New Bill Helps Veterans Have The Day Off On Veterans Day

A new bill passed in the legislature making it easier for veterans to take off Veterans Day under private employers.

Representative John Mark Windle said that he sponsored this bill because of the number of veterans who have asked for this kind of assistance.

“Clearly we live in a state and certainly we live in an area, the Upper Cumberland and eastern Tennessee, that values their veterans,” Windle said. “And the service rate is so much higher among the population in the counties that I serve so the requests were numerous. It’s certainly appropriate to allow someone who has served their country to have Veterans Day off.”

As introduced, the bill requires an employer to allow a veteran employee to have the entirety of Veterans’ Day as a non-paid holiday. The veteran employee must provide a one-month notice, provide proof of veteran status, and the employee’s absence will not impact public health or safety or cause the employer significant economic or operational disruption.

Windle said that he hopes this bill will allow the many veterans in the area to spend the day with loved ones or with their friends. He said that this bill will be in effect next Veterans Day.