LEAVES AND ABSENCES: MILITARY LEAVE

Note: This policy addresses leave for an employee’s military service. For provisions on leaves in general, see DEC.

For provisions regarding the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), including family and medical leave for an

employee seeking leave because of a relative’s military service, see DECA.

Federal Military

Leave

Reemployment

Any person who is absent from a position of employment by reason of voluntary or involuntary service in the uniformed services shall be entitled to certain reemployment rights and benefits under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), 38 U.S.C. 4301-4335, and its regulations at 20 C.F.R. Part 1002 if:

1. Unless notice is precluded by military necessity or is otherwise unreasonable or impossible, the person, or an appropriate officer of the uniformed service in which such service is performed, has given advance written or verbal notice of such service to such person's employer;

2. The cumulative length of the absence and of all previous absences from a position of employment with that employer by reason of service in the uniformed services does not exceed five years, calculated in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 4312(c); and

3. The person reports to or submits an application for reemployment to such employer in accordance with the provisions of 38 U.S.C. 4312(e) and (f) and 20 C.F.R. Part 1002, Subpart C.

38 U.S.C. 4312(a)-(c); 20 C.F.R. 1002.5(1)

For purposes of federal military leave, the term “uniformed services” means the Armed Forces; the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard when engaged in active duty for training, inactive duty training, or full-time National Guard duty; the commissioned corps of the Public Health Services; the commissioned officer corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); system members of the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System during a period of appointment into federal service under Section 327 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act; intermittent personnel who are appointed into Federal Emergency Management Agency service under Section 306(b)(1) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act or to train for such service, 42 U.S.C.5149(b)(1); and any other category of persons designated by the president in time of war or emergency.

The term “service in the uniformed services” means the performance of duty on a voluntary or involuntary basis in a uniformed service under competent authority and includes active duty, active duty for training, initial active duty for training, inactive duty training, full-time National Guard duty, state active duty for a period of 14 days or more, state active duty in response to a national emergency declared by the president under the National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq., state active duty in response to a major disaster declared by the president under Section 401 of the

Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5170, a period for which a person is absent from a position of employment for the purpose of an examination to determine the fitness of the person to perform any such duty, a period for which a system member of the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System is absent from a position of employment due to an appointment into federal service under Section 327 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, a period for which a person is absent from a position of employment due to an appointment into service in the Federal Emergency Management Agency as intermittent personnel under Section

306(b)(1) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5149(b)(1), and a period for which a person is absent from employment for the purpose of performing funeral honors duty.

The term “state active duty” means training or other duty, other than inactive duty, performed by a member of the National Guard of a state not under 32 U.S.C. 502 or under U.S.C. Title 10; in service to the governor of a state; and for which the member is not entitled to pay from the federal government.

A person who is reemployed under USERRA is entitled to the seniority and other rights and benefits determined by seniority that the person had on the date of the commencement of uniformed service, plus the additional seniority rights, and benefits that such person would have attained if the person had remained continuously employed.

38 U.S.C. 4303(13), (15), (17), 4316(a)

Exceptions

An employer, including a college district, is not required to reemploy a person if:

1. The employer’s circumstances have so changed as to make reemployment impossible or unreasonable;

2. The person is entitled to reemployment under 38 U.S.C.4313(a)(3), 4313(a)(4), or 4313(b)(2)(B), and the reemployment of the person would impose an undue hardship on the employer; or

3. The employment from which the person leaves to serve in the uniformed services is for a brief, nonrecurrent period and there is no reasonable expectation that such employment will continue indefinitely or for a significant period.

38 U.S.C. 4312(d)

A person's entitlement to the benefits of 38 U.S.C. Chapter 43 by reason of the service of such person in one of the uniformed services terminates upon the occurrence of any of the following events:

1. A separation of such person from such uniformed service with a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge.

2. A separation of such person from such uniformed service under other than honorable conditions, as characterized pursuant to regulations prescribed by the U.S. Secretary concerned.

3. A dismissal of such person permitted under or a dropping of such person from the rolls pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 1161(a) (dismissal of commissioned officers).

