(a) Any employee who leaves or had left the state service for the purpose of entering the armed forces of the United States shall be reinstated in such employee's former position and duties, provided, not later than ninety days after such employee has received a certificate of satisfactory service from the armed forces, such employee applies or has applied for return to the state service. The terms of employment in the service of the state shall be construed to include, in the case of such employee, the period of such employee's leave from state service. The appointing authority of any state agency in which such employee is reinstated shall certify in writing to the Commissioner of Administrative Services that such employee is able and qualified to perform the work required and that there is work available for him or her. In considering the factor of availability of work, the state shall replace by the returning employee any employee, junior in service, who was employed for the purpose of filling the position vacated by such returning employee. This section shall not apply to any state employee who because of voluntary reenlistment has been absent from such state service for a period of more than three years in addition to war service or compulsory service and the ninety-day period provided for in this subsection.

(b) The term of employment in the service of the state shall be construed to include, in the case of a veteran, the term of war service of such veteran, and all records of the state which show the length of service in the employment of the state of any such veteran shall be maintained so as to show the length of such war service and the total of such employment service and war service.

(c) In no event shall the protections and benefits afforded under this section be less than those required under any applicable provision of federal law, including the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, 38 USC Sections 4301 to 4333, inclusive.

(1967, P.A. 657, S. 62; 1969, P.A. 658, S. 18; P.A. 73-675, S. 3, 44; P.A. 75-568, S. 4, 45; P.A. 77-614, S. 66, 610; P.A. 83-316, S. 1, 2; P.A. 13-247, S. 371.)

History: 1969 act amended Subsec. (c) to include leave for armed forces service as employment in state service; P.A. 73-675 replaced highway fund with transportation fund in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 1974; P.A. 75-568 deleted reference in Subsec. (b) to payment from general or transportation fund, reflecting merger of the two; P.A. 77-614 replaced personnel commissioner with commissioner of administrative services; P.A. 83-316 deleted former Subsecs. (a) and (b) which stated that in time of war, any permanent employee or person continuously employed by the state for not less than a year, who is employed by the state at the time of entry for more than 60 days into the U.S. armed forces or active state military or naval service, shall be paid $100 by the state after such 60 days, and which directed the comptroller to draw his order on the treasurer in payment of such amount, relettering remaining Subsecs. Accordingly; P.A. 13-247 added Subsec. (c) re protections and benefits not to be less than those required under federal law and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2013.