Military Leave (USERRA)

Updated on December 15th, 2023

Carle Health offers Military Leave to allow eligible team members time to fulfill service in uniformed services as required by law or administrative regulation.    

ELIGIBILITY

Team members who are called to active duty in the U.S. military, including the U.S. Armed Forces, Reserves or National Guard. Team member must provide notice prior to the leave. 

CONSIDERATION OF LEAVE

Advance written or oral notice by the team member is required to authorize a military leave.  Written verification of active duty service must also be submitted as far in advance as possible. 

DURATION OF LEAVE

Team members will be granted USERRA Military leave for a cumulative period of five years of military service, or as otherwise required under state or federal law.   

BENEFITS STATUS DURING LEAVE

Team members may elect to continue benefit coverage at the team member premium rates, as long as premium payments are made directly to Carle Health in a timely manner.    

COMPENSATION DURING LEAVE

Team members may elect, but are not required to use, accrued paid leave for any period of military leave. 

REQUEST AND APPROVAL FOR LEAVE

Carle Health has partnered with The Hartford to provide leave management for our team members.  To request a leave under USERRA, call The Hartford at (888) 277-4767 or submit online through The Hartford’s leave portal.

RETURN TO WORK

A team member returning from military leave is entitled to return to the position the person would have held had the person remained continuously employed, or a position of equivalent seniority, status and pay, so long as the person is qualified for the job or can become qualified after reasonable efforts by the organization to qualify the person. 

As provided under USERRA, the following timelines are required for returning to work.  If it is impossible or unreasonable to meet the re-employment deadlines, through no fault of the team member, the team member should return to work as soon as possible:

  • A team member employee whose service in the Uniformed Services is for 30 days or less must report to his or her employer at the start of the next regularly scheduled shift following eight hours of returning safely home,
  • A team member whose service in the Uniformed Services extends more than 30 days but less than 181 days must apply for reinstatement no later than fourteen (14) days after completion of the service.
  • A team member whose service in the Uniformed Services extends more than 180 days must apply for reinstatement no later than ninety (90) days after completion of the service.
  • The above deadlines are extended for up to two  years for persons who are hospitalized or convalescing because of the service-connected illness or injury.