Disabled vets to get new leave benefit

The Office of Personnel Management is expected to release new regulations on Aug. 5 to create a leave category exclusively for disabled veterans.

Related: Read the regulation

The new leave policy, implemented under the Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2015, would apply to any veteran hired after Nov. 5, 2016, and has a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.

The regulation would provide new employees with a one-time leave benefit in their first year of government employment. The leave can only be used for medical treatment on a qualified service disability.

The leave has to be less than less than 104 hours and is only for newly hired veterans, or National Guard members and military reservists who have returned to their civilian jobs.

Acting OPM Director Beth Cobert said in a statement that the new leave policy provides a needed benefit for veterans who are just entering the civil service.

"We know this is something they need," she said. "We want these veterans to have sufficient leave during their first year of Federal service in order to take care of any medical issues related to their service-connected disability."

OPM said it would be offering further information sessions about the new regulation for agencies to implement.

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