What is VEVRAA?

The Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) is a federal law that requires employers with federal contracts or subcontracts of $200,000 ( or more to take affirmative action to employ and advance “protected veterans.” Compliance with this regulation is monitored and enforced by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).

To comply with VEVRAA, federal contractors must implement an Affirmative Action Program (AAP), list job openings with the appropriate American Job Centers​ / employment service delivery system (ESDS), establish annual hiring benchmarks, and invite applicants to self-identify as protected veterans. Failure to meet these requirements can result in significant penalties, including the loss of federal contracts.

Understanding VEVRAA and Protected Veteran Categories

While the name mentions the “Vietnam Era” the law’s protections have expanded significantly. Today, VEVRAA covers four specific categories of protected veterans:

1. Disabled Veterans: Those entitled to compensation under laws administered by the VA or discharged due to a service-connected disability.
2. Recently Separated Veterans: Veterans within three years of their discharge or release from active duty.
3. Active Duty Wartime or Campaign Badge Veterans: Those who served on active duty during a war or in a campaign for which a badge was authorized.
4. Armed Forces Service Medal Veterans: Those who participated in a U.S. military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded.

Core VEVRAA Compliance Requirements for HR Teams

Achieving and maintaining VEVRAA compliance requires a structured approach to recruitment, data collection, and reporting. HR compliance teams should focus on the following pillars:

Mandatory Job Listings

Federal contractors must list all employment openings with the appropriate Employment Service Delivery System (ESDS)–often the state workforce agency or local employment office–where the opening occurs.

• Action: Ensure your job listings are sent to the ESDS in a format they accept.
• Requirement: Listings must be made concurrently with the use of any other recruitment source.

DirectEmployers Members: Through its VetCentral technology, DirectEmployers automates job listings to deliver federal contractor jobs for compliance with the Jobs for Veterans Act (JVA) and the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), providing priority veteran referrals, and acting as a resource of current jobs for disabled veteran outreach program specialists (DVOPs), as well as local veterans’ employment representatives (LVERs), and Business Service Representatives throughout the country.

Annual Hiring Benchmarks

Federal contractors must establish a veteran hiring benchmark every year to measure the effectiveness of their outreach to veterans. You have two options for setting this:

• The National Benchmark: Use the annual veteran hiring benchmark provided by the OFCCP (currently 5.1% as of July 30, 2025, though this is updated annually).
• Custom Individual Benchmark: Calculate a unique benchmark based on local veteran availability and your own organization’s hiring data.

The Invitation to Self-Identify

Federal contractors are required to invite applicants to inform you, or self-identify, if they believe they are a protected veteran. This happens at two stages:

• Pre-offer: During the application process.
• Post-offer: After a hire is made but before the employee begins work.

Note: This data must be kept in a separate, confidential file and used only for affirmative action purposes.

Recordkeeping and Reporting

Annual VETS-4212 Report

Another critical component of complying with VEVRAA compliance requirements is the filling of the annual VETS-4212 report. Administered by the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) within the U.S. Department of Labor, this report collects data on the number of veterans hired and employed by job category and hiring location, along with other specified demographic information. The filing period runs annually, with the following calendar:

Outreach and Positive Recruitment

Compliance goes beyond listing a job; you must demonstrate active recruitment of veterans. This could include partnering with veteran-focused organizations, attending military job fairs, and working with transition coordinators at military bases. All outreach activities must be documented, as the OFCCP will ask for evidence of these efforts during an audit, so maintaining records of contacts made, responses received, and results achieved is non-negotiable. In other words,

DirectEmployers Members: To aid the outreach efforts, DirectEmployers Membership includes the Partner Relationship Manager (PRM), an outreach management tool that allows you to connect with veteran service organizations, record conversations, and assess partnerships–all from one tool.

Equal Opportunity Employment (EOE) Tagline

Finally, ensure your job listings (or advertisements) include a tagline stating that you are an equal opportunity employer and specifically mention that you do not discriminate based on protected veteran status.

DirectEmployers Members: Access a the Member-Exclusive Compliance Tip Sheet focusing on how to craft a VEVRAA and Section 503 compliant EOE tagline with what’s required by law.

VEVRAA Recordkeeping: Preparing for an OFCCP Audit

The OFCCP views data as the proof of your compliance. To prove both job delivery and outreach efforts during a VEVRAA audit, your HR compliance team must maintain the following records for three years:

• Proof of Job Listing: confirmation that job requisitions were listed with the appropriate ESDS.
• Job Filling Data: The number of openings and total jobs filled.
• Applicant Ratios: The number of protected veteran applicants vs. total applicants.
• Hiring Ratios: The number of protected veterans hired vs. total hires.
• Outreach Assessment: A written annual evaluation of your veteran outreach efforts to determine if they were effective or if you need to pivot your strategy.

Staying Ahead of Regulatory Changes

VEVRAA compliance in general isn’t a check-the-box activity for HR compliance teams. It’s an ongoing commitment to lowering the veteran unemployment rate. By prioritizing VEVRAA-compliant job listings, accurate self-identification data, and robust outreach to veterans and transitioning servicemembers, your organization can move beyond mere checkboxes to build a truly veteran-inclusive workforce.

DirectEmployers Association is here to support you every step of the way. Explore our compliance resources, connect with our Member community, or reach out to learn how membership can simplify your VEVRAA compliance obligations.