GUIDE TO LEADING POLIcIEs, PRAcTIcEs & REsOURcEs ...

art Ihired.Public Policy and Public SectorInitiatives Impacting VeteranEmploymentPublic policy impacting veteran employmentis complex and multifaceted, leadingto public-sector initiatives that range fromthose that incur direct to indirect financialcosts (including costs either to address orto ignore the employment issue), implicatenational economic competitiveness, andthose positioned to leverage the trainingand experience afforded to veterans as aconsequence of taxpayer dollars. Publicsectorinitiatives also invoke the unemploymentsituation of veterans as a nationalsecurity concern, given the imperativeof fielding an all-volunteer military. Ingeneral, the scope of policy and regulatoryefforts impacting veteran employment canbe categorized as being motivated by one(or more) of the following:▶National Obligation to Veterans:The need for veterans to be supported andsuccessful in their post-service employmentpursuits is critical in order to maintainan all-volunteer force. Lengthy andfrequent deployments impact family members,particularly children, in ways whichwe may not yet understand, and for whichthere may not yet be adequate support andresponse. Employers may be unwilling tofuture reservists and guard memberswhen the burdens of service fall to thosecomponents, and when deployments maybe more frequent than previously contemplated.Such issues may be likely to deterfuture service by current members as wellas future generations. This may be particularlytrue if service is viewed as havinga negative impact on future life-course,including employment for veterans. Further,financial instability caused by lack ofemployment likely contributes to familydestabilization, increasing these impacts.▶The Cost of Unemployment andRelated Public Benefit Programs:Unemployment benefits are costly andtime limited. Disability benefits are bothcostly and potentially ongoing for anindefinite period of time. Other publicbenefits which often accompany disabilitybenefits, such as food stamps and housingvouchers, are also potentially life-longentitlements. Some benefits are meanstested,and are therefore less likely toresult in situations where the individual isgainfully employed. Usage rates of publicbenefit programs may be mitigated byemployment; the accompanying wellnessresulting from gainful employment andhistory suggests that effective and expeditedpaths to reemployment (or education)may prevent reliance on disabilityand other public benefits throughout one’slifetime.12 INSTITUtE FOR veterans and military families