NCJ Number
226698
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 36 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2009 Pages: 54,56,59
Date Published
March 2009
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the effect of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA, 38 U.S.C. 4301-4335) and the Veterans’ Reemployment Rights (VRR) on law enforcement agencies.
Abstract
When laws like USERRA were passed, no one anticipated deployments and obligations that amounted to years away from those jobs. However, with deployments growing longer and agency budgets shrinking at a never-before-seen pace, some agencies see vets with active ties to the military as liabilities they can barely afford. One of the most frequent violations investigated by the USERRA unit of the Office of Special Counsel involves agency misconceptions about leave, pay, and other benefits which sometimes lead to lawsuits. Other, more serious violations are also discussed. The economic crisis has spawned both massive civilian layoffs and declining retail sales, which in turn have led to reduced revenues for many governments. That has translated into reductions in forces at levels heretofore unseen since the Great Depression, and can’t help but impact law enforcement agencies. For law enforcement agencies that are impacted by deployments, the best plan is to simply roll with the punches; it’s both the legally and morally right thing to do.