Policy 6552

COMPENSATION AND RELATED BENEFITS
6552 MILITARY LEAVES OF ABSENCE

In accordance with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) and State Law, the District, upon advance notice by the employee, will grant leaves of absence for service in the uniformed services and/or military duty ("military service" or "military duty") to its employees who are ordered to duty or volunteer for qualifying military service. The employee's notice may be either verbal or written. No advance notice is required if military necessity prevents the giving of notice, or the giving of notice is otherwise impossible or unreasonable under the circumstances.

Employment Rights

Time during which an employee is absent due to military leave will not constitute an interruption of continuous employment in the District and this employee will not be subjected, directly or indirectly, to any loss or diminution of time, service, increment, vacation or holiday privileges, or any other right or privilege, by reason of the absence; nor will any employee be prejudiced by reason of the absence with reference to continuance in employment, reemployment, reinstatement, transfer, or promotion.

Salary/Compensation

Every employee will be paid his or her salary or other compensation for any and all periods of absence while engaged in the performance of ordered military duty, and while going to and returning from military duty. This payment of salary or compensation will not exceed a total of 30 days or 22 working days, whichever is greater, in any one calendar year; and will not exceed 30 days or 22 working days, whichever is greater, in any one continuous period of absence.

The employee must be permitted, upon request, to use any accrued vacation, annual, or similar leave with pay during the period of military service in order to continue his or her civilian pay. The District may not require the employee to use accrued leave.

The employee is not entitled to use accrued sick leave during the period of military service, unless the District allows employees to use sick leave for any reason or allows other similarly situated employees on comparable furlough or leave of absence to use accrued paid sick leave.

Employee Benefits

Health Plan Coverage

If the employee has coverage under a health plan in connection with his or her employment with the District, the employee must be permitted to elect to continue the coverage for a certain period of time as designated in law.

When the employee is performing military service, he or she is entitled to continuing coverage for himself or herself (and dependents if the plan offers dependent coverage) under a health plan in connection with the employment. The plan must allow the employee an opportunity to continue coverage for a period of time that is the lesser of:

a) The 24-month period beginning on the date on which the employee's absence for the purpose of performing military service begins; or
b) The period beginning on the date on which the employee's absence for the purpose of performing military service begins, and ending on the date on which the employee fails to return from service or apply for a position of reemployment.

Health plan administrators may develop reasonable requirements addressing how continuing coverage may be elected, consistent with the terms of the plan and USERRA's exceptions to the requirement that the employee give advance notice of military service. Further, health plan administrators may develop reasonable procedures for employee payment to continue coverage, consistent with USERRA and the terms of the plan.

Pension/Retirement Plans

While on military duty, any District employee who is a member of any pension or retirement system may elect to contribute to that pension or retirement system the amount which he or she would have contributed had that employment been continuous. Upon making the contribution, the employee will have the same rights in respect to membership in the retirement system as he or she would have had if the employee had been present and continuously engaged in the performance of his or her position. To the extent that these contributions are paid, absence while engaged in the performance of military duty will be counted in determining the length of total service under the pension or retirement system.

Alternatively, employees will have an opportunity to make up contributions to the pension or retirement system upon return to employment in the District in accordance with law and the individual employee's pension/retirement system.

The payment of member contributions required under law to obtain military service credit is waived for members called to active military duty on or after September 11, 2001 and prior to January 1, 2006.

Time during which an employee is absent on military duty will not constitute an interruption of continuous employment, but this time will not be counted or included in determining the length of total service in the pension or retirement system unless the employee contributes to the pension or retirement system the amount he or she would have been required to contribute if the employee had been continuously employed during the period of military duty.

Leaves of Absence for Military Spouses

The spouse of a member of the armed forces of the United States, National Guard, or reserves who has been deployed during a period of military conflict (defined as a period of war declared by the United States Congress, or in which a member of a reserve component of the armed forces is ordered to active duty in accordance with the United States Code), to a combat theater or combat zone of operations will be allowed up to ten days unpaid leave by their employer. This leave will only be used when the person's spouse is on leave from the armed forces of the United States, National Guard, or reserves while deployed during a period of military conflict to a combat theater or combat zone of operations.

