National Guardsmen and reservists are having a tougher time than in past years keeping civilian jobs after returning from combat. Federal law is supposed to prevent employers from firing or demoting a worker who temporarily leaves work to serve in the National Guard or Reserve. But, USA Today reports more employers are violating the law.

The Pentagon's Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve office, which helps settle disputes over alleged infractions of the law, reported a thirty percent increase in cases this year over 2009, and a more than eighty percent increase in information requests. The Labor Department, which also mediates disputes, reports a steady, but smaller, increase in caseloads since 2005.

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