For those who have not dealt with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (MN DEED), you would be proud to know that our tax dollars are well spent on these knowledgeable and professional public servants. Over the years Minnesota ESGR has worked hand-in-hand with MN DEED, and partnered with it on various initiatives involving veterans employment issues in Minnesota.

Last year MN-DEED asked me to prepare a pamphlet providing guidance to Minnesota employers regarding USERRA rights and responsibilities for MN DEED’s Small Business Assistance Office.  It is the culmination of my 12 years as an ESGR Ombudsman and lecturer for servicemembers and their employers on USERRA issues. This pamphlet addresses many of the issues I’ve encountered over the years, and incorporates court opinions from interesting private lawsuits and Department of Justice cases, as well as regulations published by the Department of Labor and Department of Defense.

So please feel free to download this publication, entitled Employing Servicemembers: What You Should Know About USERRA, September 2018 (ISBN 1-888404-76-0).

A previous version of this article, with various Practice Tips for employers, was presented to various employment law attorneys and HR professionals at continuing education courses I have presented. This publication is also available for free download:  USERRA Guidance: Critical Issues and Tips for Those Employing Servicemembers.

Please contact me with any comments, suggestions, or questions.