Military Leave
Texas A&M University supports employees who serve in state or national military units and provides employment protections, rights, and benefits to those employees who serve our country. Federal laws, state laws, and TAMU policies and procedures will apply to all leave for military service.
Summary of Military Benefits
- System employees, including graduate assistants and student employees who are members of the state military forces or any reserve component of the Armed Forces, are entitled to 15 work days of paid military leave per federal fiscal year (October 1 through September 30).
- Special Provisions for National Emergencies:
- An employee on active military duty whose gross military pay is less than his or her gross state pay will entitled to differential pay. Differential pay will be granted through emergency leave in the percentage of time necessary to make up the difference between military pay and state pay.
- Human Resources Hub Professional: Read how to calculate differential pay.
- Employees whose military salaries are higher than their state salaries may use one or more hours of accrued vacation or compensatory time each month to maintain health and leave benefits.
- FMLA leave for military employees and eligible dependents:
- FMLA leave for eligible employee who needs leave for a "qualifying exigency" related to military service.
- Expanded leave to care for ill or injured service member.
- Additional FMLA Military Leave information.
- Employees may continue all current A&M System insurance coverage and receive an employer contribution, provided they are 50% effort or more and in a paid status.
- Employees continue to accrue leave benefits during paid or unpaid military leave. The hours accrued during the absence will not be available to use until the employee returns to employment.
Medical and Mental Health Care for Certain Veterans
A veteran who served in the army, navy, air force, coast guard, or marine corps of the United States as defined by Government Code § 434.023(a) or the Texas National Guard as defined by § 431.001, and eligible for health benefits under a program administered by the Veterans Health Administration of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, may be granted leave without a deduction in salary or loss of vacation time, sick leave, earned overtime credit, or state compensatory time to obtain medical or mental health care administered by the Veterans Health Administration of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, including physical rehabilitation. Leave granted may not exceed 15 working days each fiscal year unless approved by the member CEO.
Examples of various documents Veteran Affairs provides veterans are below (examples for employees that have submitted a claim for service connection or disabled veterans that are attending appointments at the Department of Veterans Affairs and/or Veteran Affairs Clinic). The following information is received by mail and by several VA websites (VA Healthy Vet, VA/DOD eBenefits, and Veteran Benefits Administration).
Checklist for Employees and Human Resources Hub Professional
Are you an employee who has been called to active duty? Are you a department Human Resources Hub Professional who is responsible for maintaining paperwork for your employees who are called to or on active duty? Please refer to the following links for assistance:
Resources
System Regulation 31.03.06: Military Leave and Service
System Regulation 13.99.99 Military Leave and Services for Students