Resource from CCH Provides Guidance for Employers of Reservists

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., January 19, 2005) — With tens of thousands of reservists called to active duty in Iraq, their peacetime employers need to know what they must do to comply with the federal and state laws that protect employment in cases of military leave. While job protection is a simple concept, the execution of it can be complicated, according to CCH INCORPORATED (CCH), a leading provider of human resources information and software and a Wolters Kluwer company. When Duty Calls: Military Leave and Veterans’ Rights, a timely book from CCH, is the single, authoritative resource providing up-to-date answers to payroll and HR questions about military leave and affirmative action for veterans. (For more information or to order, call 1-800-248-3248 or visit hr.cch.com. Single copy price for each book is $69.95, plus applicable tax, shipping and handling).

Reemployment rights of veterans and reservists are governed by the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).Since more than 60 percent of military reservists work in the corporate world, with a growing number of them managers, and since USERRA applies to all civilian employers, regardless of size, it becomes essential for employers to understand their obligations and their employees’ rights under the law — and to plan carefully for employees’ return to the workplace.

“The intent of USERRA is to promptly return members of the uniformed services to their civilian employment upon completion of their service, with the seniority, status and rate of pay they would have received had they remained continuously employed by their employer,” said Ronald Miller, JD, a labor law analyst for CCH. “Any undue delay in reinstatement, including waiting for a potential opening, would be subject to a claim for lost wages.”

Addresses Critical Areas of Concern

Authored by Miller and fellow CCH Labor Law Analysts Cynthia Hackerott, JD, and Kathleen Kapusta, JD, When Duty Calls addresses the following critical areas of concern: leave rights and reemployment eligibility; rights and benefits during and after military service; protection from discrimination and retaliation; and affirmative action obligations of employers to covered veterans. With straightforward information and easy-to-follow scenarios, payroll and HR professionals gain the information they need to fully comprehend the employment rights of reservists and veterans, and to appropriately handle key compensation, benefit and reemployment issues.

In addition to USERRA, many states have their own laws governing military leave and reemployment. For this reason, When Duty Calls also features a compilation of the military leave and reemployment rights laws of all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

“Our nation has asked a lot of reservists and it’s incumbent upon employers to facilitate their reentry to civilian worklife,” said Miller. “Failing to do that exposes employers to legal sanctions and creates a poor corporate image. Becoming informed about their obligations as employers is a significant way of supporting our troops.”

For More Information

For more information or to order When Duty Calls: Military Leave and Veterans’ Rights, call 1-800-248-3248 or visit hr.cch.com. Single copy price for each book is $69.95 (plus applicable tax, shipping and handling). Quantity discounts are available.

In addition to this book, CCH provides continuous up-to-date compliance information on laws regarding the employment rights of reservists in their loose-leaf and online reporters CCH Labor Relations, CCH Employment Practices Guide, and OFCCP Federal Contract Compliance Manual. For more information on these subscription products, visit the hr.cch.com website or call 1-800-449-9525.

About CCH INCORPORATED

CCH INCORPORATED is a leading provider of employment law and human resources information for attorneys and human resource professionals. The CCH Human Resources web site is hr.cch.com. Headquartered in Riverwoods, Ill., CCH was founded in 1913 and has served more than four generations of business professionals and their clients. CCH is a Wolters Kluwer company. Wolters Kluwer is a leading multinational publisher and information services company.

Wolters Kluwer has annual revenues (2003) of €3.4 billion, employs approximately 18,750 people worldwide and maintains operations across Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (www.wolterskluwer.com). Its depositary receipts of shares are quoted on the Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices.

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EDITORS’ NOTE: Editorial review copies of When Duty Calls: Military Leave and Veterans’ Rights, are available upon request for members of the press. Contact Leslie Bonacum, 847-267-7153 or mediahelp@cch.com or Neil Allen, 847-267-2179 or allenn@cch.com.