HOW TO REQUEST MILITARY TIME OFF
A request for time off for military duty should be made to the staff member's immediate supervisor or department head at least two (2) weeks in advance of the duty unless precluded by military necessity. The request should include the dates of departure and return, and should be accompanied by a copy of the official orders.
TIME OFF WITH PAY FOR MILITARY RESERVE DUTY
All regular full-time and regular part-time staff who are members of the National Guard or a reserve component of the United States Armed Forces will be granted time off with pay for annual military duty provided the duty is obligatory to maintain military status.
Where possible, the staff member should submit requests for orders during calendar periods outside of peak business seasons and not during the most popular vacation cycles.
The maximum paid time allowed for annual duty is ten (10) workdays per calendar year (January 1 through December 31).
Any period of time spent on military duty in excess of the maximum time allowed may be taken as vacation leave or a leave without pay.
If military pay is less than budgeted College pay, the College pays the difference. Military pay consists of base pay, plus allowance for longevity, subsistence, quarters and dependents, plus pay for sea, flight, foreign, and hazardous duty. Military pay does not include reimbursement for travel expense.
To receive pay from the College, staff member must:
- furnish a certified statement of the military pay and allowances for the time off;
- endorse the military paycheck to Gettysburg College and forward the endorsed check to the Payroll Manager.
If the staff member does not turn in the military pay, he or she will be considered on leave without pay for training.
TIME OFF WITHOUT PAY FOR ACTIVE MILITARY DUTY
An unpaid leave of absence will be granted due to service in any of the Armed Services, including Reserve units, the National Guard, or any other category of service designated by the President of the United States in time of war or emergency. For purposes of this policy, "service" includes active duty, active and inactive duty for training, full-time National Guard duty, and absence to take an examination to determine fitness for any of the foregoing type of duty. Unless precluded by military necessity, advance written notice for the leave should be provided to the supervisor within two weeks of the start of the leave.
Leave under this policy is unpaid, except as follows:
- An exempt employee absent for a part of a workweek due to uniformed service will be paid their salary for that entire workweek; however, the College will credit the compensation received from the United States government for the workweek in question against the employee's salary for that workweek.
- As required by law, upon their request, an employee may use their accrued paid leave time during military leave but will not be required to do so. As during any unpaid leave, the accrual of paid time off ceases.
BENEFITS
During the leave without pay, there is no accrual of paid sick or vacation days. Health and dental benefits will continue at no cost to the employee for the first thirty (30) days of military leave. After 30 days, the employee may continue the coverage at the employee's expense, at the same rates paid by the College, unless the employee suffers an injury in the line of duty. Any employee who is preparing for a military leave should notify the College as soon as possible to discuss the handling of benefits during this time away from work.
Group Life Insurance coverage and dependent life insurance cease during the military leave.
Accidental death and dismemberment insurance cease during military leave.
Tuition Benefits for staff members and/or eligible dependents continue during the military leave.
Under the Group Retirement Plan, time spent on leave without pay counts toward the two-year enrollment period.
Under the Group Supplemental Retirement Annuity, the staff member can be made "whole" by being allowed to contribute to the retirement plan any amount they would have contributed had they not been absent. Upon re-employment, the staff member has three (3) times their length of service (not to exceed five {5} years) to make payments.
Staff members participating in the pre-tax accounts may continue to submit claims against balances accumulated in their accounts through the duration of the plan year and relevant filing period.
If health insurance has not been maintained throughout the period of military service, it will be reinstated the day the staff member is reinstated with no waiting period. If the College cannot put the staff member back to work immediately upon application, the health insurance will be restored immediately.
Employees returning from military leave must provide appropriate military documentation regarding the purpose and duration of the leave. Returning employees will be reemployed in the job that they would have held if they had remained continuously employed, or to a position of equivalent seniority, status, and pay.
Failure to return to the practice in a timely manner after release from service may result in a refusal of reemployment. Reemployment also may be denied if the College’s circumstances have changed to the extent that reemployment is unreasonable or if the employee was separated from the uniformed service by an undesirable, bad conduct, or dishonorable discharge.
REPLACEMENT HIRE FOR STAFF MEMBER ON LEAVE
A department may hire a replacement while a staff member is on military leave. The replacement is a temporary appointment and the offer letter prepared by the Human Resources Office will clearly state the temporary nature of the appointment. The costs associated with the replacement employee will be borne by the hiring department. The replacement employee may be eligible for benefits depending on the type and length of the assignment. The offer letter must clearly state the terms and conditions of employment and that the position will end upon the return of the staff member on leave. Upon return of the staff member from military leave, the replacement employee's employment with the College may cease.
POLICY INTERPRETATIONS
Questions related to the interpretation of this policy should be directed to the Human Resources Office staff. We encourage any staff member who takes leave under this policy to schedule a meeting with a staff member of the Human Resources Office to address any questions or concerns he or she may have with regard to the College's military leave policy and its effect of their employment status and employer-provided benefits.