KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

Protected

Veterans’ Rights

OFCCP Protects Veterans from 

Discrimination

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs 

(OFCCP) enforces the affirmative action provisions of the 

Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 

1974. This law, sometimes referred to as VEVRAA, requires 

employers doing business with the Federal Government to 

take steps to recruit, hire and promote protected veterans. 

It also makes it illegal for these companies to discriminate 

against protected veterans when making employment 

decisions on hiring, firing, pay, benefits, job assignments, 

promotions, layoffs, training, and other employment 

related activities. 

1. What is employment discrimination based 

on someone’s status as a protected veteran?

Employment discrimination based on your status 

as a protected veteran generally occurs when 

an employer treats you, as an employee or job 

applicant, unfavorably because you belong to one 

of the categories of protected veterans covered 

under VEVRAA. 

2. Who is a “protected veteran” under VEVRAA?

You are a “protected veteran” under VEVRAA if you 

belong to one of the categories of veterans described 

below:

• Disabled Veteran 

A veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. 

military and is entitled to disability compensation 

(or who but for the receipt of military retired pay 

would be entitled to disability compensation) 

under laws administered by the Secretary of 

Veterans Affairs, or was discharged or released 

from active duty because of a service-connected 

disability.

• Other Protected Veteran 

A veteran who served on active duty in the 

U.S. military during a war, or in a campaign or 

expedition for which a campaign badge was 

authorized under the laws administered by the 

Department of Defense.

• Recently Separated Veteran 

A veteran separated during the threeyear period beginning on the date 

of the veteran’s discharge or release 

from active duty in the U.S. military.

• Armed Forces Service Medal Veteran 

A veteran who, while serving on active 

duty in the U.S. military, participated 

in a U.S. military operation that 

received an Armed Forces service 

medal.

For some Federal contracts and 

subcontracts entered into prior to 

December 2003, the categories of 

protected veterans under VEVRAA are 

slightly different. If you have questions 

about whether your military service 

qualifies you as a protected veteran, you 

should contact OFCCP via any of the contact 

information provided below.

3. Who does OFCCP protect?

OFCCP protects the rights of employees and 

job applicants of companies doing business 

with the Federal Government. This includes 

employees at banks, information technology 

firms, meat packing plants, retail stores, 

manufacturing plants, accounting firms, and 

construction companies, among others.

4. What are my rights as a protected 

veteran?

As a protected veteran under VEVRAA, you 

have the right to work in an environment 

free of discrimination. You cannot be denied 

employment, harassed, demoted, terminated, 

paid less or treated less favorably because of your 

veteran status.

f you are an employee and a disabled veteran you 

can request a “reasonable accommodation.” A 

reasonable accommodation is one that allows 

you to perform your job, and must be provided by 

Revised September 2016

200 CONSTITUTION AVENUE NW | WASHINGTON, DC 20210 | tel: 1-800-397-6251 | TTY: 1-877-889-5627 | www.dol.gov/ofccp 200 CONSTITUTION AVENUE NW | WASHINGTON, DC 20210 | tel: 1-800-397-6251 | TTY: 1-877-889-5627 | www.dol.gov/ofccp
your employer unless doing so would cause the 

employer significant difficulty or expense. 

Similarly, if you are a disabled veteran applying 

for a job, the employer must provide you 

with reasonable accommodation during the 

application process to allow you to apply and 

be considered for the job. Again, reasonable 

accommodation must be provided unless it would 

be too difficult or too expensive to do so.

5. What is a “reasonable accommodation”?

A “reasonable accommodation” is an adjustment 

or change made to the workplace, or the usual 

way of performing a job, that allows a disabled 

veteran to perform the duties of the job or enjoy 

the benefits and privileges of employment. A 

reasonable accommodation does not change 

essential job functions. An employer also must 

make a reasonable accommodation that would 

allow a disabled veteran seeking a job to be able to 

apply for the job. 

Your employer can choose the type of reasonable 

accommodation that will be made available; 

however, the accommodation must be effective. 

For instance, your employer may choose to 

provide a ramp instead of an elevator to address 

accessibility issues.

More information on how to request a 

reasonable accommodation is available at

https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/posters/

ReasonableAccommodationPocketCard/index.

htm. 

6. What are some examples of “reasonable 

accommodation” that employers can 

provide during the hiring process and 

later to assist with performing the job?

Reasonable accommodation can take many forms. 

We list some common accommodations below.

• Providing written materials in accessible 

formats, such as large print, Braille, or 

audiotape. 

• Adjusting or modifying work schedules.

• Providing readers or sign language interpreters. 

• Holding recruitment, interviews, tests, and 

other parts of the application process in 

accessible locations. 

• Holding staff meetings in accessible locations.

