How quickly am I entitled to return to work?
If the period of service was less than 31 days, and you show up for work at 8 a.m. on the next workday, you must be put back on the payroll immediately. If the period of service was 31 days or more, your employer is required to act promptly upon your application for reemployment. This should be a matter of days, not weeks or months.
The right to reemployment is not contingent upon the existence of a vacancy. Sometimes it is necessary for the employer to displace another employee in order to reemploy the returning veteran. Congress recognized that this law imposes burdens on employers, and that sometimes those burdens can be severe. Congress decided that imposing such burdens on employers is justified by the national defense needs of our nation.
