FAQ Regarding Military Leave

FAQ regarding Military Leave I have an employee who has returned from active duty, but the orders state that the release date is not for several months. Is the employee eligible to use the five days of Administrative Leave (Code 079-67)? No, the employee can only request the Administrative Leave on a PS Form 3971 after the release date. The employee has a period of up to one year from the release date to use the granted leave. Why is Code 079 used for the 5-day Administrative Leave when the Hours Codes state that the code is for Veteran’s Funeral Leave? For administrative purposes, this code has been chosen. When inputting time for the Administrative Leave, please use Code 079 and a Reason Code of 67 to indicate this is the Military Administrative Leave. I input an employee for 40 hours of Military Leave and used Code 067, but the employee received 40 hours of LWOP. Why? If an employee has NEVER used Military Leave before, the local TACS office needs to be notified to advance the leave before it is taken. The employee has used all available Military Leave. Now can I deny the leave requests? No, the employee may still be eligible for Military LWOP, Code 044. Are Part-Time employees eligible for Military Leave? Part-time employees earn one hour of military leave for every 26 hours in a pay status during the previous year, provided the employee was in a pay status a minimum of 1,040 hours and the employee’s pay for military leave does not exceed 80 hours. How do I find out how much Military Leave an employee has available? This information is available in TACS in the Employee Maintenance Module under Leave Information, or you may contact your local TACS Office at the number listed below. Who is eligible for Military Leave? Career postal employees who belong to the following components of the armed forces, are eligible for paid military leave: The Army or Air National Guard, The Army or Air Force Reserve, The Naval or Marine Corps Reserve, or The Coast Guard Reserve. Casuals, Transitional Employees, Contract Workers, and Non-Career Rural Carriers are not eligible for paid military leave, but are permitted to be absent for military leave. What documentation is required for Military Leave? Request for or Notification of Absence, Form 3971, is required for absences to attend military activities Military Leave Control, Form 3973, is the official record of the amount of Military Leave used – these forms are retained for three years after the end of the pay period in which the leave was taken Military orders or properly endorsed documentation showing the duty was actually performed is required upon the employee’s return (ELM 517.34). For answers to any other questions regarding Military Leave, please call the TACS Office from 6am until 6pm at 515-278-7606.