Lawmakers consider making military leave fairer for feds with nontraditional work schedules

Lawmakers in Congress are considering several proposals to expand the availability of paid leave for federal workers who also serve in the National Guard or reserves, following complaints that current offerings are inadequate for employees with off-duty schedules. non-traditional work.

Currently, a federal employee may take up to 15 days of paid leave while serving or training in the National Guard or Reserves. While this may be sufficient for a federal worker who works a traditional weekday schedule, employees like federal firefighters, correctional officers, and law enforcement who often work weekends must often take annual or vacation leave. illness, or take unpaid leave, in order to follow their training. and service obligations.

A provision in the House-passed version of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY25 (HR 8070) would increase the cap on military leave from 15 days to 20 days. And new legislation introduced this week by Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and Rob Wittman, R-Va., would further expand the benefit’s availability.

The National Guard and Reserve Federal Employees Support Act (H.R. 9910) would increase the maximum military leave an employee can take from part-time service to 36 days, matching the minimum number of days during which members of the National Guard and reserves. The Guard and Reserves must serve: 14 days of annual training plus one weekend each month.

“Our brave Guardsmen and Reservists often leave their homes and families to remain ready to support our communities in times of emergency, to train to serve their country or when called to serve full time,” Spanberger said in a press release. “These heroes serve at great personal sacrifice and should not have to make additional sacrifices to support the mission. I have personally witnessed the added burden taken on by federal employees who often contribute their personal PTO and sick leave to perform their duties.

“Our nation’s veterans and federal employees who serve in the National Guard and reserves have made incredible contributions to our communities and our country,” Wittman said. “These dedicated public servants should not have to use their sick leave and vacation days to attend weekend military exercises and their annual training.

The bill already has support from many federal employee and first responder unions, including the Fraternal Order of Police and the International Association of Firefighters, as well as advocates for reservists.

“(Spanberger and Wittman’s legislation) recognizes the dual service of federal employees who also serve in the Reserve and National Guard, highlighting the significant personal sacrifices they make to fulfill their military obligations,” said William Bowser, Chairman of the American Federation of Government Employees. Local 2902, which represents federal workers in Fort Walker, Virginia. “This highlights the strain they are under due to the limited amount of military leave available, often forcing them to use their personal vacation time to fulfill their obligations while still being able to pay their bills. »