Employment Rights of Guardsmen and Reservists

Those who serve or who have served in the military are accustomed to regular refrains of "thank you for your service" from the public.  But what reservists need most is for employers not to discriminate against them because of their service.  It is their volunteer service, after all, that saves other people from being drafted.Prohibiting employment discrimination against servicemembers reflects a basic level of respect owed to those who sacrifice for the country and who continue to raise their hands for duty in the Reserves, knowing the added demands, disruption, and uncertainty that may bring.  Moreover, it serves the important national interest in fostering a robust military reserve, that remains prepared to activate and defend the nation, while its members continue to work full-time in the civilian economy.Facts that may show that your military is being held against youYour employer:Tells you to choose between the military and your civilian jobAsks whether your military service is voluntary or involuntarySays that it doesn’t want you volunteering for additional military duty because you are needed at your civilian jobComplains that your military absences are “hurting the team,” a “strain on the department,” or causing budgetary problemsComplains about scheduling inconveniencesAsks you whether you can...

FMLA supports servicemen and women

Earlier this year, the Department of Labor issued a final rule implementing recent amendments that expanded the FMLA to meet the unique challenges confronting military families and those who care for our wounded warriors. Serving your country is an honorable and rewarding career, but one that also calls upon the strengths of a servicemember’s entire family. For every soldier on the front lines, there is a support team at home steadfastly marching forward, filling voids left while a loved one serves. Here’s how the law can help: -->The FMLA’s Military Caregiver Leave provides time away from work to assist a service member who has suffered a serious illness or injury in the line of duty. A family member who works for a covered employer and meets the eligibility requirements of the FMLA may be entitled to take up to 26 workweeks of unpaid leave, during a single 12-month period. This leave is available to family members of current service members and certain veterans of the Armed Forces, including the National Guard or Reserves. -->The FMLA’s qualifying exigency leave provisions mean that a family member who works for a covered employer and meets eligibility requirements may be entitled to take up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave to...

Veterans still struggling to find work

It has been more than 10 years since the  U.S. invasion of Iraq, the start of a war that still divides our nation.  President Barack Obama pulled the final U.S. forces out, but the war is still taking a toll on veterans and their families, on our federal finances and on Iraqis.  In the wake of 9/11 President George Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell made the case that Saddam Hussein was set to use weapons of mass destruction, which he did not possess.  The war cost $2.2 trillion. 100,000 Iraqis died. Nearly 4,500 Americans lost their lives, many lost limbs and countless others returned from service suffering from PTSD and Depression.Unfortunately, thousands of United States servicemen and women are still struggling to find work.  Yes, unemployment remains high, but the rate of unemployment among our veterans of foreign wars is much higher than the national average. One cannot help but wonder to what extent American employers are holding our Nation's veterans' military service against them, possibly stereotyping them as psychologically damaged, unreliable or too costly to insure.  Returning veterans who are experiencing difficulty finding work should understand that they are not the problem.  Employers are not allowed to...