When an employee is away from work for unpaid military leave, it is important to report that leave correctly in ECLIPSE. Accurate reporting helps ensure the employee’s record reflects the appropriate status and that service credit is applied correctly when no wages are reported for qualifying leave months.
Under LAGERS reporting rules, if an employee is on military leave for at least one full working day during a calendar month, wages and contributions are not reported for that month. This applies when the military leave is unpaid, including routine drills, training, or deployment.
For any month in which the employee is out on unpaid military leave for at least one full working day, you should report the employee with a Member Status of “Military Leave” in ECLIPSE, report “zero” wages and use a Member Status Date that reflects the date the employee began unpaid leave.
For example, if an employee begins unpaid military leave on May 3, 2026, no May wages should be reported on the May wage report. The employee should be reported with a Member Status of “Military Leave,” zero wages, and a Member Status Date of May 3, 2026.
This same reporting approach applies even if the leave begins or ends partway through the month. If the employee is on unpaid military leave for at least one full working day during that month, wages and contributions are not reported for that month.
For example, if an employee goes on military leave on Jan. 25, 2024, and returns to work on May 2, 2024, no wages should be entered for January through May. The employee would resume regular wage reporting beginning with June wages. Appropriate service credit will be given for the months in which zero wages are reported while the employee is on military leave.
Extended military deployments
For military deployments lasting a year or longer, the employee must return to work for at least one day following their deployment to receive service credit from their military leave. You should keep this in mind when reporting extended military leave and when reviewing member records after the employee returns.
This is especially important for quarterly reporting and follow-up, as extended leave periods can affect how service is credited if the employee does not return to covered employment.
Why accurate reporting matters
Military leave reporting affects how wages, contributions, and service credit are reflected on a member’s record. Reporting unpaid military leave correctly helps prevent wage reporting errors, ensures the member is placed in the proper status, and helps LAGERS apply service credit appropriately for qualifying leave periods.
When in doubt, you should review the employee’s leave dates carefully before submitting the wage report. If an employee was out on unpaid military leave for at least one full working day during the month, the employee should be reported in ECLIPSE with a status of ‘military leave’ and zero wages for that month.
