Qualifying service-connected disability. Human Resources - About.usps.com Disabled Veteran Leave Entitlement. All requests for Wounded Warrior Leave must be first submitted on a PS Form 3971. In May of this year, the Department of Labor updated the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to address mental health conditions. FMLA requires the employer to: Provide 12 work weeks of FMLA leave each year; continue an employee's group health benefits, and restore the employee to the same or an identical position at the end of the leave period. When employees return to duty with the Postal Service on or after November 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: a. In box #11 on their PS form 50 it should indicate 6-10pt-Comp over 30%. Certain veterans who have chosen to commence or resume a civilian career with the Postal Service following their military service became eligible to have credited and use up to 104 hours each calendar year of Wounded Warriors Leave to undergo medical treatment for a service-connected disability rated at 30 percent or more. 815 16th Street N.W., Suite 5100, Washington, DC 20006 This request should be submitted in advance when foreseeable to the appropriate supervisor. More Disabled Vets Could Receive New Leave Benefit Disabled Veteran Leave - U.S. Office of Personnel Management The USPS has recently expanded the Wounded Warrior Leave policy effective on January 5, 2019. USPS: Wounded Warriors - New category of leave available to some Spread the word! Disabled veterans generally are required to attend regular medical appointments to maintain their health and to continue their eligibility to receive their veterans benefits. Is Wounded Warrior Leave paid leave? The application must include a personal self-certification by the employee that the leave will be (or was) used for purposes of being furnished medical treatment for a qualifying service-connected disability. Such recredited sick leave hours will offset the initial crediting of disabled veteran leave hours, which would reduce or eliminate the disabled veteran leave benefit. Under a law that President Obama signed last year, federal agencies are required to provide up to 104 hours of leave to eligible veterans with a service-connected disability rated at . The rehired employee is entitled to a recredit of the former sick leave balance. The effective date is the later date and the first day of employment., An employee is hired on or after November 5, 2016, in a position subject to 5 U.S.C. Take military leave from the Postal Service to participate in active-duty military service; b. ago u/Sea-Flamingo1969. These documents can also be found on theMilitary Veterans,Contract Administration UnitandCity Deliverypages. However, OPM regulations provide that, if 12 months have elapsed since the commencing date of the eligibility period for using the equivalent benefit, the employee is considered to have received the full benefit (regardless of the number of hours actually used), which totally offsets (i.e., eliminates) the section 6329 benefit (5 CFR 630.1305(e)(2)). The employee is hired in a position subject to 5 U.S.C. the date the employee is hired (in a qualifying employment); or. Later, the veteran files a claim for VA disability compensation, which is approved, and the effective date of the disability rating is after the hire date. Twelve- Month Eligibility Periodis defined as the continuous 12-month period that begins on the first day of employment during which an eligible veteran can use Wounded Warrior Leave. a. An agency cannot credit disabled veteran leave until the employee provides the necessary certifying documentation. Visit nalc.org/workplace-issues/city-delivery and choose the Wounded Warriors Leave tab for more information. The later of the two dates will be the start date of the 12-month eligibility period. The supervisor is responsible for the approving requests for Wounded Warrior Leave by signing the PS Form 3971, and returning a copy to the veteran. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. To participate in the session, go to the veterans section of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion LiteBlue page for the meeting ID and passcode. For these employees, whether the hiring date or the effective date of the qualifying disability rating is the start date of the 12-month eligibility period will depend on exact circumstances. Leave postal employment during the 12-Month Eligibility Period; and. 101(2); Have a service-connected disability (as the term is defined in 38 U.S.C. Specifically, a copy of DD 214, for each period of service, along with rating letter from the VA. USPS Emergency Hotline and our PUBLICATIONS. Carryover Wounded Warriors Leave must be used during the Leave Year in which it is credited and will not be carried over. Frequently, it is unavoidable that such appointments must be scheduled during normal work hours and Wounded Warriors Leave provides some relief to those who are eligible and must receive necessary treatment. In the letter dated November 2016 it states employees who have not yet submitted the necessary paper work must provide documentation from the Dept. I am requesting that the distinction be described in The Postal Service will provide the employee with the remaining Wounded Warriors Leave. This thread is archived . Medical treatment may include a period of rest, but only if the period of rest is specifically ordered by the employees health care provider as part of a prescribed course of treatment for the qualifying service-connected disability. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to The 104 hours of Wounded Warrior Leave is a separate category of leave in addition to any earned annual and sick leave. An employee is permitted to retroactively substitute disabled veteran leave for other forms of leave or time off taken for the purpose of receiving treatment for a qualifying disability (excluding periods of absence without leave (AWOL) or suspension, but including forms such as leave without pay (LWOP), sick leave, annual leave, compensatory time off, or other paid time off) when the leave or time off was taken during the employees 12-month eligibility period for the medical treatment of a qualifying disability. The hiring date is the later date and the first day of employment, which starts the 12-month eligibility period. These employees may be waiting for a pending VBA disability rating or file a VBA disability rating claim after the date the employee is hired. Lock If the employee leaves the Postal Service at any time during or after the expiration of the 12-month eligibility period, any remaining leave will not be reinstated, carried over, or paid out, except as permitted by OPM regulations if the employee transfers to another federal agency, or otherwise permitted by the Postal Services Management Instruction. 