Reservists Increasingly Not Receiving Governmental Help to Return to Jobs

The Army Times is reporting that United States military reservists who have been increasingly called upon to serve their country during the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are not getting government support in helping them to return to the work once their duty is over:

Strained by extended tours in Iraq, growing numbers of military reservists say the government is providing little help to troops who are denied their old jobs when they return home, Defense Department data shows.

The Pentagon survey of reservists in 2005-06, obtained by The Associated Press, details increasing discontent among returning troops in protecting their legal rights after taking leave from work to fight for their country.

It found that 44 percent of the reservists polled said they were dissatisfied with how the Labor Department handled their complaint of employment discrimination based on their military status, up from 27 percent from 2004.

Nearly one-third, or 29 percent, said they had difficulty getting the information they needed from government agencies charged with protecting their rights, while 77 percent reported they didn’t even bother trying to get assistance in part because they didn’t think it would make a difference . . . .

Under [USERRA], military personnel are protected from job discrimination based on their service and are generally entitled to a five-year cumulative leave with rights to their old jobs upon their return. Reservists typically file a complaint first with a Pentagon office, the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, which seeks to resolve the dispute informally.

If that effort fails, a person typically can go to the Labor Department to pursue a formal complaint and possible litigation by the Justice Department.

Perhaps this is the workplace equivalent of the Walter Reed debacle.  Just like this country cannot forget those who serve their country once they are injured, it is also galling that those who volunteer for their country are not being protected from employment discrimination.

Hat Tip: Brian Harris

PS