Those who have served in the military put forth a lot of effort for their nation. The country they return to should be waiting on them with open arms. Because of this, USERRA was created. The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) of 1994 enacts a number of protections for veterans in the job market.
It is wise to seek legal advice from an experienced lawyer about your case in order to learn more about your legal options.
Can I Join?
USERRA benefits are available to anybody who has trained or served in the U.S. military, regardless of how long ago or if their service was voluntary or involuntary. Veterans from the Army, Air Force, Navy, and any other branch of service aren’t the only ones who benefit; so are current members of the military, as well as the National Guard and Reserve, as well as those in the National Disaster Medical System and the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.
No of the size or industry, all businesses in the United States are required by law to comply with USERRA. Where USERRA doesn’t contradict the laws of the host nation, it also protects employees working for overseas subsidiaries of American corporations and American subsidiaries of foreign companies.
Which safeguards, then, does USERRA actually provide?
Earlier Than You Serve
Under USERRA, your employer is prohibited from treating you differently because of the length of time you plan to remain an employee. This includes not giving you a raise or bonus now or in the future. As an added bonus, your future military ambitions cannot be used against you in the workplace.
Some workers are protected under USERRA, while independent contractors are not.
Soon After Your Service
USERRA ensures that employees who must temporarily quit their jobs to serve in the military retain the right to be rehired upon their return.
Legally, the time you spent serving your country should be recognized the same way a furlough or leave of absence would be in the job anxnr.
Consequently, the “escalator” concept dictates that the employee should return to work with the same level of seniority, benefits, and compensation that they would have received had they not been called to military service. USERRA recommends making “reasonable steps” to retrain the worker for the new, more senior position. A job as close as possible to the one being offered if they do not meet the requirements for the higher one is required. Furthermore, USERRA guarantees that any pension benefits would be preserved upon reappointment.
