 2025.
- Have been employed between January 1 and June 30, 2025.
- Have used less than five (5) days of sick leave in the calendar year 2025.
When is the deadline?
The Annual Leave Buy Back Program will end next Friday, March 20, 2026. The payout associated with this program will be completed by the end of March 2026.
Please reference the Annual Leave Buy Back Fact FAQs on Beacon for additional information around eligibility and the Leave Buy Back process. If you have any questions about your eligibility to participate, please reach out to your department’s HR Manager/Personnel Officer.
What steps do I need to take?
- Log onto access.boston.gov;
- Click on the Employee Self-Service tile;
- Click on the Leave Buy Back Request tile which can be found under the Finances & Time Tracking section;
- Complete the form by entering requested HOURS and click SUBMIT;
- Once your request has been successfully submitted, you will receive an automated confirmation email. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please contact your Department HR Manager/Personnel Officer.
- Payment will be processed by payroll on a rolling basis, dependent on your pay cycle. Balance(s) will be reduced accordingly.
PLEASE NOTE: While the Leave Buy Back option is available to eligible employees, you should continue to utilize sick leave to address any health concerns or missed work for absences due to illness. If you have any questions about utilizing sick leave, please reach out to your department’s HR Manager/Personnel Officer.
Still have questions?
Please submit a ticket through the Beacon Portal with any questions or concerns.
Thank you,
The Office of Human Resources
