Defence force volunteers
Under the Volunteers Employment Protection Act, if an employee does full-time or part-time voluntary training in any of the armed forces the employer has to allow the employee to take unpaid leave for training.
The employer also has to allow the employee to take leave and hold their job open if the employee takes unpaid leave to go on active service, either when they are called up or when then volunteer in a “situation of national interest”. There are some eligibility criteria that need to be satisfied before the employee can take this leave and, if the employee volunteers in a situation of national interest, they may only take up to 12 months’ leave.
