USERRA Gains Visibility
Through Poster, Extended Coverage Time
A
portion of the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2004, legislation signed by President
George W. Bush in December 2004, requires employers to provide an annual notice of
rights and obligations to employees regarding the Uniformed Services Employment and
Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).
The Department of Labor (DOL) released
a notice in poster format available for employers to download from the DOL web site
and place in a prominent place at the workplace. Using this poster will fulfill the
requirements for employers.
 In addition to the notice requirements, the legislation extended the maximum period
for health plan continuation coverage under USERRA from 18 months to 24 months. For
more information on this portion of the legislation, please review the January 19,
2005 edition of the News Room, USERRA
law allows 24 months of coverage on group health plan.
We are committed to ensuring that our brave men and women,
who are protecting our country's freedoms, have the opportunities they deserve when
they return to civilian life, said US Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao. We will work
tirelessly to continue to keep National Guard and Reserve service members, their families
and employers informed about USERRA, the law that protects their jobs and benefits.
The notice must contain specific information including reemployment rights, right
to be free from discrimination and retaliation, health insurance protection, and USERRA
enforcement and complaint assistance. All employers,
regardless of size, must comply with the notice requirement, even if there are no
known uniformed service members among their employees.
THE USERRA poster is now available at http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra/poster.pdf. Employers
may also obtain detailed information about USERRA by calling 1-866-4-USA-DOL or by
visiting www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra/.
USERRA is administered by the DOL, through the Veterans'
Employment and Training Service (VETS).
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