Opinion ID: 712082
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Gummo's Cross-Motion for Partial Summary Judgment in his Favor

Text: 76 Gummo also pursues on appeal his contention that he is entitled to partial summary judgment declaring that the Department's policy of not granting leave without the reservist's presentation of written orders violated the VRR Act. In support of this contention, he points to a provision in a United States Department of Labor Handbook. We are not persuaded. 77 The paragraph on which Gummo relies states as follows: 78 The request for leave does not have to be in writing or in any particular form, although a written request may facilitate proof of eligibility and prevent possible misunderstandings. Furnishing the employer with a copy of the schedule of training drills in advance could facilitate the employer's own work scheduling, but this is not always possible and is not required by law. The law does not specify when the request shall be made, nor does it set any limit on the time that may elapse between leaving the position and actually commencing the training duty. At a minimum, the employer must allow the employee sufficient time to arrive at his training site, even if it means leaving work early. Misunderstandings may be prevented if the employer is given sufficient advance notice to plan work schedules so as to minimize any inconvenience resulting from the reservist's absence. 79 Department of Labor, Veterans' Reemployment Rights Handbook, 18-2 to 18-3 (1988) (emphasis added). The Handbook, which itself acknowledges that it does not have the force of law, see id. at 1, appears principally to interpret the requirements imposed by the Act. The statement that furnishing the employer with written orders is not required by law is not the equivalent of a statement that such a requirement by the employer violates the law. The Act provided that the reservist must be given a leave of absence to perform such inactive-training duty as was required. 38 U.S.C. § 2024(d) (1988). To the extent that it is possible for an employee to furnish his written orders, the employer's requirement that he do so would appear to seek a reasonable form of proof that is not prohibited by the Act and that is consistent with the tenor of the Handbook. If furnishing such orders were impossible, insistence on compliance with such a requirement could be unreasonable. But the present case is not one in which it was impossible for the reservist to furnish his written orders; indeed, as discussed above, those orders had been furnished. We conclude that Gummo's cross-motion for summary judgment was properly denied.