Hiring Our Military Service Members

What is Your Plan?

Ten Reasons to Hire Veterans & Wounded, Injured, or Ill Warriors

1. Accelerated learning curve 2. Leadership 3. Teamwork 4. Diversity and inclusion in action 5. Efficient performance under pressure 6. Respect for procedures 7. Technology and globalization 8. Integrity 9. Conscious of health and safety standards 10. Triumph or adversity

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Are You Ready for you Tax Incentives?

• Primary Tax Credit – Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)

• Provides tax credits to private-sector employers so that targeted to enable the targeted employees to gradually move from economic dependency into self-sufficiency

– VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 – amended and expanded

• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

• VA Vocational & Rehabilitation Employment Prog.

• State Incentives

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Plan Your Hiring Initiative

Is your Organization Ready?

State of the Organization

• Do you know your organization’s demographics?

• Do you have a military leave policy?

• How, if at all, are you handling your performance appraisals?

• What is your system for staying in contact with your employee during deployment?

• What support is their for your employee’s family during deployment?

• What does your support structure look like for returning military service members?

• Do you have and have you evaluated your EAP program?

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Are Your Employees Ready?

• Education is crucial – Human Resources

– Recruiting

– Managers

– Supervisors

– Employees in general

• Do they understand the issues surrounding deployment, serving in a war zone, reintegration?

• They need to understand veteran and/or disabled employee needs

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Are Your Employees Ready?

• Disability Accommodations

– Do your managers understand accommodations?

– What is your procedure for accommodation requests?

• What about TBI and PTSD?

• In general, what do your employees know about disability etiquette, cultural diversity, stereotyping…….?

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A Welcoming Environment

• Improve communication by helping employees develop an understanding of military culture

• Help employees gain a basic knowledge about military values, structure, policies, and expectations of the military – What does it mean to have been…

• Enlisted Personnel • A Non-commissioned Officer (NCO) • A Warrant Officer • A Commissioned officer

– ….and how does that relate to the business world

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A Welcoming Environment Military Business

Enlisted Personnel Staff Employee

Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) Supervisor/Manager

Warrant Officers Professional Specialists

Commissioned Officers Executive

More than 80% of military occupations have a direct civilian

equivalent!

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A Welcoming Environment

• Make sure that your application/interview process is veteran friendly. – Does your organization consider military experience

as part of an applicant’s work history?

– Do you check your Military Occupation Classification Codes?

– Does your website and recruiting materials clearly welcome individuals with disabilities and veterans? • What does the verbiage say?

– Do you offer job shadowing as a way of helping veterans transition?

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A Welcoming Environment

TBI/PTSD

RAMBO !

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE Presented by

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Police get help with vets who are ticking bombs (USA TODAY)

Experts: Vets’ PTSD, violence a growing problem (CNN)

Veteran charged with homeless murders: Hint of larger problem for US military?

(Christian Science Monitor)

“SERGEANT PSYCHO” (New York Daily News)

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A Welcoming Environment

• Demystify – give everyone the facts about invisible wounds such as PTSD and TBI – PTSD is not brought on by a weakness of character

• It is a product of biological, psychological, historical & social factors

– PTSD does not equal violence & un-predictableness

– PTSD does not mean that a person cannot handle stress on the job

– PTSD does not mean someone is a second rate worker

– Most people with PTSD recover and many recover completely

– Therapy and self-help does work – tailored to meet the needs of the individual

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A Welcoming Environment

• Traumatic Brain Injury

– Employers can play a vital roll in their recovery

– There are some challenges that may or may not require accommodation to ensure success

– The degree of limitations vary from person to person

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Actively Recruit Veterans and Persons with Disabilities

• What are your employment opportunities?

• Do you have detailed job descriptions?

• Do you use military language in your outreach and job descriptions when recruiting?

• Have you thought about internships and apprenticeships?

• Where does your outreach extend?

• Do you know what you can and should not ask?

• Allow them to tell their story!

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Hiring

• Have a culturally sensitive orientation plan – Make sure they understand the value of their job to the

company’s success

– Make certain that the training process has been explained

– Provide an organization chart so they understand the office hierarchy

– Frequent checkups – weekly, monthly…….

– Make sure the process for requesting accommodations is understood and that requests are welcomed

• Be patient! Transitioning and adjusting to a new culture takes time

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Hiring

• Understand your responsibilities under ADA

• Consider the disclosure concerns – This holds true especially for non-visible

disabilities

• Make sure that everyone knows and understands the process for requesting accommodations

• Extend an invitation to “self-identify” veteran status and disabilities

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Retention

• Promote an inclusive workforce – Show military service and value it – overtly demonstrate

• e.g., veteran specific page on your website

• Expand your EAP • Vet to Vet mentorships • Recognize that military families have different needs • Understand the Uniformed Services Employment &

Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) – make sure you are in compliance

• Get involved and support external veteran programs • Please, please train your managers – give them the tools

they need to manage veterans and persons with disabilities!

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Resources

• The Sierra Group Foundation's Website - www.employmentincentives.com

• U.S. DOL Employment & Training Administration - www.doleta.gov/business/incentives/opptax/State_Contacts.cfm

• U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs – www.vba.va.gov/bln/vre/emp_resources.htm

• U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Information Network (O*NET) to locate a civilian equivalent

• Job Accommodation Network (JAN) - free resource sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy - expert and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues.

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Resources

• Recruiting – Army Transition Centers -

http://www.dodvets.com/TC-Army.asp – Employer Partnership of the Armed Forces -

www.employerpartnership.org – National Resource Directory -

https://www.nationalresourcedirectory.gov/employment

– Service Locator - www.servicelocator.org – VetSuccess – www.vetsuccess.gov – Numerous non-profits – local, regional and national

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