Title 38 — Veterans' BenefitsRelease 119-73
§4311 Discrimination against persons who serve in the uniformed services and acts of reprisal prohibited
Title 38 › Part PART III— - READJUSTMENT AND RELATED BENEFITS › Chapter CHAPTER 43— - EMPLOYMENT AND REEMPLOYMENT RIGHTS OF MEMBERS OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - EMPLOYMENT AND REEMPLOYMENT RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS; PROHIBITIONS › § 4311
Summary
Employers must not refuse to hire, rehire, keep, promote, or give job benefits to someone because they are in the uniformed services, applied to join, are serving, applied to serve, or have an obligation to serve. Employers also must not punish or retaliate against anyone for trying to use or enforce rights under this law, for testifying, for helping with an investigation, or for exercising any right here. If service or those protected actions helped cause the employer’s decision, it is illegal unless the employer proves they would have acted the same way anyway. These rules cover any job, including the position described in 4312(d)(1)(C).
Full Legal Text
Title 38, §4311
Veterans' Benefits — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)A person who is a member of, applies to be a member of, performs, has performed, applies to perform, or has an obligation to perform service in a uniformed service shall not be denied initial employment, reemployment, retention in employment, promotion, or any benefit of employment by an employer on the basis of that membership, application for membership, performance of service, application for service, or obligation.
(b)An employer may not discriminate in employment against or take any adverse employment action or other retaliatory action against any person because such person (1) has taken an action to enforce a protection afforded any person under this chapter, (2) has testified or otherwise made a statement in or in connection with any proceeding under this chapter, (3) has assisted or otherwise participated in an investigation under this chapter, or (4) has exercised a right provided for in this chapter. The prohibition in this subsection shall apply with respect to a person regardless of whether that person has performed service in the uniformed services.
(c)An employer shall be considered to have engaged in actions prohibited—
(1)under subsection (a), if the person’s membership, application for membership, service, application for service, or obligation for service in the uniformed services is a motivating factor in the employer’s action, unless the employer can prove that the action would have been taken in the absence of such membership, application for membership, service, application for service, or obligation for service; or
(2)under subsection (b), if the person’s (A) action to enforce a protection afforded any person under this chapter, (B) testimony or making of a statement in or in connection with any proceeding under this chapter, (C) assistance or other participation in an investigation under this chapter, or (D) exercise of a right provided for in this chapter, is a motivating factor in the employer’s action, unless the employer can prove that the action would have been taken in the absence of such person’s enforcement action, testimony, statement, assistance, participation, or exercise of a right.
(d)The prohibitions in subsections (a) and (b) shall apply to any position of employment, including a position that is described in section 4312(d)(1)(C) of this title.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Prior Provisions
A prior section 4311 was renumbered section 7611 of this title.
Amendments
2025—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 118–210 inserted “or other retaliatory action” after “employment action”. 1996—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–275 added subsec. (b) and struck out former subsec. (b) which read as follows: “An employer shall be considered to have denied a person initial employment, reemployment, retention in employment, promotion, or a benefit of employment in violation of this section if the person’s membership, application for membership, service, application for service, or obligation for service in the uniformed services is a motivating factor in the employer’s action, unless the employer can prove that the action would have been taken in the absence of such membership, application for membership, performance of service, application for service, or obligation.” Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 104–275 added subsecs. (c) and (d) and struck out former subsec. (c) which read as follows: “(c)(1) An employer may not discriminate in employment against or take any adverse employment action against any person because such person has taken an action to enforce a protection afforded any person under this chapter, has testified or otherwise made a statement in or in connection with any proceeding under this chapter, has assisted or otherwise participated in an investigation under this chapter, or has exercised a right provided for in this chapter. “(2) The prohibition in paragraph (1) shall apply with respect to a person regardless of whether that person has performed service in the uniformed services and shall apply to any position of employment, including a position that is described in section 4312(d)(1)(C).”
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1996 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 104–275 effective Oct. 13, 1994, see section 313 of Pub. L. 104–275, set out as a note under section 4301 of this title.
Effective Date
Section effective Oct. 13, 1994, except as otherwise provided, see section 8 of Pub. L. 103–353, set out as a note under section 4301 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
38 U.S.C. § 4311
Title 38 — Veterans' Benefits
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73