U.S. Attorney Sponsors Forum about Protecting the Rights of Service Members in Employment

BOSTON – U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Labor, Veteran’s Employment and Training Service and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, sponsored a forum this afternoon on protecting the rights of service members in employment.  The program was hosted by the Massachusetts Iraq & Afghanistan Fallen Heroes. 

The discussion was attended by city and town counsel, human resources representatives, and private employers, and focused on employers’ obligations to returning veterans under the Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).  “The United States Attorney’s Office remains steadfast in its support of veterans returning from military service, and we are committed to ensuring that both public and private employers are educated about the provisions of USERRA and the rights of their employees who have been called to serve their country,” said U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz. 

USERRA is a federal law, passed in 1994, that protects military service members and veterans from employment discrimination on the basis of their military service.  USERRA applies to members of the Armed Forces, Reserves, National Guard, and other uniformed services.  The law ensures that service members: (1) are not disadvantaged in their civilian careers because of their military service; (2) are promptly re-employed in their civilian jobs upon return from duty; and  (3) are not discriminated against by employers because of past, present, or future military service.  USERRA applies to both public and private employers.