Policies guide employers, reservists.(Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act of 1994)

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, more and more reservists from Western New York have been called to active duty, including National Guardsmen from the 107th Air Refueling Wing and the 914th Airlift Wing's security squadron. Western New York has about 2,000 members in the reserve units.

As our country struggles to pull together and-move forward with the war on terrorism, many employers find themselves in unfamiliar territory, with one less secretary, attorney, mechanic or teacher. Human Resource professionals are scrambling to review federal obligations as well as their own policies toward employees called to active duty.

USERRA

In response to the Persian Gulf War, a federal law, the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act of 1994, was enacted to provide employees called to active duty with certain rights regarding employment, re-employment, health plan coverage and tax-qualified retirement plan coverage. (The law also covers other types of uniformed services, besides active duty, such …