An employee cannot be returned to work without first repaying the severance or signing a severance repayment agreement. A temporary layoff does not create a break in service. Reemployment in a career position within the period of right to recall provides continuity of service and continuation of previously accrued seniority and, therefore, no break in service. However, seniority and benefits accrue only when an employee is on pay status. The following definitions shall apply for purposes of severance payments.
Service is continuous if an employee is on pay status each month without a break in service.
A break in service occurs when there is a separation from Laboratory employment status. Periods on an approved leave without pay for military service, illness, injury compensable by workers' compensation, assignment to another research organization at the direction of the Laboratory, or an approved leave without pay for any period of 30 days or less are counted as periods of continuous service for the purposes of severance pay, as are periods on pay status before and after any other approved leave without pay. Continuous service is re-established when an employee is rehired from preferential rehire status. An equivalent job is any career position with the Laboratory or the University at a beginning salary at least equal to the salary paid the employee in the job from which that employee was laid off, regardless of salary range. One week s pay for exempt employees is defined as the hourly equivalent at the monthly rate times 40 hours.