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

The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) was passed by Congress in 1994 and is a federal law that provides employment and reemployment rights to individuals who are members of, and perform service in, the “uniformed services”. The uniformed services include the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, and any other category of persons designated by the President in time of war or national emergency. In Washington, USERRA protects you from discrimination when you are seeking employment or have left a job to serve in the uniformed services. It also protects you from discrimination while in uniformed service and when you are reemployed after completing service. USERRA ensures that you will not be disadvantaged in your civilian employment due to any absence due to uniformed service and that you will have the right to be reemployed in your civilian job after service. USERRA also requires that you are granted a leave of absence for the purpose of serving in the uniformed services and that your employer must treat your service as a “temporary leave”. Moreover, USERRA states that your reemployment rights cannot be negatively affected by your uniformed service and that you can re-enter your civilian job with the same seniority, status, and rate of pay you had before entering the service. The USERRA law provides benefits for individuals who are called to serve and also provides employers with a legal framework for implementing fair and equitable employment standards for service members. It is important for everyone to understand their rights and responsibilities under the law so that everyone can be protected and served to the best of their ability.

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

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