TEXAS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION PROCEDURES

31.03.03.X1.03 MILITARY LEAVE
Approved: March 28, 2003
Supplements System Regulation 31.03.03 and 31.03.04

In November 2001, the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House issued a memorandum authorizing state employees who are called to active military duty to use emergency leave "so that they do not experience a reduction in total pay or benefits." Emergency leave, in addition to making up any differential between the military pay and state pay, will enable the continuance of the state contribution toward benefit coverage, and sick and annual leave accruals. Employees whose military pay exceeds their state pay are not eligible for emergency leave; however, their military leave authorization will be applied so there is no loss of benefits. Student workers and graduate assistants are eligible only for the 15 days of military leave as described in System Regulation 31.03.03, Leave With Pay. The following procedures will be used to ensure eligible employees called to active duty continue to receive their authorized pay and benefits.

A. Employee Responsibilities:

1. Notify his/her supervisor as soon as notified of possible or actual call to active duty.

2. Upon receipt, provide a copy of official orders/written call to active duty to his/her supervisor and forward a copy to the Texas A&M AgriLife (AgriLife) Human Resources Office.

3. Contact the AgriLife Human Resources Office to discuss emergency leave, benefits continuation, and any other related matters (time permitting).

4. The employee should set up and maintain an automatic payroll deposit to ensure that he/she is paid in a timely fashion.

5. While on active duty, the employee will provide a copy of each Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) to the AgriLife Payroll office as soon as possible. If the LES is forwarded to a home address, the employee must ensure a person at that location can forward a copy to the AgriLife Payroll Office.

6. Remit timely payment for any insurance benefit premiums that are billed by the AgriLife Human Resources Office.

7. Notify his/her supervisor, the AgriLife Human Resources Office and the Payroll Office as soon as he/she is released from active duty.

B. Supervisor Responsibilities:

1. Notify, via normal channels, the AgriLife Human Resources Office of an actual or pending call to active duty as soon as notified by the employee.

2. Assist the employee in their departure and ensure the unit has access to any projects, open work, and/or files that the employee was working on prior to his/her departure.

3. Notify the AgriLife Human Resources Office as soon as they are notified that the employee will be returning to work.

C. AgriLife Human Resources Office Responsibilities:

1. Provide the employee with a summary of benefits and information concerning the employee’s leave and retirement benefits.

2. Provide a letter to the employee requesting a mailing address, telephone number and copies of the LES. The letter will also contain the mailing address and telephone and fax numbers of the Human resources Office.

3. Provide timely billing for any benefit payments due.

4. In coordination with the unit leave administrator, input any required leave documents/information into the Leavetraq system.

D. AgriLife Payroll Office will:

1. Pay the employee’s authorized leave as required.

2. Calculate any pay differentials between the allowed state pay and the military pay upon receipt of the employee’s LES for the appropriate pay period.

3. Ensure payment of the employee’s state portion of insurances.

For questions contact the AgriLife Human Resources Office at 979-845-2423, fax 979-862-1478 or e-mail AGHRbenefits@ag.tamu.edu.