38 U.S.C. 4304

Notice

Each employer shall provide to persons entitled to rights and benefits under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 43 a notice of the rights, benefits, and obligations of such persons and such employers. The requirement for the provision of notice may be met by the posting of the notice where employers customarily place notices for employees. The U.S. Secretary of Labor shall provide to employers the text of the notice. 38 U.S.C. 4334

State Protections for

Member of Military or

Rescue Team

Paid Leave of Absence

A person who is an officer or employee of the state, a municipality, a county, or another political subdivision of the state, including a college district, and who is a member of the state military forces, a reserve component of the armed forces, or a member of a state or federally authorized urban search and rescue team is entitled to a paid leave of absence from the person’s duties on a day on which the person is engaged in authorized training or duty ordered or authorized by proper authority for not more than 15 workdays in a fiscal year. During a leave of absence, the person may not be subjected to loss of time, efficiency rating, personal time, sick leave, or vacation time. Gov’t Code 437.202(a)

In addition to the leave provided under Government Code 437.202(a), a person described by Section 437.202(a) called to

state active duty by the governor or another appropriate authority in response to a disaster is entitled to a paid leave of absence from the person's duties for each day the person is called to active duty during the disaster, not to exceed seven workdays in a fiscal year. During a leave of absence under this provision, the person may not be subjected to loss of time, efficiency rating, personal time, sick leave, or vacation time. For purposes of this provision, "disaster" has the meaning assigned by Government Code 418.004. Gov’t Code 437.202(a-1)

Notice

This state, a municipality, a county, or another political subdivision of this state shall provide written notice of the number of workdays of paid leave to which an officer or employee is entitled each fiscal year under Government Code 437.202(a) on employment, in the case of an employee or as soon as practicable after appointment or election, in the case of an officer.

This state, a municipality, a county, or another political subdivision of this state shall, on the request of an officer or employee described by Section 437.202(a), provide to that officer or employee a statement that contains the number of workdays for which the officer or employee claimed paid leave under Section 437.202(a) in that fiscal year.

Gov’t Code 437.202(e)-(f)

Return to Employment

An employee of this state or a municipality, a county, or another political subdivision of this state with at least five full-time employees who is a member of the Texas military forces, a reserve component of the armed forces, or a member of a state or federally authorized urban search and rescue team and who is ordered to duty by proper authority is entitled, when relieved from duty, to be restored to the position that the employee held when ordered to duty. An employer, including a college district, may not terminate the employment of an employee who is a member of the state military forces of this state or any other state because the employee is ordered to authorized training or duty by a proper authority. The employee is entitled to return to the same employment held when ordered to training or duty and may not be subjected to loss of time, efficiency rating, vacation time, or any benefit of employment during or because of the absence. The employee, as soon as practicable after release from duty, must give written or actual notice of intent to return to employment. Gov’t Code 437.202(d), 204(a)

Reemployment

A public employee, other than a temporary employee, who leaves a state position or a position with a local governmental entity, including a college district, to enter active military service is entitled to be reemployed by the state or the local governmental entity; in the same department, office, commission, or board of this state, a state institution, or local governmental entity in which the employee was employed at the time of the employee's induction or enlistment in, or order to, active military service; and in the same position held at the time of the induction, enlistment, or order or to a position of similar seniority, status, and pay. To be entitled to reemployment, the employee must be discharged, separated, or released from active military service under honorable conditions not later than the fifth anniversary after the date of induction, enlistment, or call to active military service and must be physically and mentally qualified to perform the duties of the position.

“Military service” means service as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States, the Texas National Guard, or the Texas State Guard.

Gov’t Code 613.001(2)-(3), .002

Exception

A public employee who cannot perform the duties of the position because of a disability sustained during military service is entitled to reemployment in the department, office, commission, or board of the state, a state institution, or a local governmental entity in a position that the employee can perform and that has like seniority, status, and pay as the former position or the nearest possible seniority, status, and pay. Gov’t Code 613.003

Application

To be reemployed, a veteran must apply for reemployment not later than the 90th day after the date the veteran is discharged or released from active military service. The application must be made in writing to the head of the department, office, commission, or board of this state, the state institution, or the local governmental entity and have attached to it evidence of the veteran’s discharge, separation, or release from military service under honorable conditions. Gov’t Code 613.004

Discharge

A person reemployed under Government Code Chapter 613 shall not be discharged without cause before the first anniversary of the date of the reemployment. Gov’t Code 613.005

Application of Federal Laws to Texas Military Members Called to Duty

A service member of the Texas military forces who is ordered to state active duty or to state training or other duty by the governor, the adjutant general, or another proper authority under the law of this state is entitled to the same benefits and protections provided to persons:

1. Performing service in the uniformed services as provided by 38 U.S.C. 4301-4313 and 4316-4319 (USERRA); and

2. In the military service of the United States as provided by 50 U.S.C. 3901-3959, 3991, and 4011-4026 (Servicemembers

Civil Relief Act).

Gov’t Code 437.213