Military Leave Pay and Benefits for the Period
February 25, 2003 to February 29, 2012

Instructions for Business Administrators and Staff Responsible for Changes in PennWorks

• Get an appropriate address from the employee where s/he wants essential mail sent.
• In PennWorks, place the employee in paid leave status by choosing option 002, LOA With Pay and changing the "A" in the employee status field to "P" for paid leave.
• Change the stop date on the employee's distribution line to the date the employee last worked. Choose option 019, Distribution Update, to process this change.
• Secure a statement of the employee's military pay. If the employee's military pay is less than the employee's University base pay (excluding bonuses, overtime, incentives, etc.), the department will pay the difference for up to 90 calendar days. Remember military pay includes base pay, plus allowance for longevity, subsistence, quarters, dependents, and pay for sea, flight, foreign, and hazardous duty. Military pay does not include reimbursement for travel expense.
• Process additional pay for the difference between the employee's military pay and University base pay if the military pay is less than the employee's University base pay. Use earnings type MIL when processing the form. Military leave pay cannot exceed 90 calendar days.
• Process additional pay via the PennWorks Additional Pay Module. This module can be found here. Remember to process the payments in a timely manner in accordance with the Payroll Schedule for processing additional pay. Payroll Closing Schedules can be found here.
• Mail employee's advice or check to the appropriate address.
• If the employee's military pay is equal to or more than his/her University base pay, you do not process any additional pay. However, you should still change the employee's status to paid leave in PennWorks for up to 90 calendar days while on military leave, so that the employee's applicable medical and life insurance benefits will continue during the 90 calendar day period. Remember to change the stop date on the employee's distribution line to the date the employee last worked.
• After 90 calendar days, in PennWorks change the employee's status to Leave of Absence Without Pay by choosing option 003, LOA Without Pay and changing the "P" in the employee status field to "L" for leave without pay.
• If the employee chooses to use Paid Time Off (vacation) after or before the 90 calendar days of military leave you must keep the employee in active status and keep the distribution line active in PennWorks during the time the employee is using Paid Time Off (vacation). If the employee is eligible for and is still due the 90 calendar days of military pay after the Paid Time Off (vacation) is exhausted, you should change the employee's status to Paid Leave ("P") and stop the distribution line. If the employee is not eligible for military pay or has already received the 90 calendar days of military pay after the Paid Time Off (vacation) is exhausted, you should change the employee's status to Leave Without Pay ("L") and stop the distribution line.
• When the employee returns to work, change his/her status to active in PennWorks by choosing option 004, Return from LOA and changing the "L" in the employee status field to "A" for active. Remember to also activate the employee's distribution line.