Originally passed in 1974, the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act was enacted to provide assistance to returning Vietnam veterans and to protect them from employment discrimination. The law requires that employers with federal contracts or subcontracts of $150,000 or more provide equal opportunity and affirmative action for Vietnam-era veterans, special disabled veterans, and veterans who served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized. If covered by the act, a veteran who believes to have been discriminated against may file a complaint, which can be filed with the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs or with a local Veteran's Employment Representative at the local state employment services office. A Vietnam era veteran was defined as a person who:
Served on active duty for a period of more than 180 days, any part of which occurred between August 5, 1964 and May 7, 1975, and was discharged or released with other than a dishonorable discharge;
Was discharged or released from active duty for a service connected disability if any part of such active duty was performed between August 5, 1964 and May 7, 1975; or
Served on active duty for more than 180 days and served in the Republic of Vietnam between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975.
The law now applies to any veteran who served on active duty during a war, including the Vietnam War and the Gulf War, which is defined as beginning on August 2, 1990 with no fixed end date. A special disabled veteran is a person who is entitled to compensation under laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs for a disability rated at 30 percent or more. That changes to 10 or 20 percent if it has been determined that the individual has a serious employment disability or for a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability. As a part of affirmative action, federal contractors and subcontractors are required to list with the local state employment service all employment openings except for executive and top management jobs, jobs which the contractor expects to fill from within, and jobs lasting 3 days or less.
