---
kind: "section"
citation: "5 U.S.C. § 6338"
title: "5"
title_heading: "Government Organization and Employees"
number: "6338"
heading: "Prohibition of coercion"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/5/6338"
units:
  - "Part III — Employees"
  - "Subpart E — Attendance and Leave"
  - "Chapter 63 — Leave"
  - "Subchapter III — Voluntary Transfers of Leave"
---

# §6338. Prohibition of coercion

- (a) An [employee](/usc/5/6301.md?p=2) may not directly or indirectly intimidate, threaten, or coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any other [employee](/usc/5/6301.md?p=2) for the purpose of interfering with any right which such [employee](/usc/5/6301.md?p=2) may have with respect to contributing, receiving, or using annual leave under this subchapter.
- (b) For the purpose of [subsection (a)](#a), the term “intimidate, threaten, or coerce” includes promising to confer or conferring any benefit (such as an appointment, promotion, or compensation), or effecting or threatening to effect any reprisal (such as deprivation of appointment, promotion, or compensation).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 100–566, § 2(a), Oct. 31, 1988, 102 Stat. 2837.)