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for veterans and members of Reserve components While the USERRA is not necessarily a program for businesses hiring vets, it is an invaluable resource for businesses seeking to understand and comply with the rights of veterans and Reserve members on their sta e VETS program provides assistance to all persons having claims under USERRA and assists employers in understanding the provisions of the act e main functions of USERRA include:
n Protecting civilian job rights and bene ts for veterans and members of Reserve components
n Making major improvements in protecting service member rights and bene ts by clarifying the law, improving enforcement mechanisms, and adding federal government employees to those employees already eligible to receive Department of Labor assistance in processing claims
n Establishing the cumulative length of time that an individual may be absent from work for military duty and retain reemployment rights to five years (there are some exception) and clearly establishing that reemployment protection does not depend on the timing, frequency, duration, or nature of an
individual’s service as long as the basic eligibility criteria are met
n Providing protection for disabled veterans, requiring employers to make reasonable e orts to accommodate the disability
n Providing that returning service members are reemployed in the job that they would have attained
had they not been absent for military service, with the same seniority, status and pay, as well as other rights and bene ts determined by seniority
n Requiring that reasonable e orts (such as training or retraining) be made to enable returning service members to refresh or upgrade their skills to help them qualify for reemployment
n Providing health and pension plan coverage for service members
n Requiring that service members provide advance written or verbal notice to their employers for all military duty unless giving notice is impossible, unreasonable, or precluded by military necessity
For more information on the USERRA, visit www dol gov/vets/programs/userra or contact a New Mexico Workforce Connection o ce and LVER/DVOP specialist
The National Resource Directory
Your Source for Comprehensive Information on All Veterans Bene ts & Resources
The National Resource Directory (www.nationalresourcedi- rectory.gov) is one of the best overall resources for veterans. While the NM Workforce Connection website is an essential tool in your job search and entry into the civilian labor
force (for those veterans recently separated), the National Resource Directly provides information on all of the bene ts available to veterans from employment to education to housing, health, and homeless assistance. Information is organized into the following subjects:
n Bene ts and Compensation n Education & Training
n Employment
n Family & Caregiver Support n Health
n Homeless Assistance
n Housing
n Transportation & Travel n Volunteer Opportunities
n Other Services & Resources
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