Wounded Warrior Leave

We would like to announce that we now have our section on the Branch 6000 website up and running. Here we will be posting military resource links and additional information for veterans and current serving service members of the USPS and the NALC. We have also been introduced to the USPS Military Programs Specialist from the USPS Headquarters in D.C. who is a retired CSM of the Army. He was excited to be in contact with us and we hope to have a good working relationship with him.

In this article we’d like to talk about Wounded Warriors Leave, the policy guidelines and standard procedures for administering this leave.

Wounded Warriors Leave is an authorized absence from the Postal Service to undergo medical treatment for a service-connected disability rated at 30% or more under the Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2015. It is a separate leave category, distinct from sick leave.

Eligible employees who have a single or combined service-connected disability of 30% or more are eligible for Wounded Warriors Leave.

It is the employee’s responsibility to notify the Postal Service of his or her eligibility before requesting Wounded Warriors Leave. Employees must provide documentation to HR Shared Service Center (HRSSC) from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs certifying that the employee has the requisite level of service-connected disability.

Eligible employees will be credited with 104 hours of Wounded Warriors Leave following the Postal Service’s receipt of documentation supporting the employee’s eligibility. Wounded Warriors Leave will be available for use retroactively to the first day of their enter-on-duty date, or the current Leave Year, whichever is later, for use through the end of the Leave Year. The 104 hours will be credited on the first day of each Leave Year and will not be carried over. You may not accrue more than the 104 hours.

Employees requesting Wounded Warrior Leave must do the following:

a) Submit their request on a PS Form 3971.

b) Designate the reason as “other” and write “Wounded Warriors Leave”.

Employees will need to verify that their request for Wounded Warriors Leave is appropriately used for the treatment of a service-connected disability, by submitting to their supervisor a copy of PS Form 5980, Treatment Verification for Wounded Warriors Leave, certified by a health care provider that the employee used the leave to receive treatment for a covered disability. The verification must be provided no later than 15 calendar days after the employee returns to work.

Please be reminded that this is an alternated leave that is provided specifically for employees who seek medical treatment for a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more. It is a separate leave category from sick leave.