Posthearing Questions Related to Federal Agencies' Activities regarding the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
Highlights
On November 8, 2007, GAO testified before the committee at a hearing entitled "Protecting the Employment Rights of Those Who Protect the United States." This letter responds to the Congressional request that I provide answers to questions for the record. The questions are as follows: (1) Why are the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) claims taking so long to resolve at The Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Office of the Special Council (OSC)? (2) What can each of the agencies do to make this process more efficient and effective for veterans? (3) Is the system as it stands today, ready and able to handle a possible increase in USERRA claims? (4) How can the agencies work proactively to prevent the need for USERRA claims in the future? And (5) Will this new initiative fully address the data concerns GAO raised so that Congress has a more complete picture of the types of USERRA claims being filed?