MI EL-510-2016-8 Wounded Warriors Leave

1 Management Instruction EL-510-2016-81 Management InstructionManagement InstructionWounded Warriors Leave This management instruction sets forth the policy guidelines andstandard procedures for administering Wounded Warriors GuidelinesWounded Warriors Leave The Postal Service supports the employment of veterans who havechosen to commence or resume a civilian career with the Postal Servicefollowing their military service. Consistent with the requirements of theWounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2015, the Postal Service allowsany employee who meets the eligibility requirements to take aspecifically designated type of Leave , without loss or reduction in pay, forundergoing medical treatment for a service-related Warriors Leave is an authorized absence from the PostalService to undergo medical treatment for a service-connected disabilityrated at 30 percent or more.

2 It is a separate Leave category, distinct fromsick is an in-person visit to a health care provider, as specified inSection of the Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM), andincludes the course of action prescribed by a health care includes but is not limited to examination for and evaluationsof the health condition that has caused the disability Care Provider is the employee s attending physician or otherattending practitioner as recognized by ELM Eligibility Period means the continuous 12-month periodthat begins on the first day of employment during which an eligibleemployee can use Wounded Warriors Leave . For the followingemployees, the 12-month period begins November 5, 2016: Employees on the rolls on November 4, 2016.

3 Non-career employees on a required break in service (five or sixdays, as appropriate) on November 4, 2016. Date:November 16, 2016 Effective:ImmediatelyNumber:EL-510-2016- 8 Obsoletes: EL-510-2016-7 Unit:Compensation and BenefitsJeffrey C. WilliamsonChief Human Resources Officer and Executive Vice PresidentCONTENTSP olicy Guidelines .. 1 Wounded Warriors Leave .. 1 Definitions .. 1 Eligibility .. 2 Accrual and Crediting .. 3 Employees with Recent Employment in Another Federal Agency.. 4 Requests for Wounded Warriors Leave .. 5 Charging Wounded Warriors Leave .. 6 Integration with Other Leave Policies .. 62 Management Instruction EL-510-2016-8 EligibilityGeneralAll classifications of career and non-career Postal Service employees areeligible for Wounded Warriors Leave if all of the following meet one of the eligibility requirements provided under Eligible Employees, and have not previously established eligibility for Wounded Warriors Leave .

4 Eligible employees are entitled to only one Twelve-Month EligibilityPeriod in connection with Postal Service employment. Eligible EmployeesTo be eligible, you must meet the criteria of one of the career or non-career a full-time, part-time, or non-traditional schedule; fulfills one of the on the rolls as of November 4, 2016; a non-career employee on a required break in service (five or six days, as appropriate), on November 4, 2016; serving his or her first appointment on or after November 5, 2016; has a single or combined service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or who: the Postal Service s employment to participate in active duty military service; directly from that military service to a career or non-career appointment on or after November 5, 2016.

5 And sustained a single or combined service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more that was incurred during the employee s immediate who: military Leave from the Postal Service to participate in active-duty military service; directly from that military Leave on or after November 5, 2016; and military Leave sustain a single or combined service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more that was incurred during the employee s military with Pending Disability DeterminationsOtherwise eligible employees with pending disability determinations,who at any time during the applicable Twelve-Month Eligibility Periodreceive a 30 percent or more disability rating, will be eligible for leaveretroactively to the first day of the applicable Twelve-Month EligibilityPeriod.

6 Any Leave without pay (LWOP) or Leave used while theManagement Instruction EL-510-2016-83determination is pending will be reimbursed and replaced with WoundedWarriors Leave , as appropriate, up to the maximum number of the Disability RatingIf an employee s service-connected disability rating is decreased tobelow 30 percent or discontinued during the Twelve-Month EligibilityPeriod, then the employee no longer has a qualifying service-connecteddisability. The employee must notify the supervisor of the effective dateof the change in the disability rating. The employee is no longer eligiblefor Wounded Warriors Leave as of the effective date of the and CreditingGeneralIt is an employee s responsibility to notify the Postal Service of his or hereligibility before requesting Wounded Warriors Leave .

7 Employees mustprovide documentation from the Department of Veterans Affairs, or onany Office of Personnel Management (OPM) certification form developedfor administration of Wounded Warriors Leave , certifying that theemployee has a qualifying service-connected disability. Initial EligibilityEach eligible employee will be credited with 104 hours of WoundedWarriors Leave following the Postal Service s receipt of documentationsupporting the employee s eligibility. Wounded Warriors Leave will beavailable for use retroactively to the first day of the Twelve-MonthEligibility Period. Employees Returning to the Postal ServiceEmployees with a service-connected disability rated at 30 percent ormore will have any unused portion of their Wounded Warriors Leaverestored for the remaining months of the Twelve-Month Eligibility Periodif they meet the following postal employment during the Twelve-Month Eligibility Period.

8 And to the Postal Service for a career or non-career appointment within the Twelve-Month Eligibility Returning to the Postal Service from Military ServiceWhen employees return to duty with the Postal Service on or afterNovember 5, 2016, directly from military service (with a break in service),and as a result of that military service, have sustained a new service-connected disability rated at 30 percent or more, they will: the full 104 hours of Wounded Warriors Leave upon the Postal Service s receipt of documentation of their eligibility for Wounded Warriors Leave ; and 12 calendar months to use the Leave . Wounded Warriors Leave will be available for use retroactively to the firstday of re-employment with the Postal Service.

9 4 Management Instruction EL-510-2016-8 Employees Returning to the Postal Service from Military LeaveEmployees returning to the Postal Service from Military Leave (without abreak in service) who sustain a new service-connected disability rated at30 percent or more will receive the full 104 hours of Wounded WarriorsLeave upon the Postal Service s receipt of documentation supportingthe employee s eligibility. Wounded Warriors Leave will be available for use retroactively to the firstday of return to service and the employee will have 12 calendar monthsto use the Leave . Use of LeaveEligible employees returning to the Postal Service from military Leave willbe able to use Wounded Warriors Leave , as appropriate, as well as anyearned and remaining sick to Wounded Warriors Leave Entitlement to Wounded Warriors Leave expires at the end of an eligibleemployee s Twelve-Month Eligibility Period as defined on page 1.

10 Thishappens regardless of the employee s actual Wounded Warriors Leavebalance. If the employee leaves the Postal Service at any time during orafter the expiration of the Twelve-Month Eligibility Period, any remainingleave will not be reinstated, carried over, or paid out, except aspermitted by: regulations if the employee transfers to another federal agency, or included in this Management with Recent Employment in Another Federal AgencyGeneralIf an eligible employee began employment with another federal agencyand transfers to the Postal Service within the Twelve-Month EligibilityPeriod, the employee is eligible to use Wounded Warriors Leave for theremainder of the 12 months.