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July 26, 2007
For soldiers who leave and employers and co-workers who remain behind, all must face one undeniable fact: Things Change
— Written by Sarah Hightower Hill
For soldiers who leave and employers and co-workers who remain behind, all must face one undeniable fact: Things Change
Change and the fear of change are what pose the greatest challenge for all parties in a workplace situation that is becoming more and more common.
The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) guarantees re-employment for any qualifying military member who must take leave from work to report for active duty. Under the law, employers must restore workers to the same position they held before deployment, if possible. When restoration to the same position is not possible, returning workers are to be placed in a similar job with equal pay. USERRA also contains an escalator clause guaranteeing no loss in promotion, pay increases, or seniority.
In spite of this guarantee, any employer who knowingly hires a Reserve or National Guard soldier has several reasonable fears: loss of a valued employee, cost of replacing that employee even on a temporary basis, and diminished production leading to loss of profits.
Just as USERRA provides guarantees to employees, employers want guarantees as well. An employer wants assurance that the employee will return to his or her former level of production or efficiency. An employer looks for reassurance that the business will not be adversely affected by false expectations when the employee returns, or by emotional alteration that may follow combat experience.
In these situations co-workers can also be stressed, with some realizing they must take on extra work, perhaps without commensurate pay, or may have to accept temporary help that is less efficient, less compatible, or less motivated to become so.
And of course for the worker/soldier who must leave a valued position to face combat situations far away, he or she knows that while that position is guaranteed, when the time comes to return, things will have changed, and it will be up to the returnee to find the path back to the formerly familiar comfort zone.
In June 2004, U.S. Army officials announced that in addition to service personnel already away from their jobs on active duty, an additional 5,674 were scheduled for deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan. Tours of active duty for this group were expected to be a minimum of twelve months and in some cases as much as eighteen months.
Robert Smiley, principal aide on troop training and mobilization to the Secretary of the Army, told a Pentagon news conference that in addition to the stated 5,674, more inactive soldiers were likely to be called up next year—that is, in 2005. While he declined to estimate the number, he would not rule out that it could run into the thousands.
So whose responsibility is it to make sure the transition to active duty and back is as smooth as possible? Certainly the employer can assist by having a firm and detailed policy in place. The best preparation is a policy that spells out well ahead of time in clear and concise language, who can do what and how the soldier’s absence will be handled. Such advance preparation will protect and make the transition easier for both the soldier and the employer.
Success in such situations is best achieved when information flows in three directions. Employers should make an effort to keep an absent soldier/employee informed on day-to-day changes in the former workplace. This can be done by e-mail, as many soldiers now have regular access to e-mail. Information can also be shared through an interoffice or intercompany memo. It need not be an elaborate effort. All that’s required is to make sure the employee knows what is going on and what changes have occurred in his or her absence. Such measures will keep the soldier feeling connected and help smooth the transition back to civilian work.
The employer will also do well to stay as informed as possible about the soldier’s deployment and activities and make sure everyone in the workplace knows when he or she will return. Fellow workers should not be taken by surprise when a soldier suddenly shows up for work after a tour of duty. The employer can appoint someone in the workforce to keep everyone else informed of the activities and expected return dates of all soldier/employees.
Employers owe it to co-workers to make sure they understand the emotional and physical implications of a return from active duty, particularly if the soldier has been in combat. A little sensitivity training can go a long way toward helping all employees adjust to the changes that will inevitably come.
When the soldier returns, good preparation can minimize the shock of change. If possible, the worker should return to the same workstation or office. If someone else used the space during the soldier’s absence, the employer must direct the temporary occupant to put it back the way it was. It may be necessary to rearrange or restore a few things, as anything comfortable or familiar such as a desk or chair, certainly a computer, will help with a smooth re-entry.
For soldiers who know they will be leaving their work, the employer can help by arranging some ongoing connection with the interrupted work. Some goal might be set for the soldier to accomplish while away—within reason of course—such as in reading, a new language, or some other form of career enhancement. Obviously the primary concern of a soldier in combat will not be brushing up on work-related subjects, but in off-duty hours small books or magazines of interest can provide a welcome mental break from more stressful activities.
In summary, when a soldier called to active duty must leave his or her livelihood, sacrifices will be called for on all sides. The transition is truly a community effort and must be viewed as such.
It is in times of national crisis that the American worker truly comes into his or her own, for those remaining at home can nearly always be counted on to help those called away. Such was the case during World War II at the Hanford, Washington, nuclear plant, where workers responded to preserve jobs and support the economy. Joining together, each one donated a day’s pay to purchase a B-17 bomber for the war effort. That plane, named “Day’s Pay,” served valiantly and survived the war until coming to rest at last in Arizona.
In our own times, unselfish responses of employers, co-workers, and serving soldiers constitute no less a community action than did the Hanford employees’ efforts. It is truly worth a day’s pay, or else an appropriate investment of time and attention, to make every effort to see that a soldier leaves confidently to serve our country and returns to a healthy and welcoming work environment.
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