Ensuring the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) Protections

Impact dates

1. Jul 19, 2013

   OPM reports to President on reforms to strengthen USERRA protections

2. Jan 15, 2013

   OPM issues guidance on Federal USERRA employment protection

3. Oct 17, 2012

   Working Group reports to President on government-wide progress

4. Aug 18, 2012

   Agency heads designate senior liaison to Working Group

Key directives

• Establish USERRA Employment Protection Working Group co-chaired by AP Domestic Policy and AP National Security Advisor
• Agency heads must designate senior liaison within 30 days
• Working Group must report to President within 90 days on implementation progress
• OPM Director must issue guidance within 180 days on Federal USERRA employment protection
• OPM Director must report within 1 year on reforms to strengthen USERRA protections
• Agency heads must implement guidance, prioritize USERRA policies, and allocate resources
• DOD and OPM must improve data collection on veteran and service member employment

Who is ordered

• Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy · White House
• Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor · White House
• Secretary of Defense · Department of Defense
• Attorney General · Department of Justice
• Secretary of Labor · Department of Labor
• Secretary of Veterans Affairs · Department of Veterans Affairs
• Director of the Office of Personnel Management · OPM
• Director of the Office of Management and Budget · Office of Management and Budget
• Head of each executive department and agency · various
• Office of the Special Counsel · OSC

Timeline

Risks & tensions

• Subject to availability of appropriations may limit resource allocation
• Independent agencies only 'strongly encouraged' not mandated to comply
• No enforcement mechanism specified for non-compliant agencies
• Data collection improvements depend on interagency coordination between DOD and OPM