Military Leave

Disabled Veterans Reexamination or Treatment

An employee who has been rated by the Veterans Administration to have incurred a service-connected disability and has been scheduled by the Veterans Administration to be reexamined or treated for such disability shall, upon presentation of written confirmation of having been so scheduled, be granted administrative leave or leave not affecting accrued leave balances for such reexamination or treatment without loss of pay, benefits, or efficiency rating, not to exceed six days (up to a maximum of 48 hours if the employee is full-time) in any calendar year.

Approval

This type of administrative leave is approved by the department. If an employee meets the criteria outlined above, a department is obligated to provide the employee with the time off from work.

Documentation

The employee should provide documentation from the VA as to his or her appointment as explained above. This documentation should be kept in the department along with the employee’s application for leave requesting administrative leave.

Examinations for Military Service

Upon presentation of a copy of the employee’s official orders or appropriate military certification, an employee who is ordered to appear for an examination for entrance into the military service shall be granted administrative leave or leave not affecting accrued leave balances for this purpose.

Approval

This type of administrative leave is approved by the department. If an employee presents official orders or military certification as described above, a department is obligated to provide the employee with the time off from work.

Documentation

The employee should provide documentation as described to his or her department. This documentation should be kept in the department along with the employee’s application for leave requesting administrative leave.

Military Leave Procedures: Reservists

The information on this page pertains to all employees eligible for military leave for active duty.

The First 30 Days of Active Duty

The employee shall be considered in full pay status for the first 30 days of any leave of absence for active duty. Reservists called to active duty will have their perspective department to place them on “Paid Leave of Absence” in PeopleSoft, and the department will report the first 30 days of military leave using the appropriate time reporting code. Subsequently, the employee’s department should submit a Personnel Leave of Absence form to cover the first 30 days of military leave. The 30 days should start with the date of activation and end on the 30th calendar day. A copy of the employee’s official orders or other appropriate documentation must accompany the Personnel Leave of Absence form.

If the employee’s circumstances and/or entitlements after the first 30 days are not known at the time the department completes the leave of absence form for the first 30 days, a new form marked “extension” will be required to address this period of the employee’s leave of absence.

After the First 30 Days

The employee must provide the department verification of the completion of the first 30 days of active duty. In turn, the department must provide a copy of this verification to UF Benefits. The employee’s status with regard to supplemental pay will determine what action the department will need to take with regard to the remainder of the employee’s leave of absence. Please see below for available options and accompanying procedures.

If the Employee Earns More at UF Than in the Military

The employee is entitled to supplemental pay, which should amount to the difference between the employee’s UF salary and his or her military base pay. Supplemental pay processing requires verification of the employee’s military base pay. The department can verify the employee’s monthly base military pay by one of the following methods:

• Contact the employee’s unit of assignment requesting written verification of military base pay information. The address is on the front of the active duty order. This method can be used prior to the employee’s departure.
• Obtain a copy of the employee’s monthly military Leave and Earnings Statement (LES). This will provide a basis for calculation of military pay supplements as directed by UF’s Finance and Accounting Payroll Office. The employee likely won’t be able to provide this form of verification until after reporting for duty.

The department should submit a Personnel Leave of Absence form marked “Extension,” accompanied by verification of the employee’s military base rate of pay to UF Benefits to cover the period of time the employee will be receiving supplemental pay. The UF Benefits office will be responsible for calculating the rate of supplemental pay; however, the department needs to enter the supplemental information into PeopleSoft to ensure proper payment.

Employees receiving supplemental pay do not need to use leave balances to cover benefit premiums, and vacation and sick leave will accrue automatically from the certification process. After the first 30 days of pay, the employee may also use accrued vacation, sick, or compensatory leave in amounts that, when combined with the supplemental pay, cannot exceed the employee’s regular rate of UF pay. The Personnel Intermittent Paid Leave form should be completed and submitted along with the Personnel Leave of Absence form, showing the use of paid and unpaid leave and holiday pay by the employee during his or her military leave. Please note that leave usage must be adjusted for pay periods that include paid holidays.

If the Employee Earns More in the Military Than at UF 

Employees who earn more in the military than at UF may use accrued vacation, sick, and compensatory leave to cover the cost of benefit premiums or in any amount up to the equivalent of the employee’s regular rate of UF pay after the first 30 days of pay. They are not eligible for any supplemental pay from UF. A Personnel Leave of Absence form marked “Extension” should be submitted to UF Benefits.

Vacation and sick leave will accrue from the certification process. If the employee is using intermittent leave or leave without pay, UF Benefits will manually adjust biweekly leave accruals to ensure that full accruals are credited to the employee.

If the employee runs out of leave or chooses not to use it, the employee shall be placed on leave without pay following the first paid 30 days of the military leave. While on military leave without pay, the employee retains the same rights and privileges as an employee who is on any other type of leave without pay, and will continue to earn full vacation and sick leave accruals and holiday pay.

When Reservists on Active Duty Return from Military Leave

The department must submit a Personnel Leave of Absence form returning the employee from military leave, using the end date given on the official release papers, a copy of which must be submitted with the leave of absence form. If the employee would like to take time off between the release date and the date that marks the end of his or her 90-day notification period, that period of time will be covered by UF’s standard leave policy.

Military Leave Procedures: Volunteers

The information on this page pertains to all employees eligible for military leave for active duty.

