Going on military leave

Military leaves of absence and supplements to military pay should be requested in accordance with the procedure for requesting leaves of absence at your location. For additional information regarding military leave, non-represented employees should refer to the Absence from Work Policy and represented employees should refer to the applicable bargaining contract.

Request for Supplement to Military Pay 

The Supplement to Military Pay Policy describes the salary supplement that is provided to those University academic and staff personnel serving on active military duty in support of an ongoing overseas military mobilization campaign. All employees who, as members of the National Guard, the Armed Forces, the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, or any other category designated by the President, are serving on active military duty in support of an ongoing overseas military mobilization campaign are eligible for supplements to their military pay. The Supplement to Military Pay will extend for a period not to exceed the employee’s tour of active duty or until the separation date of an employee’s University appointment, whichever comes first.  

The employee’s department and the employee, or the person who holds the power of attorney on behalf of the employee, are responsible for completing the Supplement to Military Pay Worksheet. The purpose of the worksheet is to calculate the gross Supplement to Military Pay and to obtain acknowledgment from the employee that any overpayments will be returned to the University.

In most cases you’ll receive regular pay for the first 30 days of a military leave. (This period may vary, depending on your employment status, payroll deduction schedule, date your leave begins and/or any collective bargaining agreement that may apply.) During this time, your benefits coverage continues automatically, with both you and UC making premium contributions as usual.

If you want to continue coverage after the first month, contact UCPath to arrange to pay the full premiums — both your and UC’s portions — yourself.

If you choose to cancel your benefits during your leave, you’ll need to complete an election form (available from UCPath). For any benefits you cancel (or if you don’t pay premiums on time), your coverage ends the last day of the last pay period for which premiums are paid.

Here’s how to handle specific benefits in advance of a military leave.

Health & Welfare Benefits

Medical, dental, vision and legal: If you want to continue coverage through the sixth month of your leave, contact your benefits representative to arrange in advance to pay the total monthly premiums. To continue medical, dental or vision coverage for up to an additional 18 months after that, you may apply for COBRA continuation coverage. WageWorks, a company that handles COBRA for UC, will send you an information packet with instructions. You’ll send the enrollment forms and premiums directly to WEX Health. You have 60 days from the date you lose coverage (or 60 days from the date you receive notice from UC of your eligibility for COBRA, if later) to apply. Depending on your medical plan, you may be able to continue coverage for another 18 months under CalCOBRA. You’ll need to apply within 31 days after your COBRA coverage ends.

For medical only, another possibility is to apply — within 31 days after your group coverage ends — for conversion to an individual policy. Your benefits representative can help with the details. Or you may apply to the insurance carrier directly for individual coverage, which could provide better benefits for less. The Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges might also provide options.

If you’re enrolled in TRICARE military medical coverage and continue your UC coverage, TRICARE becomes your primary insurer, while your eligible family members’ primary coverage will be through UC.

If your medical or dental plan is an HMO and you’ll be away from its service area for more than two months, contact your benefits representative within 31 days about transferring to a different plan. The procedure for enrolling or de-enrolling a family member in plans is unchanged during a military leave.

Basic life and core life: You don’t need to do anything; your coverage continues at no cost to you for up to four months beginning your first day of leave.

Supplemental life, basic dependent life, expanded dependent life: To continue coverage for up to six months, contact your benefits representative to arrange in advance to pay the premiums. Or you may apply within 31 days after your UC coverage ends to convert to individual policies. Another option is to apply for the portability benefit, which allows you to buy a group policy similar to your UC coverage. Your benefits representative can help with the details.

Basic and voluntary disability, business travel accident, workers’ compensation: Your coverage continues during the paid portion of your military leave and stops your last day before the unpaid portion of your leave starts.

Accidental death and dismemberment: If you want to continue coverage for up to 31 days, contact your benefits representative to arrange in advance to pay the premiums. Accidents that happen while you’re on active duty aren’t covered.

DepCare and health flexible spending accounts: You can be reimbursed for eligible expenses you incur through the end of the pay period in which you made your last contribution. Be sure to submit expenses by April 15 of the following year or you’ll forfeit funds left in the accounts. You can continue health FSA coverage through December 31 of the current plan year through COBRA; you’ll make direct after-tax payments to your account.

Tax savings on insurance premiums: Contributions stop with your last paycheck. If you continue medical coverage, you’ll pay premiums on an after-tax basis.

Auto/Homeowner insurance: If you’d like to continue coverage to the end of the year, contact the insurer to arrange to pay premiums directly.

Vacation and sick leave: You don’t accrue these during the unpaid portion of a military leave. You may use accrued vacation, but not sick leave, to extend your paid leave.

Retirement & Savings Benefits

UCRP: Your contributions and any Capital Accumulation Payment (CAP) balance must remain with UC. You’re still eligible for any UCRP benefits you were eligible for when your military leave started. You’ll keep accruing service credit as usual during the paid portion of your leave. You also earn UCRP service credit—in some cases more than usual—for time you spend in uniformed service and for a period afterward, as long as you return to work at UC and let UC know in writing of your intent to do so. See establishing service credit in Step 4 below.

DC, 403(b) and 457(b) plans: Contributions stop with your last paycheck. If you have an outstanding 403(b) plan loan and suspend payments during your leave, when you return you’ll resume payments at the same rate. But you’ll need to complete repayment by the original maturity date of the loan, making a final lump sum payment if necessary. Contact Fidelity for more information.

If you have a UCRP service credit purchase in progress, you won’t make payments during your leave. You can resume payments when you return to work.

If you have an outstanding 403(b) loan, contact Fidelity to arrange to suspend payments during your military leave. Or you may make monthly payments, pay the amount you’ll owe for the period you’re off pay status, or repay the total amount.