In accordance with law, an "employee" means a person who performs services for hire for the District for an average of 20 or more hours per week, and includes all individuals employed at any District site having 20 or more District employees, but does not include independent contractors.

The District will not retaliate against an employee for requesting or obtaining a leave of absence as provided above. The provisions of this section will not affect or prevent the District from providing leave for military spouses in addition to leave allowed under any other provision of law. The provisions of this section will not affect an employee's rights with respect to any other employee benefit provided by law.

Reemployment/Restoration Rights ("Escalator Principle")

As a general rule, an employee is entitled to reemployment in the job position that he or she would have attained with reasonable certainty if not for the absence due to military service. The position to which the returning service member should be restored has become known as the "escalator principle."

Depending on the circumstances or intervening events, the escalator principle may cause an employee to be reemployed in a higher or lower position, transferred, laid off, or even terminated.

The employee must be qualified for the reemployment position. The District will make reasonable efforts to help the employee become qualified to perform the duties of this position. The District is not required to reemploy the employee on his or her return from military service if the employee cannot, after reasonable efforts by the District, qualify for the appropriate reemployment position.

Per state law, an employee restored to his or her position after the termination of military duty will be entitled to the rate of compensation he or she would have received had the employee remained in his or her position continuously during the period of military duty; and the employee will be deemed to have rendered satisfactory and efficient service in the job position during the period of military leave of absence. Further, the employee will not be subjected directly or indirectly to any loss of time service, increment, or any other right or privilege; nor will an employee be prejudiced in any way with reference to promotion, transfer, reinstatement, or continuance in employment.

All other rights, benefits, and responsibilities of a District employee serving in the military will be in accordance with law, regulations, and/or the applicable contract or collective bargaining agreement.

Probationary Service

Public Employees in General

If a public employee (with the exception of the probationary service of "teachers" as described below) enters military duty before the expiration of the probationary period in any position to which he or she may have been appointed, or to which he or she may thereafter be appointed or promoted, the time the employee is absent on military duty will be credited as satisfactory service during this probationary period.

Teachers/Supervisory Staff

In any case where a teacher (defined as encompassing a broad category of full-time members of the teaching and supervisory staff of the District, and is not limited to instructional employees) enters military duty before the expiration of the probationary period to which he or she may have been appointed, the time the teacher is absent on military duty will be credited as satisfactory service during this probationary period. If the end of this probationary service occurs while the teacher is on military duty or within one year following the termination of military duty, the period of the probationary service may be extended by the Board for a period not to exceed one year from the date of termination of military duty. However, in no event will the period of probationary service in the actual performance of teaching services extend beyond that required by the District at the time of the teacher's entry into military service.

Collective Bargaining Agreements/Contracts/Plans/Practices

In accordance with USERRA, any State or local law, contract, agreement, policy, plan, or practice that establishes an employment right or benefit that is more beneficial than, or is in addition to, a right or benefit under USERRA, the greater employment right or benefit will supersede USERRA.

Notice of Rights and Duties

The District will provide a notice of the rights, benefits, and obligations of employees and the District under USERRA. The District may provide the notice by posting it where employee notices are customarily placed. The District may also provide the notice to its employees in other ways that will minimize costs while ensuring that the full text of the notice is provided (e.g., by handing or mailing out the notice, or distributing the notice via email).


Policy References:
The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), Public Law 108-454
38 USC §§ 4301-4333
20 CFR Part 1002
Education Law § 3101
Military Law §§ 242 and 243

NOTE:  Refer also to 
Policy 6212 - Certification and Qualifications
Policy 6213 - Registration and Professional Development 
Policy 6551 - Family and Medical Leave Act



Adopted: 6/22/99
Revised: 9/6/22

Policy 6552