University of California employees that have been called to or volunteered for active military service may have to worry about defending their country, but they don’t have to worry about pay.

The UC Office of the President issued a proposal on March 20, which would allow UC employees to serve up to one year of active duty in the military with a pay and benefits supplement provided by the University. Currently, the UC pays the difference between the employee’s University pay and benefits and their military pay and benefits for up to only 180 days, under the Supplement to Military Pay Policy.

Previously, the University granted employees that had worked at least 12 months for the UC a pay supplement for the first 30 days of any term of active service in any one fiscal year. Following the September attacks, UCOP extended that limit to 180 days. The recent proposal would extend the time limit to 365 days for employees that volunteer for or are called to active duty. The pay would also be retroactive to the first day of active service.

“The proposal was made in light of the fact that the [military] operation [in Afghanistan] was going to go longer than expected,” UCSB Personnel Analyst Steven Carlson said. “The Office of the President says it is proposing the situation and asked the staff to review it.”

On Jan. 31, California made a change that proposed by the UC when Gov. Gray Davis signed bill AB 1862. The legislation extended the pay and benefits supplement granted to all state employees called to active duty from the 180 to 365 days.

“The state of California program is that if put on active duty, one is supposed to receive a pay check in addition to army salary according to rank,” said Capt. Matthew France of assistant professor in the Military Science Dept.

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