New Leave Rule to Provide Warrior Care

from the American Forces Press Service via Military.com

New Leave Rule to Provide Warrior Care
August 27, 2009
American Forces Press Service|by Donna Miles

Defense Department federal employees could receive up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a military family member injured in the line of duty if an Office of Personnel Management proposal is adopted.

The proposal would allow eligible federal employees to take 26 "administrative work weeks" provided for under the Family and Medical Leave Act to care for a servicemember wounded in the line of duty, OPM officials explained during a telephone conference call.

The provision would extend to families of National Guard members or reservists injured while on active duty, explained Jerry Mikowicz, the OPM deputy associate director for pay and leave administration.

To qualify, the federal employee must be the spouse, child, parent, or next of kin of the servicemember declared medically unfit to serve, he said.

The OPM proposal also would allow agencies to advance up to 30 days of sick leave to federal workers who care for wounded military family members.



The OPM proposals were published in the Federal Register Aug. 26, and the public will have 60 days to comment on them.

OPM officials will review the comments before issuing a final rule, which will proceed through the regulatory process required before it is implemented, Mr. Mikowicz said.

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[Note to the AFPS: what's the point of issuing these stories if you don't want the information REDISTRIBUTED... you know, so that PEOPLE CAN BE INFORMED???]