Paid military leave; qualified members; employer prohibitions; lapse of unused leave.

Sec. 5. (1) At the beginning of each year, an employer shall provide each qualified member of the employer with not less than 26 days of paid military leave. (2) An employer shall provide a qualified member or member described in section 7(4) using paid military leave both of the following: (a) Wages at a pay rate that is equal to the member's regular pay rate. (b) If the member is a member of a bargaining unit covered by a collective bargaining agreement to which the employer is a signatory, all contractually required fringe benefits and accruals normally provided in the course of the member's employment. (3) An employer shall not do either of the following: (a) Allow a qualified member to carry over any unused paid military leave from 1 year to the next year. (b) Provide financial or other reimbursement to a qualified member for any unused paid military leave. (4) Any unused paid military leave that an employer provides to a qualified member lapses at the end of the year in which the paid military leave is provided.