Payment for the first 30 days shall be made only upon receipt of evidence from an appropriate military authority that 30 days of military service have been completed. The department must receive written notification of completion of 30 days of service to verify that the employee was eligible for the military leave pay. The payment for the first 30 days of military service will be at the same salary the employee would have earned if he or she remained employed by the University (including any holiday) during this period. If the employee does not serve the full 30 days, the employee is paid only for those days he/she actually served.

Administrative leave for the first 30 days of active service is approved by the department. If an employee presents official orders or military certification as described above, a department is obligated to provide the employee with the time off from work. Under these provisions, the employee is provided administrative leave for all of his or her normal workdays occurring during the first 30 calendar days of his or her request.

Because leave payment for the first 30 days shall be made only upon receipt of evidence from an appropriate military authority that 30 days of military service have been completed, departments may authorize use of accrued vacation, sick, or compensatory leave and then “exchange” it for administrative leave upon notice of the employee’s completion of the 30 days of service. This ensures no interruption of pay to the employee while he or she is on military leave. This is at the department’s discretion.

If the department does not wish to grant the employee paid leave prior to receiving notice of the employee’s completion of the 30 days, it may grant the employee leave without pay. Upon receiving notice, the department would retroactively pay the employee for the administrative leave provided.

A Personnel Leave of Absence form should be completed that includes the entire period of time the employee will be on active duty based on the dates provided on the official orders. This form should also address the employee’s wishes regarding leave use past the first 30 days.

If the employee runs out of leave or chooses not to use it, the employee shall be placed on leave without pay following the first paid 30 days of the military leave. While on military leave without pay, the employee retains the same rights and privileges as an employee who is on any other type of leave without pay.

When a Volunteer Returns from Active Duty
The department must submit a Personnel Leave of Absence form returning the employee from military leave, using the end date given on the official release papers, a copy of which must be submitted with the leave of absence form. If the employee would like to take time off between the release date and the date that marks the end of his or her one-year notification period, that period of time will be covered by UF’s standard leave policy.

National Guard State Service

Upon presentation of a copy of the employee’s official orders or appropriate military certification, an employee who is a member of the Florida National Guard shall be granted leave with pay on all days when ordered to active service by the state. Such leave with pay shall not exceed 30 calendar days at any one time. Such leave shall be counted as administrative leave and shall be without loss of time or efficiency rating.

A copy of the official orders shall be filed in the employee’s personnel file. Any absence in excess of 30 days may, upon request by the employee and approval by the supervisor, be covered by accrued vacation or compensatory leave.

If not requested by the employee or approved by the appropriate supervisor as vacation or compensatory leave, such absences in excess of 30 days shall be approved as leave without pay.

Approval

This type of administrative leave is approved by the employee’s department. After the employee completes the Application for Leave and presents his or her official orders or military certification as described above, a department is obligated to provide the employee with time off from work. The department should submit a copy of the Application for Leave, along with a copy of the official orders, to University Benefits at benefits@ufl.edu for reporting purposes.

Under these provisions, the employee is provided administrative leave for all of his or her normal workdays occurring during the first 30 calendar days of his or her request.

Any absence in excess of these 30 calendar days may, upon request by the employee and approval by the supervisor, be covered by accrued vacation or compensatory leave. A department is not obligated to accommodate a request to use paid leave in excess of the 30 days but is encouraged to be responsive to an employee’s civic responsibility. Please note, though, that departments are obligated, however, to provide time off from work. Therefore, if not requested by the employee or approved by the appropriate supervisor as vacation or compensatory leave, such absences in excess of 30 days shall be approved as leave without pay.

Documentation

The employee should provide documentation as described to his or her department. This documentation should be kept in the department along with the employee’s application for leave requesting administrative leave. A copy of the official orders should be filed in the employee’s personnel file; forward to Recruitment and Staffing, PO Box 115002.

Short-Term Military Training

Upon presentation of a copy of the employee’s official orders or appropriate military certification, an employee who is a member of the United States Armed Forces Reserve, including the National Guard, shall be granted leave with pay during periods in which the employee is engaged in annual field training or other active or inactive duty training exercises. Whether continuous or intermittent, such leave with pay shall not exceed 240 hours in any federal fiscal year (October 1 – September 30). Such leave shall be designated as administrative leave and shall be without loss of time or efficiency rating.

A copy of the official orders shall be filed in the employee’s personnel file. Any absence in excess of 240 hours may, upon request by the employee and approval by the appropriate supervisor, be covered by accrued vacation or compensatory leave.

If not requested by the employee or approved by the appropriate supervisor as vacation or compensatory leave, such absences in excess of 240 hours shall be approved as leave without pay.

Approval

Short-term military training administrative leave is provided for annual field training or other active or inactive duty for training. Departments are obligated to grant this leave to employees, up to 240 hours in any one federal fiscal year (Oct 1 – Sept 30), upon request. This leave is not charged against their personally accrued leave.

Under this provision, the employee is provided administrative leave to cover his or her normal workday.

Employees may use this leave intermittently if needed (for example, employee is being called to active duty for training for four months) to ensure continued benefits, etc.

He or she also may use his or her accrued vacation leave and compensatory leave (if USPS) to cover any absence in excess of 240 hours.

Documentation

The application for leave (half-sheet) typically is all that is required to document such absence. This is maintained by the department along with a copy of the employee’s official orders or appropriate military certification.

However, if the employee is going to be gone longer than 240 hours, a request for extended leave should be completed to document the absence (write “short-term” above the military designation on the form). Please submit to UF Benefits along with a copy of the official orders/military certification. In this case, complete the intermittent use of paid leave application. rather than an application for leave. This, too, should be submitted to UF Benefits.