Purpose of USERRA

After the Persian Gulf War, Congress passed this law "to clarify, simplify, and where necessary, strengthen the existing veterans' employment and reemployment rights." The law specifies that it is designed to do the following:

• Encourage noncareer service in the uniformed services by eliminating or minimizing the disadvantages to civilian careers and employment that can result from such service

• Minimize the disruption to the lives of persons performing service in the uniformed services as well as to their employers, their fellow employees, and their communities, by providing for the prompt reemployment of such persons upon their completion of such service

• Prohibit the discrimination of anyone because of his or her service in the uniformed services

• Prohibit discrimination when the employee's military status was a "motivating factor," even if that was not the sole factor in the action^[1]