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(RIVERWOODS, ILL., April 30, 2003) — Nearly 200,000 reservists were called to active duty in the war on Iraq and most of them will be returning soon to their homes and to their real jobs — jobs that have been waiting for them thanks to 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 for employers, particularly in light of recent changes in the law. When Duty Calls: Military Leave and Veterans’ Rights, a new book from human resources information and solutions provider CCHKnowledgePoint, is the single, authoritative resource providing up-to-date answers to payroll and HR questions about military leave and affirmative action for veterans.

Reemployment rights of veterans and reservists are governed by the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). When you consider that more than 60 percent of military reservists work in the corporate world, with a growing number of them being managers, and that 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 CCHKnowledgePoint. "Any undue delay in reinstatement, including waiting for a potential opening, would be subject to a claim for lost wages."

Authored by Miller and fellow CCHKnowledgePoint 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 this year and it’s incumbent on employers to facilitate their reentry to civilian worklife," said Miller. "Becoming informed about their obligations as employers is a significant way of supporting our troops."

For more information or to order When Duty Calls: Military Leave and Veterans’ Rights, call 1-800-248-3248 or visit cchknowledgepoint.com/military. Single copy price for each book is $69.95 (plus applicable tax, shipping and handling) and includes a free one-year subscription to either Human Resource Management Ideas & Trends or Payroll Management Ideas & Trends newsletter. Quantity discounts are available.

The CCHKnowledgePoint brand leverages CCH’s authoritative human resources content and KnowledgePoint’s innovative technology to provide integrated solutions that meet HR professionals and frontline managers’ essential needs. CCH INCORPORATED, a provider of employment law information and software, is a Wolters Kluwer company; Wolters Kluwer acquired KnowledgePoint in 2000. For more information about CCHKnowledgePoint products and services, please visit www.cchknowledgepoint.com or call 1-800-339-0104.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Editorial review copies of When Duty Calls: Military Leave and Veterans’ Rights, are available upon request for members of the press. Contact Sheri Cardo, 800-727-1133 ext. 1334 or scardo@knowledgepoint.com, or Leslie Bonacum, 847-267-7153 or bonacuml@cch.com