Military leave is an unpaid leave of absence from employment with the university for the purpose of serving on active duty with the Armed Forces of the United States, including training in the reserves of the Armed Forces of the United States or of the State of Texas. Upon written request, all or part of accrued unused annual leave may be used. Regular employees are entitled to rights as detailed in the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.

Military Reserves Regular employees will be granted a leave of absence with differential pay* not to exceed ten working days in any one calendar year when, as a member of the National Guard or any of the Reserve Components, they are ordered or authorized by competent authority to engage in military training or duty. Proof of authorization of duty will be satisfied by attaching a copy of the employee's military orders to the timesheet on which the absence is reflected.

Active Duty
Regular employees who are drafted or who volunteer for service in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States will be placed on military leave of absence without pay. Regular employees who elect to return to work following extended military active duty are granted full rights and benefits in accordance with applicable laws regulating such matters. Health plans and health care flexible spending accounts may be continued via COBRA-like benefit continuation while employees are on military leave. The employee would be required to pay 102% of the full premium for coverage. Whether or not continuation of health insurance is elected during military leave, upon returning to work, health insurance will be reinstated without any waiting period or exclusions for preexisting conditions, other than waiting periods/exclusions that would have applied had there been no absence for military leave. The period of military leave of absence will be added to any length-of-service credit that a regular employee may otherwise have.

If any military leave of absence is greater than 60 days, the returning employee must confirm the intention to return by notifying the department supervisor in writing at least two weeks prior to the end of the leave. A veteran's return to work at the university shall be conditional upon satisfactory discharge from the service. Returning veterans may be asked to show evidence of satisfactory completion of active duty, such as the discharge certificate. An employee who fails to return to university employment within 90 calendar days following military discharge will be considered to have voluntarily resigned, effective the 91st day.

*Differential pay is designed to make up the difference between the salary the employee would normally receive and his/her military salary (if the latter is smaller).