Arkansas Military Leave and Service Credit for Public Employees

Paid military leave. Arkansas Code section 21-4-102: every state employee and every employee of a political subdivision who is in the Guard or a reserve component, or the Public Health Service Ready Reserve, is entitled to 15 days a year plus travel time on full pay for annual training or other official duty. Unused days carry over up to 15 at the start of a year, so a local government employee can have as many as 30 days in one year. This leave is in addition to vacation. Emergencies. An employee called to duty in an emergency by the Governor or the President gets paid leave of up to 30 working days, then unpaid leave, in addition to all other leave. Seniority, ratings, promotional status, retirement credit and insurance continue, and the employer keeps paying its share of life and disability premiums if asked. Annual leave accrual. Act 572 of 2025 added subsection (h) to section 21-4-204, from August 5, 2025. A state employee who retired from the military, was honorably discharged, or served in the Arkansas Guard or a reserve unit before joining the state now gets military service credit toward the rate at which annual leave accrues. Guard and reserve time is measured by total career points before state employment divided by 365, proved with an NGB Form 23A, DA Form 5016, retirement credit report, annual statement of service history or point statement. Time served while already a state employee does not count twice. Protection. Section 21-3-306 forbids denying a state employee retention, promotion or other advantages because of reserve membership and applies USERRA. Section 12-62-413 gives anyone called to state active duty, by Arkansas or any other state, the same employment and reemployment protection as federal service, with attorney's fees to the prevailing party.