Veteran Discrimination (a.k.a., Veteran Status Discrimination), takes place when being an individual who is a former uniformed military service member and veteran makes you a target of employment discrimination. If you are a veteran with a disability, and discrimination occurs, it is called disabled veteran discrimination. You may be protected under veteran protected legislation or acts such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
When veteran discrimination takes place, it may have a serious effect on your ability to work effectively. As such, if you experience veteran status discrimination in the workplace, there are steps you can take to get a remedy for the discrimination you have endured.
How To Handle Veteran Status Discrimination
There are some obvious signs of veteran discrimination in the workplace which are unacceptable. Here are some examples of veteran discrimination:
- You suddenly find the job you applied for is no longer available,
- An employer states it doesn’t hire veterans;
- You are told your medical condition makes you unsuitable for a position which is illegal;
- You are stripped of your pension or medical coverage because you have taken part in military service,
- You are denied time off work to seek care for a medical condition due to your time in military service.
If your current employer has done any of the following based on your veteran or service member status, you may be able to file a claim for veteran discrimination:
- terminated you;
- refused to provide reasonable accommodations for your disability as a veteran;
- refused to hire you due to a disability;
- failed to re-employ you when you return from duty;
- failed to promote you;
- failed to hire you.
To prove that you have been a victim of veteran discrimination, you must be able to provide evidence to support your claim. This evidence could start with a log of the incidents of veteran status discrimination which have taken place that you have maintained, as well as collecting witness statements, emails and memos that show you have been a victim of veteran discrimination.
Discrimination may be due to your veteran status as well as disability discrimination for any disabilities obtained during/after active duty.
Once you have gathered sufficient evidence, you should consider doing the following.
- Inform your employer of your discrimination claim and ask it to keep detailed copies of their handling of the claim and any investigation they may do.
- Speak with a lawyer about the veteran status discrimination and ask the lawyer to work on your behalf to file a claim of veteran discrimination.
- File a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and/or the appropriate agency in your state (they will investigate & either file their own lawsuit or give you a right-to-sue letter).
Get Help With Your Veteran Discrimination Claim
It is never that easy winning a claim for veteran discrimination against your employer. However, if you believe you have sufficient evidence to back up your veteran discrimination claim and even win, working with an attorney may be able to help you win the compensation you may deserve.
Complete the Free Case Evaluation on this page to get connected to an independent, participating attorney who can help you with your veteran disability claim.
