Hiring Preferences for Veterans and Families of Service Members
This document provides an overview of hiring preferences that benefit veterans and some military family members. It discusses employment with the federal government, Arizona State and local governments, and with federal contractors and subcontractors.
Are veterans given preference where applying for a federal job?
What things are considered for a veteran to be eligible?
- Must have an honorable discharge
- The veteran must claim the preference on their federal job
- National Guard or Reserve Active duty for training purposes does not qualify
- Military retirees with ranks of Major, Lieutenant Commander, or above do not qualify unless they have a service-related disability
- During a time of war
- Dring the period April 28, 1952 through July 1, 1955
- For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training between February1, 1955 and October 15, 1976
- During the Gulf War from August 2, 1990 through January 2, 1992
- In a campaign or expedition for a campaign medal or expedition badge has been authorized. Examples include El Salvador, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Southwest Asia, Somalia, and Haiti
To qualify for a 10-point preference , the following criteria must be met:
- A veteran who has a purple heart
- Some widows and widowers of deceased military spouses
- A mother of a veteran who died in service or who is permanently disabled
- A veteran who (1) has a service-connected disability, or (2) is receiving disability or retirement benefits from military service or the Veterans Affairs
Are federal contractors and subcontractors required to give preference to veterans when hiring?
The federal government requires its contractors and subcontractors to take affirmative steps to hire and promote qualified veterans. This requirement specifically targets the following groups:
- Recipients of the Armed Forces Service Medal; and
- Veterans who served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition with a campaign badge.
- Disabled veterans
The law also prevents certain contractors and subcontractors from discriminating against an applicant or employee because they qualify as a protected veteran.
A covered veteran may file a complaint with the if they believe a federal contractor has violated a hiring preference requirement.
Are military family members given hiring preferences?
Military spouses and other family members may also receive hiring preferences.
In the federal government, the Military Spouse Preference Program creates hiring preferences for spouses who relocate with an active duty servicemember. This program applies to civil positions in the Department of Defense.
Does Arizona have hiring preferences for veterans who apply for state government jobs?
Like many other states, Arizona gives veterans a hiring preference for government jobs. sets out our state’s policy on the issue in some detail. To qualify for a 5-point preference, the veteran must have an honorable discharge following more than 6 months of active duty service and must get a passing grade (without the preference) on the written examination.
A disabled veteran who earns a passing score on the examination will receive the 5-point preference plus an additional 5 points. There are also hiring preferences for the spouses of permanently and totally disabled veterans. A surviving spouse may be entitled to a preference under the following conditions:
- The deceased spouse died of a service-connected disability.
- The military spouse is on active duty, and, at the time of the amployment application, has been listed as missing in action, captured in the line of duty, or forcibly detained by a foreign government
- The veteran spouse has a total and permanent service-connected disability