Q.My son is in the Army National Guard and must serve one three-day weekend a month - Friday through Sunday. Meanwhile, he works six days a week as a union carpenter apprentice. His employer has warned him that if he loses time on the job because of this commitment, he will be fired. Is this legal?

A. It sounds illegal - and shameful. The Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act of 1994, also known as USERRA, prohibits employment discrimination against people serving in the military, including the National Guard, and the law also protects them against reprisals.

A spokesman for the U.S. Labor Department suggested that your son contact the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve at the Department of Defense to learn more about his rights. He can also contact the ombudsman there for help with his problem. Another option is to file a complaint with the Labor Department's Veterans' Employment and Training Service, the division that enforces USERRA.

- Newsday