What is the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)?

The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) is a federal law that protects the employment rights of individuals who must leave their civilian jobs in order to serve in the National Guard, the armed forces, or other uniformed services. USERRA gives individuals the right to return to their civilian job following completion of their service, and prohibits employers from discriminating against service members in hiring, retention, promotion, or reemployment. USERRA applies to all employers in Washington and is enforced by the US Department of Labor. USERRA requires employers to restore service members to their previous positions, or to positions of like seniority, status, and pay, as they would have attained if they had not been absent due to military service. Employers may not terminate service members or deny them a job or job benefits because of their uniformed service. Furthermore, employers must make reasonable efforts to accommodate the military obligations of individual service members, so long as such efforts do not cause undue hardship for the employer. USERRA also protects service members from discrimination and harassment due to their military status. Employers must provide any training or retraining necessary for service members to be reinstated after their service, and must not use language in job advertisements that discriminates against service members. Finally, employers must also provide service members with the same benefits and privileges that are required of all other employees. In conclusion, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) is an important federal law that protects the employment rights of individuals who leave their civilian jobs in order to engage in military service. USERRA applies to all employers in Washington, provides a right to return to work after military service, and ensures that employers cannot discriminate against or harass service members due to their military status.

What is the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)?

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