For the purpose of sections 81-1320 to 81-1326, any state employee whose employment has been terminated, for other than disciplinary reasons, and who returns to state employment within one year from the date of such termination shall have his or her service for sick leave entitlement computed by combining prior continuous service with current continuous service disregarding such period of absence and shall have reinstated to his or her sick leave account all earned sick leave not used at the time of his or her departure, except that any employee who has retired or voluntarily terminated in lieu of retirement shall, if he or she returns to state employment, be considered a new employee for the purpose of sick leave entitlement.