Benefits & survivors Official page read in full
USERRA job protections for Guard, Reserve and returning service members
A federal law, USERRA, protects the civilian jobs of people who serve. The Labor Department's VETS office helps with claims, including for responders who serve in the Guard or Reserve.
Active duty, Guard and ReserveVeterans
What the official page says
- The U.S. Department of Labor's VETS page says USERRA requires that returning service members be promptly re-employed in the same position they would have attained had they not been absent for military service, with the same seniority, status and pay.
- VETS helps people with service-connected problems in their civilian jobs and says it has representatives in every state, plus Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The page links to filing a claim and to its USERRA Advisor.
- The page says a 2022 law, the CREW Act, extended USERRA protections to FEMA reservists who deploy to major disaster sites.
- One example on the page is an Army reservist on a city police force who missed promotional exams during active duty; the case ended in a settlement that included back pay. The page advises keeping copies of your orders, DD 214s, civilian pay stubs and employer correspondence.
- General information, not legal advice.