Off To Serve How call ups are affecting your business?

Has your company felt the pinch of National Guard and Reserve mobilizations yet? Chances are you will.

With over 1.3 million members, the National Guard and Reserves account for half our nations military force. Kosovo, Bosnia, and the Middle East have already caused thousands to be called to active duty, and while many combat troops are being demobilized from Iraq, more are being called up for police and civil functions. The likelihood is that these engagements will be for even more protracted periods. So, even if your organization hasnt been hit by call-ups, the chances are good that you or your business partners will be.

Disruptions caused by sudden, extended absences of experienced employees can be serious. By learning more about the Reserves and Guard now, you can be aware of what you can to diminish disruptions. You can also take advantage of the many resources available to help get you through it.

An Integrated Total Force"
In 1997, Secretary of Defense William Cohen directed commanders to institute Total Force," a complete integration of Active Duty, Reserve and Guard units. This made Guard and Reserves integral to any military action. Too bad, because theyre also your employees.

In the early 1990s, the force of nearly 1.6 million served one million active duty days a year. Today, with forces at 1.3 million, the Guard and Reserves serve 13 million days. Thats a big change and does not reflect the impact of recent action in Iraq! Bottom line? Individuals working with you today could be on the front lines of any conflict in a few weeks.

According to Ms. Lydia Valentine, Department of Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR): Right now, the country is in a national emergency following the terrorist attacks on 9/11, so there are National Guard and Reserve members serving overseas in Afghanistan and elsewhere. But… most Guard members right now remain home in their peacetime status, and are commanded by the Governor of the State they are in... The Reserves and Coast Guard don't have the job of serving the state they live in - they only work for the U.S. government."

Paul McHale, who is up for assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense, has said the Guard and Reserve would become more engaged in homeland defense in the months to come. He also pointed to the projected increase in the number of Guard civil support teams and continued Air Guard support of combat air patrol missions over the nation's skies.

Planning to accommodate a routine two week deployment" annually for an employee is one thing. But activations today are much more disruptive. There may be little advance notice, longer duration – and big inconveniences.

Responsibilities and Entitlements
Most of the workplaces legal burden falls on the employer. Youre probably aware of it, but find out your specific responsabilities by going to: http://www.esgr.org/employers/employerFAQ.asp. It deals with a number of FAQs and offers additional reference links.

ESGR says:
•   Employees returning from military service must be reemployed in the job that they would have attained had they not been absent for service (the long-standing 'escalator' principle) and with the same seniority, status and pay, as well as other rights and benefits determined by seniority.

•   Reasonable efforts must be made to enable returning employees to refresh or upgrade their skills to enable them to qualify for reemployment. If refresher training is not successful, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), provides that the employee must be reinstated in a position that most nearly approximates that position originally held.

•   Employees who are disabled (temporarily or permanently) due to military service must also be accommodated in a position most nearly approximating the original position.

Here are some other things you should know as an employer:
1)   Following military service, employees are entitled to prompt reemployment.
2)   They are entitled to seniority, seniority-related benefits (including pension), status, and rate of pay as if continuously employed during the military absence.
3)   They are entitled to immediate reinstatement of health insurance including previously covered dependents, with no waiting period and no exclusion of preexisting conditions, except conditions determined by the Government to be service-connected.
4)   Training or retraining by the employer, if that is necessary for the employee to qualify for the reemployment, is also required.
5)   If disabled while on military duty, or a disability is aggravated by military service, an employer must make reasonable efforts to accommodate the disability.

Note: Your employees must request reemployment within specific periods based on length of service:
• For service of 181 days or more, they are protected from discharge, except for cause, for one year.
• For service of 31-180 days, protection from discharge is 180 days.

If you have employees who are part of the Guard or Reserves, you should have plans in place to retrain and reemploy them now. Having written plans that can be reviewed with employees can eliminate problems later.

The Citizen-Soldier Transition
While you want to keep production or projects on track, your reservist-employees thinking will be in a very different place preceding their departure. Your awareness of their stress caused by this dislocation can help a much smoother transition.

Call-ups face a great deal of preparation, like sobering paperwork like a will, care for their kids, and possible disability issues. These may overshadow priorities at work. By understanding this and acting in an open and supportive manner, employers can minimize disruptions. In return, employees are likely to make every effort to help employers manage the transition.

Open Communications
The best thing you can do to make a call-up easier on everyone is to communicate, early and often.

Losing an employee, especially senior or key employees, can be disruptive, stressful and frustrating. Think of all players involved. Consider all viewpoints and possible problems. Talk to your reservist and game plan how to handle the absence so you work together.

This unified approach will help bridge problems and allow you to move forward positively within the organization. Its not painless. For employers, theres the disruption of forced change. For employees, there are varying degrees of stress – not the least of which is war. Being positive and proactive makes the process less painful.

Guard or Reserve members must remember that they are as much a part of a team in daily work as when they put on the uniform. Reservists owe it to employers and co-workers to be forthcoming with all information related to a call-up. Talk things over with your boss and co-workers before it becomes a necessity. Early communication will help prevent serious problems later. Try to work through issues before they become problems. Be proactive with plans to hand off projects. Make transitions easy for those you work with.

Say thanks to your boss or employer for their understanding and support. You can get some great ideas from the Department of Defenses Department for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. (ESGR) URL:www.esgr.org.

Supporting our Soldiers
Many companies can provide salary and benefits arrangements for employees during active duty. Others cannot. In either case, there are other things a company can easily do to support a mobilizing employee.

Starting today, make yourself aware of who in your organization is in the Reserves. Open the door for them to talk about upcoming deployments or training. Work with them to accommodate schedules and to plan for eventualities. Here again, a company policy for reemployment is a very positive share or review.

Know how to contact them once they are deployed. Snail-mail, e-mail and the odd care package" can go a long way to help morale for troops and make the senders feel pretty good, too. If possible, pass company news onto the reservist. E-mail makes this easy.

Family events, like company picnics, are wonderful chances to stay in touch. Invite spouses and children. Co-worker can arrange a play-date" for kids, meet for coffee, or arrange an evening out for a spouse. In many cases, lost income means babysitters are more expensive and even little treats become out-of-reach luxuries. Small gifts on the home front pay big dividends for those far away.

Resources and Information:
•   • Small to medium sized business – The Small Business Administration: http://www.sba.gov/reservists/
The site provides information on an increasing number of programs designed to assist companies whose employees may be called up. Included are managerial, technological and financial assistance. Programs offer training and counseling on business issues stemming from call-ups. It can also help in thinking though plans for future activations.

•   Guard and Reserves - Employer Support for the Guard and Reserves:
www.esgr.org
Also, check sites for the specific branch of service for more detail. You may have to register to access some information:
www.army.mil (Army)
www.ngb.army.mil (National Guard)
www.af.mil (Air Force)
www.navy.mil (Navy)
www.usmc.mil (Marine Corps)
www.uscg.mil (Coast Guard)

•   The Association of Professional Office Managers strives to improve the work and work environment for everyone providing office support for their organizations. Please check out our website at www.WhiteRabbits.org and consider membership for your organization today.