Supervisors, hiring managers, HR professionals, and Senior Executives must complete their annual Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) and Veteran Employment training by July 31, 2026. Civilian employees who serve in the Ready Reserves or National Guard must also complete the annual USERRA training by this date.
This training covers the special hiring and reemployment rights of veterans and reservists under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) of 1994.
Please note: Courses completed before August 1, 2025, will not count toward the 2026 requirement.
What is USERRA?
USERRA is a 1994 law that protects the civilian employment rights and benefits of veterans and reservists. The law forbids discrimination based on past military service, current military obligations, or intent to serve.
USERRA also allows people to leave their civilian jobs for military duty for up to five years total and retain their right to return to their jobs. Visit the Office of Special Counsel's USERRA webpage to learn more.
Who must take annual USERRA training?
USERRA Training explains the rights and benefits available to veterans, reservists, and National Guard members.
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Mandatory for: Managers, supervisors, human resources (HR) professionals, Senior Executives, and civilian employees who currently serve in the Reserves or National Guard.
Veterans Employment Training offers tools and information on the benefits and processes of hiring veterans.
You can find these courses on the Coast Guard Online World of Learning (CG-OWL) platform. Go to "Courses," click "Course Catalog," enter the course number in the search bar, and select the magnifying glass icon.
There are two separate courses:
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Course
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Who Needs to Take It
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What it Covers
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Course #502294
Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) 2026
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Supervisors, hiring managers, Senior Executives, HR professionals, and civilian employees in the Reserves or National Guard.
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The USERRA law. It is required for all Federal executive agency HR personnel.
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Course #502434
Veterans Employment Training 2026
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Hiring managers and HR professionals. (Not required for Reservists or National Guard members unless they are also hiring managers/HR).
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The tools needed to hire veterans and how veteran employment benefits HR, managers, the agency, and veterans themselves.
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Managers’ responsibilities:
Coast Guard managers must ensure that service members are not set back in their civilian careers because of their military service, and that they get their civilian jobs back quickly when they return from duty.
Generally, there is a five-year limit on how long an employee can be away for military duty and retain their right to return to their job. However, supervisors should be aware of the following exceptions where the five-year rule does not apply:
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Exception to the Five-Year Rule
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Description
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Extended Initial Service
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The employee is required to serve beyond five years for an initial service obligation.
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Delayed Release
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The employee cannot get release orders before the five years are up, through no fault of their own.
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Required Training
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The employee is performing required National Guard and Reserve training (like weekend drills and annual training) or other approved professional development training.
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Involuntary Active Duty
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The employee is ordered to active duty under certain involuntary circumstances.
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National Emergency
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The employee is ordered to active duty during a war or national emergency declared by the President or Congress.
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Timeframes for reporting to work:
USERRA sets rules for when returning service members must report back to work or request their job back. This depends on how long they were gone:
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Length of Absence
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When to Report or Request Reemployment
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1 to 30 days
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After safe travel time home and an 8-hour rest period, the employee must report to work on their next scheduled workday.
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31 to 180 days
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The employee has 14 days to contact their supervisor and request their job back.
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More than 180 days
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The employee has 90 days to contact their supervisor and request their job back.
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For more details on guidelines and eligibility, contact your HR specialist or visit the USCG Veteran Employment & Support SharePoint site.
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