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Veteran discrimination is prohibited by law

On Behalf of | Feb 1, 2023 | Workplace discrimination |

Being a veteran is a source of pride for many people, so it’s not something they hide. They probably never imagined that someone would discriminate against them because of their military service. Unfortunately, some people enjoy the freedoms that servicemembers fight for while they go against the military members who sacrificed so much.

There are special laws in place that protect veterans and active duty members of the armed forces from employment discrimination. One of these is the Uniformed Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. The other is the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974.

What type of protections do those acts offer?

These laws fully prohibit employers from discriminating against a person because of all military service, including future service. It even goes beyond that and provides people who leave a job to join the military or start a service tour with the opportunity to return to their former employer after their time in the military.

A person who leaves a job because of military service must be given the same status when they return. These include:

  • Pay rate
  • Employment status
  • Seniority

All of these are based on where they should have been if they had been employed throughout their military service. These individuals are also due all the other protections provided by the law, including the Americans with Disabilities Act if they have any disabilities when they return.

Any veteran facing employment discrimination because of their service has legal rights they can exercise. Working with someone who’s familiar with these is important so you know that your rights are being upheld. Do this quickly because there are short time limits for taking legal action for these matters.