Military Personnel: Improvements Needed to Increase Effectiveness of DOD's Programs to Promote Positive Working Relationships between Reservists and Their Employers
Highlights
Since September 11, 2001, the Department of Defense (DOD) has relied on more than 650,000 members of the National Guard and Reserve to support operations at home and abroad. As demobilized reservists return to civilian life and their civilian employment, the difficulties some face in maintaining positive working relationships with their employers is an area of interest. Maintaining employers' continued support for their reservist employees will be critical if DOD is to retain experienced reservists in these times of longer and more frequent deployments. The employment and reemployment rights of service members as they transition between their federal duties and their civilian employment are governed by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) of 1994. Education of reservists and employers about USERRA is primarily conducted through DOD's office of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), which serves as DOD's focal point in managing the department's relations with reservists and their civilian employers. The Military Reservists and Veteran Small Business Reauthorization and Opportunity Act of 20083 directed the Comptroller General of the United States to report to the Senate Committee on Armed Services, the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, the House Committee on Armed Services, and the House Committee on Small Business by August 15, 2008, on the options for promoting positive working relationships between reservists and their employers, including assessing options for improving the time in which employers of reservists are notified of a call to active duty other than training. Accordingly, we examined the extent to which DOD has (1) taken steps to inform reservists of their obligations and responsibilities to their employers to provide timely notification of a call to active duty, and (2) developed initiatives to promote positive working relations between reservists and their employers. We also were directed to determine whether there has been a reduction in the hiring of reservists by business concerns because of (1) any increase in the use of reservists after September 11, 2001, or (2) any change in any policy of DOD relating to reservists after September 11, 2001.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | To gauge the effectiveness of DOD's actions to increase the likelihood that more progress will be made in promoting positive relationships with employers, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to establish an annual performance plan that develops and facilitates the implementation of performance measures on how well ESGR is achieving its goals. |
Closed – Implemented
DOD issued an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Operational Plan in Fiscal Year 2011 to provide additional guidance and measurements.
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| Department of Defense | To gauge the effectiveness of DOD's actions to increase the likelihood that more progress will be made in promoting positive relationships with employers, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to conduct regular and recurring follow-up activities on outreach efforts to maintain positive working relationships with employers who have previously signed statements of support. |
Closed – Implemented
In October 2009 Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve initiated a direct mail campaign for employers and service-members. This outreach to employers included specific subsets of the employer community and is expected to continue throughout fiscal year 2010. Many of the organizations had already signed Statements of Support and are therefore receiving follow-up contacts in order to ensure continued support through receipt of both an employer brochure and handbook.
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| Department of Defense | To gauge the effectiveness of DOD's actions to increase the likelihood that more progress will be made in promoting positive relationships with employers, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to develop initiatives to specifically conduct outreach efforts to small businesses that employ reservists. |
Closed – Implemented
The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Reserve Affairs) has engaged and formed an alliance with the Small Business Administration to identify and develop programs, such as the Patriot Express Loan Program, to assist small business owners with the challenges they may encounter during the absence of a reservist employee.
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