The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has finalized revised regulations establishing the procedures by which the agency meets its duty to keep individuals who are protected by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) informed of their rights under the law.
The revised regulations, published in the March 1, 2016 Federal Register, update and clarify the various assigned responsibilities within the agency, and the procedures by which DOD informs service members and individuals who apply for uniformed service of their civilian employment and reemployment rights, benefits, and obligations.
Please note that the revised DOD regulations, which make only minor changes to proposed regulations published in August of 2014, do not impact the USERRA obligations imposed on private sector employers. Those obligations are enforced by the Department of Labor’s Veterans Employment and Training Service (DOL-VETS).
The revised DOD regulations do, however, serve as a helpful guide for employers as to what kind of information DOD provides to eligible service members, as well as the documentation DOD will provide to employers when employees exercise their USERRA rights.
Members of the Equal Employment Advisory Council (EEAC) can read more here.