Expert: Military employment law violations often take place at the federal level

“The large agencies that employ a lot of veterans and service members, Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Postal Service, that have a lot of facilities throughout the country, that’s where we see problems because at the local level they don’t always understand their obligations,” Patrick Boulay told Hill.TV’s Jamal Simmons and Buck Sexton on “Rising.” 

 

“The law requires that if someone serves in the military, National Guard, Reserve, active duty, that they, when they come home, get their civilian job back, and many of those veterans and service members work for the federal government, and sometimes if they’re gone for a long time or even a short time, they come back and their job has changes or it’s been eliminated, and in some cases the federal government doesn’t do its part to give them their civilian employment back,” he added.

 

USERRA is aimed at making sure that current and former members of the military do not face disadvantages and discrimination in their civilian careers because of their service, and that they are reemployed in their civilian jobs after they return from duty. 

 

Boulay said he does not believe USERRA needs a legislative fix, but that there should be a widespread effort to inform the public about the law. 

 

“I think what needs to happen is we need to get the word out better. We need to do better training and education on the law so that employers, including the federal government, know exactly what is required of them. 

 

President Trump worked to appeal to veterans and members of the military, and pledged to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

 

The president in June signed bipartisan legislation aimed at expanding veterans’ access to private health care.

 

— Julia Manchester