Opinion ID: 2977005
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: structure of userra

Text: Statutory protection of job security for armed services members has a long history, dating back to the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940. USERRA is the latest iteration of these protections, and was enacted in part as a result of Congress’s finding that “existing veteran’s right statutes [were] overly complex and ambiguous, leaving veterans and employers confused as to their rights and responsibilities.” Francis v. Booz, Allen & Hamilton, Inc., 452 F.3d 299, 304 (4th Cir. 2006) (quoting Lapine v. Town of Wellesley, 970 F. Supp. 55, 58 n.2 (D. Mass. 1997)). Congress thus sought “to clarify, simplify, and where necessary, strengthen the existing veterans’ employment and reemployment rights provisions.” Id. Courts have recognized that [b]ecause USERRA was enacted to protect the rights of veterans and members of the uniformed services, it must be broadly construed in favor of its military beneficiaries.” Francis, 970 F.3d at 303 (alteration in original). Relevant pre-USERRA case law is properly considered as a guide to interpreting USERRA. Id. No. 07-5649 Petty v. Metro. Gov’t of Nashville-Davidson County Page 7 For the purposes of this case, USERRA performs four key functions. First, it guarantees returning veterans a right of reemployment after military service. 38 U.S.C. § 4312. Second, it3 prescribes the position to which such veterans are entitled upon their return. 38 U.S.C. § 4313. Third, it prevents employers from discriminating against returning veterans on account of their military service. 38 U.S.C. § 4311. Fourth, it prevents employers from firing without cause any returning veterans within one year of reemployment. 38 U.S.C. § 4316. At times, the interplay among these provisions has caused some confusion. Compare Curby v. Archon, 216 F.3d 549, 557 (6th Cir. 2000) (stating that to recover for a reemployment violation under § 4312, a plaintiff also must show discrimination under § 4311) with Wrigglesworth v. Brumbaugh, 121 F. Supp. 2d 1126, 1133-39 (W.D. Mich. 2000) (concluding that recovery under § 4312 is separate from and not in any way dependent upon § 4311). We find helpful the Eighth Circuit’s description of the relationship among the provisions at issue in this case: Section 4312 protects service members at the instant of seeking reemployment, entitling the service member to reemployment in either the position she would have been in had she not left for military service “or a position of like seniority, status and pay, the duties of which the person is qualified to perform.” 38 U.S.C. § 4313(a)(2)(A) (defining rights set forth in § 4312, which entitles a person to be rehired upon return from military service). Section 4311 applies after reemployment has occurred and “prohibits discrimination with respect to any benefit of employment against persons who serve in the armed services after they return from a deployment and are reemployed.” Francis v. Booz, Allen & Hamilton, Inc., 452 F.3d 299, 304 (4th Cir. 2006) (noting that § 4312 protects military members up to the instant of reemployment while other sections of USERRA, such as § 4311 and § 4316, protect the member after reemployment occurs).[4] Clegg v. Ark. Dep’t of Corr., 496 F.3d 922, 930 (8th Cir. 2008). We will use this understanding of USERRA to examine Petty’s claims.