In general, USERRA protects employees performing service in the uniformed services from discrimination – such as in hiring, discharge, or promotion – and provides rights to certain benefits while performing service and upon the completion of service. These rights include retaining pension plan rights and continuing civilian health plan coverage.
Once an employee completes a service obligation, the employee is entitled to be reemployed in the same position or a similar position upon their return to work. To be eligible for reemployment, an employee must give adequate notice to his or her employer (if possible) before leaving work for duty in the uniformed service and must not have exceeded certain time limits for duty in the uniformed service. An employee must also not have left the uniformed service with less than an honorable discharge. There are certain other limitations and conditions on reemployment rights.
For more information, please refer to the Congressional Accountability Act. Please note that this version of the Act has been revised by P.L. 115-397.