1905 -- Six National Holidays granted rural carriers.

1906 -- 15 days annual leave provided.

1922 -- Sick leave with pay authorized.

1923 -- Christmas Day authorized as a Holiday.

1943 -- Orders requiring Holiday service rescinded.

1944 -- Public Law 78-525, granted pay for earned and unused annual leave upon separation from the service.

1947 -- Public Law 80-44, authorized absence on Saturdays without charge to leave or loss of compensation, when they fall within a period of leave in which there are at least five otherwise chargeable days, (four if a holiday is in the period).

1951 -- Public Law 82-233, provided graduated annual leave; 13 days up to three years of service; 20 days up to 15 years of service; and 26 days for more than 15 years of service.

1957 -- Public Law 85-189, provided leave of absence to rural carriers for holidays granted by Executive Order.

1958 -- Secured reporting of leave balances on Rural Carrier Certificates of Service.

1959 -- Public Law 86-362, Holiday bill assured equity for rural carriers who are on leave during a full week when a holiday falls on Saturday by providing that such carriers will receive both Friday and Saturday without charge to leave or loss of compensation.

1967 -- Secured Leave Benefits for substitute rural carriers serving a route during the absence of the regular carrier;

        (a) on extended military service (furlough) or;

        (b) on extended approved leave without pay for a period of 90 days or more.

        (Substitutes were already eligible for Leave Benefits while serving a vacant route.)

1968 -- Public Law 90-363, the Monday Holiday Law, effective January 1, 1971, provided:

        (a) and additional holiday for all Federal Employees- Columbus Day - second Monday in October;

        (b) other legal holidays to be observed as follows:  Washington's Birthday - third Monday in February; Memorial Day - last Monday in May; Veteran's Day - fourth Monday in October.

        -- Public Law 90-588, "Compassionate Leave" Law, effective October 17, 1968, provided that Federal employees will be granted up to 3 days of administrative leave to arrange and attend funerals of members of immediate family killed in military service overseas; also, granted up to 22 days of additional military leave for Federal employees, who are members of the National Guard or in the reserves when called to duty to enforce the law.

1973 -- Public Law 93-181, provided annual leave claims for federal employees.

1980 -- Public Law 96-31, October 10, 1980, provided for military leave for Federal employees on a fiscal rather than a calendar basis.

1984 -- National Agreement --

        (a) Established Martin Luther King's birthday as a Holiday.

1988 -- National Agreement --

        (a) Leave accumulation carry-over increased from 30 days to 40 days.

        (b) Leave benefits granted to RCAs serving a vacant route or a route where carrier is on extended leave.

        (c) Regular carriers required to work on Christmas holiday, or on designated Christmas holiday, to receive one and one-half (1½) times the daily rate of pay in addition to the holiday pay.

1990 -- National Agreement --

        (a) Leave accumulation carry-over increased from 40 days to 55 days.

        (b) Leave benefits granted to RCAs assigned to an auxiliary route.

        (c) A leave-sharing program offered to rural carriers.

1993 -- Family and Medical Leave Act applied to rural carriers, up to 12 weeks of job protected leave in a year.

1995 -- Up to 80 hours of employee's sick leave may be used in any year to care for dependents.

        --Improvements in leave sharing program.