Most HR teams already pay for jury duty. Many pay for bereavement leave. Some pay for short-term sick leave without much debate.
Courts are now finding that those everyday policy choices can quietly trigger paid military leave obligations, whether HR intended that result or not.
The $18.5 million settlement in Huntsman v. Southwest Airlines shows how quickly this issue can move from a line in the handbook to a class action with eight-figure exposure.
In the Huntsman case, employees alleged the airline violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) by denying pay for short-term military leave of 14 days or fewer, while paying employees for other short absences, such as jury duty, bereavement leave, and sick time.
Southwest denied wrongdoing and maintained that military leave wasn’t comparable to those other forms of leave. Even so, the company agreed to a proposed $18.5 million settlement to resolve the case. On Dec. 10, 2025, a federal court in California granted preliminary approval for the agreement.
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For HR, three aspects of the settlement are especially relevant:
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