On Wednesday, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Walmart after the company refused to hire a Navy Reserve officer because of his upcoming duties, Fox News reports.
The officer said she applied for a job in May of 2016, and eventually did a phone interview with the Walmart in Grand Junction, Colorado. When she mentioned that she would need to take two weeks off for mandatory annual training, the Walmart personnel coordinator said that the company “could not support that kind of time off,” and hung up.
The female officer said she could not find any other job in the area during the summer and fall of 2016, and had to take care of her two children during that time. The case was first taken up by the Department of Labor, who eventually referred the case to the DOJ.
A statement by the DOJ pointed out that “the law does not permit employers to use military service as a reason to deny service members jobs and other civil opportunities,” as per the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act passed in 1994.