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Military Leave

The terms under which Military Leave is granted and the conditions governing reinstatement after discharge shall be in accordance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations.

Your rights under USERRA

Short tour of duty

Upon request and presentation of appropriate military orders, you shall be granted a military leave of absence to engage in a temporary tour of duty with the National Guard or any recognized branch of the military service not to exceed fifteen days (15) in any calendar year.

  • Arrangements for such leaves are to be made with your immediate supervisor well in advance of the actual tour of duty.
  • CMU will pay the difference between your military pay and regular pay if the military pay is less. The computation of this difference will be gross CMU pay for the authorized period of time, less all military pay and allowances for that period.
  • Alternatively, if you request and are scheduled for vacation during this leave, you will receive full vacation pay rather than receiving the difference in pay as described above.
  • Further, if the military pay is more than your CMU pay, you are likewise permitted to request and be scheduled to use any accrued vacation leave instead of unpaid leave.

Long-term or extended military leave

If you need to leave CMU to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces on a long-term basis, you shall be granted a military leave of absence without pay.

Initially, you will be placed on an unpaid leave of absence with employer health contributions. After thirty (30) days on leave, you will be placed on unpaid leave without employer health contributions and you will be responsible for full benefit premiums during this time. Please refer to the section titled, What Happens to My Benefits While I'm on a Leave of Absence?

For more specific information, please review your appropriate employee group contract/handbook.

You may also review the current  standard practice guide governing Long-Term Military Leaves.

Military Family Leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

The military family leave provisions of the FMLA entitle you to take leave for:

  • Any "qualifying exigency" arising from the foreign deployment of your spouse, OEI, child or parent with the Armed Forces.
  • To care for a servicemember with a serious injury or illness if you are the servicemember's spouse, OIE, child, parent or next of kin.

How do I initiate a request for Military Family Leave under FML?

Notify your supervisor within thirty (30) days of your expected leave, or as soon as practicable.

Complete Section II of the Certification –  Qualifying Exigency or the  Medical Certification – Covered Service member form (if the leave is to care for a current service member). 

Complete Section I of the  Medical Certification – Military Family form (if the leave is to care for a veteran).  See instructions in Section II for completing the rest.

Completed certification forms can be faxed directly to Human Resources at (989) 774-3256 or email to staffleaves@cmich.edu.

For additional information, please review  CMU's Family and Medical Leave Policy.

Other forms