• Providing or modifying equipment and devices. 

• Adjusting or modifying policies and procedures.

• Changing the work environment to improve 

accessibility.

Finding Employment Opportunities

7. Where can I obtain job services that will 

help me find employment??

Sources available to assist veterans in finding 

employment or other services include: 

1. The local employment service offices or American 

Job Centers, which offer services to veterans 

including career planning, job search resources, 

training, and referral to employers that are 

recruiting. You can locate the local employment 

service office or American Job Center nearest you at 

http://www.careeronestop.org/localhelp/localhelp.aspx. The Department of Labor sponsors this 

Web site.

2. The National Resource Directory (NRD) is a Web 

site for connecting veterans and their families 

to a variety of organizations that have assistance 

programs specifically for veterans. NRD provides 

access to employment opportunities, benefit 

information, and education and training 

opportunities. The Department of Labor, in 

partnership with the Department of Defense, 

the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the 

Military Services, sponsors this Web site. The 

NRD can be found online at https://www.

nationalresourcedirectory.gov/. 

8. Does VEVRAA require Federal contractors 

to take specific actions to recruit protected 

veterans?

Federal contractors must list job openings with 

the local employment service office or American 

Job Center so that protected veterans can receive 

priority referrals for their job openings. All states 

have online job banks where employers can list 

their openings and job seekers can search for 

employment. To find local job listings visit http://

careeronestop.org/. In addition, employers are 

encouraged to work with local veterans’ groups to 

recruit qualified veterans. 

9. Do protected veterans receive preference 

when hiring?

The Federal Government usually grants a hiring 

preference to disabled veterans, and veterans who 

served on active duty in the Armed Forces during 

certain periods or in military campaigns, when 

hiring for government jobs. Private employers, 

including those who do business with the Federal 

Government, do not have to provide a preference 

in hiring for veterans. 

Veterans’ preference laws do not guarantee 

veterans a job and they do not give veterans 

preference in internal agency actions such 

as promotion, transfer, reassignment, and 

reinstatement.

10. Can an employer offer me a lower 

salary or pay me less than it pays other 

employees doing the same job because I 

receive a military pension?

No, an employer cannot reduce your salary or pay 

you less because you receive a military pension. 

Filing a Complaint

11. What do I do if I believe my employer 

discriminated against me because of my 

status as a protected veteran? 

You can file a complaint with OFCCP. You do not 

need to know with certainty that your employer 

is a federal contractor or subcontractor in order to 

file a complaint. 

12. How do I file a complaint with OFCCP?

You may file a discrimination complaint by:

• Completing and submitting a form online 

through OFCCP’s Web site; or 

• Completing a form in person at an OFCCP office; 

or 

• Mailing, e-mailing, or faxing a completed 

form to the OFCCP regional office that covers 

the location where the alleged discrimination 

occurred.

The form is available online at https://www.dol.

gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/pdf/pdfstart.htm or in 

paper format at all OFCCP offices. To find the office 

nearest to where you live, visit the online listing 

of OFCCP offices at: www.dol.gov/ofccp/contacts/

ofnation2.htm.

You must remember to sign your completed complaint 

form. If you fail to do so, OFCCP will still take your 

complaint but an OFCCP investigator will ask you to 

sign the form during a follow-up interview. Complaints 

alleging discrimination based on protected veteran status 

must be filed within 300 days from the date of the alleged 

discrimination, unless the time for filing is extended for 

good cause.

You can also file a complaint with the Veterans’ 

Employment and Training Service at the Department of 

Labor or a Local Veterans’ Employment Representative 

at the local employment service office or American Job 

Center. These complaints will be transferred to OFCCP.

13. Can my employer fire, demote, or treat me 

less favorably because I filed a complaint?

No. It is illegal for your employer to retaliate against 

you for filing a complaint or participating in an 

investigation. OFCCP’s regulations protect you from 

harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion, or 

retaliation for asserting your rights.

14. What will happen if there is a finding that I 

was a victim of employment discrimination?

You may be entitled to a remedy that places you in the 

position you would have been in if the discrimination 

had never happened. You may be entitled to be hired, 

promoted, reinstated, or reassigned. You may also be 

entitled to back pay, front pay, a pay raise, or some 

combination of these remedies. In addition, if OFCCP 

finds that the federal contractor or subcontractor 

violated VEVRAA, OFCCP could seek to have the 

company debarred or removed from consideration for 

future federal contracts or have the company’s current 

contracts or contract modifications cancelled. 

For more information:

the u.s. department of labor

Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs

200 Constitution Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20210

1-800-397-6251

TTY: 1-877-889-5627

www.dol.gov/ofccp

Please note that this fact sheet provides general information. It is not 

intended to substitute for the actual law and regulations regarding the program 

described herein.