My wife, who is a PSU employee, is currently on maternity leave and also has 60 days of earned leave balance. Since I need to move to the US for a couple of years, I intend to take my family along with me in August 2017. The plan for my wife was to combine her current leaves and then go on 'leave-without-pay' or childcare leave. However, it appears she is not allowed to get a NOC until she exhausts her maternity leave and all earned leave. She was informed that once she depletes all her maternity leave and earned leave, she can then apply for childcare leave as well as NOC. This situation seems confusing to me. Does it mean that a PSU employee cannot travel abroad when they have paid leave balance? Any insights on the rules, terms, and conditions would be greatly appreciated.