815 16th Street N.W., Suite 5100, Washington, DC 20006 For more information on Wounded Warriors Leave see Vice President Lew Drass article or Contract Talk in the December 2018 issue of The Postal Record. Eligible new hires will receive 104 hours of WWL upon hire (as required by law) to be used for the remainder of the current calendar year. This request should be submitted in advance when foreseeable to the appropriate supervisor. This is a specific type of leave, which provides veteran employees with no loss in pay, for undergoing medical treatment for a service-related disability rated at 30% or more. For seasonal employees, hours must be annualized in determining the proportion. When an agency requires such medical certification, the agency may specify that it include. This category of leave is a very important benefit to qualifying letter carriers who also are veterans. Frequently, such appointments must be scheduled during normal work hours, and therefore letter carriers in the past often were required to use LWOP to attend those appointments. Reduced by # of hours of (1) sick leave to the employees credit as of the first day of employment or (2) equivalent disabled veteran leave used under another authority (if in 12-month period). USPS US Federal Government Politics . Requests for Wounded Warriors Leave - About.usps.com Once an agency has confirmed eligibility for disabled veteran leave, the agency must credit an eligible employee with the appropriate amount of disabled veteran leave as of the first day of employment.. PDF GUIDE TO VETERANS RIGHTS & BENEFITS - American Postal Workers Union Retroactive substitution may be necessary when an employee has a pending claim under review by VBA that is later approved with a retroactive effective date. Treatment is an in-person visit to a health care provider, as specified in Section 513.364 of the Employees Labor Relations Manual (ELM), and includes the course of . Any unused Wounded Warrior Leave hours cannot be carried over into the new leave year and are lost. The veteran is required to submit a PS Form 5980,Treatment Verification for Wounded Warrior Leave,certified by a health care provider that the veteran used the leave to receive treatment for a covere4d disability. The veteran is required to submit a PS Form 5980,Treatment Verification for Wounded Warrior Leave,certified by a health care provider that the veteran used the leave to receive treatment for a covere4d disability. Pay/Benefit Help Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. The Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2015 is a law that provides veterans who have a service connected disability rating of 30 percent or more with 104 hours of Wounded Warrior Leave during their first year of employment. PDF Treatment Verification for Wounded Warriors Leave The 104 hours of Wounded Warrior Leave is a separate category of leave in addition to any earned annual and sick leave. Phone: (202) 833-9095, Copyright 2023 National Postal Mail Handlers Union In these instances, the employee must certify the number of hours of Wounded Warriors Leave used at the former agency. Below are definitions of some key terms that will be helpful when reading this fact sheet. The Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2015 is a law that provides veterans who have a service connected disability rating of 30 percent or more with 104 hours of Wounded Warrior Leave during their first year of employment. Some possible scenarios are described below: An employee may only use credited disabled veteran leave during the 12-month period beginning on the first day of employment. An employee will only have one 12-month eligibility period established based upon his or her first day of employment.. (See 5 CFR 630.1305(c).). Some Postal Service employees who served in the armed forces are eligible for wounded warriors leave (WWL), a new benefit. Those requirements are that an employee must. Employees not covered under 5 U.S.C. Phone: (202) 833-9095, Copyright 2023 National Postal Mail Handlers Union Wounded Warrior Leave | American Postal Workers Union If the employee is still within that 12-month period, OPM regulations provide that the section 6329 leave benefit is offset by the number of hours of equivalent disabled veteran leave (under another authority) that were used by the employee (5 CFR 630.1305(e)(3)). Your email address will not be published. . When an employee with a positive balance of disabled veteran leave transfers between qualifying agencies or separates from qualifying Federal employment and returns later to qualifying Federal employment, the employee is entitled to a recredit of any unused disabled veteran leaveif the employee is still within his or her originally established 12-month eligibility period. Thanks in advance. Each January, all disabled veterans with a 30% or more combined disability rating will receive 104 hours of WWL to use during the calendar year. In the letter dated November 2016 it states employees who have not yet submitted the necessary paper work must provide documentation from the Dept. 6329; Be a veteran as the term is defined in 38 U.S.C. Mental Health Conditions and the FMLA - American Postal Workers Union I certify that I am requesting Wounded Warriors Leave in conjunction with a military service-connected disability rated at 30 percent or more. The PS Form 5980 must be provided no later than 15 calendar days after the employee returns to work. But thats only wounded warrior leave. If box #11 does not denote 6-10pt-Comp over 30%, the employee will need to submit the necessary documentation to certify they meet the 30% eligibility. Privacy Policy. However, the Postal Service will extend the benefit to current employees who otherwise meet the laws eligibility requirements. Foreseeable Leave All employees requesting Wounded Warriors Leave must do the following: Submit their request on PS Form 3971, Request for or Notification of Absence, in advance to the appropriate supervisor; and Designate the reason for the absence as "other" and write "Wounded Warriors Leave" in the space provided. Any additional information that is essential to verify the employee's eligibility. For more information, please see our Wounded Warriors Leave will be available for use retroactively to the first day of return to service and the employee will have 12 calendar months to use the leave. 1-888-363-7462 6329, eligibility for disabled veteran leave under section 6329 is determined at the point the employee moves to a position covered by section 6329. It is a separate leave category, distinctfrom sick leave. This new category of leave is a very important benefit to letter carriers who are also veterans with a disability rating of 30 percent or greater. the .gov website. 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