Labor Law Center Blog » Blog Archive

Keyword

September 20th, 2006 Posted by Amelia

I’ve fielded several questions regarding the keyword USERRA.

After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center of September 11, 2001, firefighters and EMTs nationwide voluntarily left their regular jobs and traveled to New York at their own expense, to aid in the recovery efforts. Their jobs and promotions were protected under the USERRA. Today, many members of the National Guard can serve in Iraq or assist with national emergencies, secure in the knowledge that they will have a job when they return. These are just a few of the people affected by the USERRA.

By law, each employer shall provide to persons entitled to rights and benefits under USERRA a notice of the rights, benefits, and obligations of such person and such employers under USERRA. The simplest way for employers to be in compliance with this law is to prominently display a laminated USERRA poster. Popular locations to display the posters are in employee break rooms, near the time clock, or in other “employees only” areas.

Recent changes in USERRA regulations mean employers need to update their posters with one like the laminated USERRA poster. On December 18, 2005, the Department of Labor issued its final rules and notice requirement for USERRA. The final rule went into effect January 18, 2006. For those who use an all-in-one federal labor law poster, the 2006 poster will reflect the new USERRA Notice, which was revised to include protections for National Disaster Medical System members.

The US Dept. of Labor’s Veterans Employment and Training Service, or VETS, administers the provisions of the USERRA. The mission statement for VETS is to provide veterans and transitioning service members with the resources and services to succeed in the 21st century workforce by maximizing their employment opportunities, protecting their employment rights and meeting labor-market demands with qualified veterans today. The Department of Labor, through the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS), provides assistance to all persons having claims under USERRA.