Military Leave

Who Can Take Leave

If you are performing duty for any branch of the federal uniformed services of the United States, including the National Guard and Reserves, you are eligible for up to five years of military leave.

You may take leave for voluntary and involuntary duty, such as active duty, initial active duty for training, inactive duty training, deployment, mobilization for national or domestic emergencies, and required examinations to determine fitness for duty. 

Pay While on Leave

Full-time employees: There are two options for receiving pay while on leave, depending on the length of your military service.

• Option 1: Employees on active duty or participating in annual military training for up to 15 days can receive full-time pay minus any military pay, up to a maximum of one year. Your full-time pay is calculated using your total compensation (or applicable benefits base rate). 
• Option 2: Employees participating in annual military training for up to 15 days also have the option to receive military pay plus full-time pay (as calculated in Option 1) for half the leave time up to seven and a half days and use vacation pay for the remaining leave time, or take it unpaid.

Part-time employees on active duty, active-duty training, or annual military training can use vacation pay or take time off without pay. This is considered unpaid Military Leave.

Benefits Coverage

• Health care plans: If your leave is less than 31 days, your current level of coverage for medical, dental, and vision will continue unless you request a change. If your leave is longer than 31 days, you may elect to continue coverage for you and your dependents under USERRA for up to 24 months.
• 401(k) plan: Your contributions to the 401(k) plan will stop unless you receive pay and choose to make an elective contribution.  
• Retirement plan: When you return to work after military duty, you do not have a break in service for purposes of participation, vesting, and benefits accrual. BMO will contribute to the Retirement plan based on an estimate of the pay you would have received if you had not been on Military Leave.
• Vacation: You continue to accrue vacation days. 

Return-to-Work

When you are ready to return to work after military leave, notify your manager and contact Matrix Absence Management:

• Log on to the Matrix Absence Management website,
• Call 1-888-295-7862, or
• Download the Matrix Absence Management eServices app from the App Library.

The application requirements to return to work are based on the length of your military service. 

Job Reinstatement Rights