At Ease - Wisconsin National Guard Department of Military Affairs

servicemembers and their families in peace, in crises and in
war.
Gov. Jim Doyle pledged his support on behalf of the State of
Wisconsin in May.
“When these brave men and women answer the call to serve,
they leave their families, friends, and employers behind,” Doyle said.
“They are making great sacrifices to serve their country – and they
couldn’t do it without the tremendous support of their employers. As
governor, I am pledging the state’s continued support of our Guard
and Reserve troops.”
To recognize employers who support their citizen-Soldier
employees, ESGR also sponsors a multi-tiered awards program.
Any service member can honor his or her employer with a Patriot
Award certificate by completing a form online at the ESGR Web site,
said Mike Smith, ESGR’s executive director.
“There are plenty of supportive employers out there who have
not yet been recognized,” Smith said, “but they could be if their
employees would go online and nominate them. It only takes about
ten minutes. Every request will be honored, and this simple way to
thank a boss can result in positive effects at the workplace.”
Annually the Wisconsin committee selects up to fifteen Patriot
Award recipients for the Over and Above Award, and one of these also
receives the Pro Patria Award, the highest recognition within the state.
In addition, the secretary of defense annually recognizes the
nation’s 15 most supportive employers. Wisconsin companies so
honored include Schneider National Trucking, American Family
Insurance, Midwest Airlines, Miller Brewing and Harley Davidson,
making the Badger State a leader in employer support.
Even with increased mobilizations, smart employers continue to
seek out service members to work for their organizations, said Rob
Reich, vice president of enterprise recruiting for Schneider National.
“What sets veterans apart is that they are accustomed to working
in an ambiguous environment where they need to make decisions
on their own,” Reich said. “This work experience is similar to the
daily experiences a truck driver may face, because many work alone
and make their own decisions on how best to get freight delivered to
customers on time.”
Schneider is active in ESGR, encourages other employers to hire
Guard and Reserve members, and supports employee participation in
reserve component units.
“Schneider offers numerous programs for military employees,
including extended benefits,” he said. “Soldiers maintain their benefits
while on military leave and receive the difference between military
pay, if less than their Schneider base pay, for 18 months.
“Schneider also supports families of deployed associates and
guarantees associates’ jobs upon their return,” Reich said.
Schneider’s history of recruiting from the military dates back
to 1935 when its founder, Al Schneider, a long-time member of the
Wisconsin National Guard, recruited Guard members and veterans.
ESGR would like to see all Wisconsin employers emulate that
Schneider tradition. n
ESGR and You
Communication is the key to building and
maintaining employer support for members of the
Guard, according to the executive director of the
Wisconsin Committee for Employer Support of the
Guard and Reserve.
Guardmembers should “give as much notice
as possible about mobilizations and deployments
— and be up front about the possibility of date
changes or cancellation of mobilization orders,”
says Mike Smith, Wisconsin ESGR executive
director.
You should also understand your rights, and
your employer’s rights, under the Uniformed
Services Employment and Reemployment Rights
Act of 1994, Smith says. “Lack of knowledge is far
more often the root cause of employer-employee
conflict than intentional violations of the law,” he
explains.
If your employer is not familiar with
reemployment rights for reservists, you may benefit
from providing the boss information about ESGR
programs and USERRA — available at www.esgr.
org.
ESGR gives information on the law to members
of all seven reserve components, especially those
preparing for deployment or recently returned.
“Those who suspect they may have an issue at
work are most likely to be listening to our message
at those times,” according to Smith, “but troops
should also be prepared for the unexpected.”
If the information is not needed now, Smith
says, “put it in your ‘readiness kit.’”
If you feel your employer is not meeting the
requirements of the law, ESGR can provide an
ombudsman to help both sides reach a solution.
The ESGR ombudsmen receive special training in
interpreting the law and working as mediators.
“We’re not an advocate for either party,” Smith
says. “We’re there as a mediator, helping to clarify
what the law requires and trying to find a solution.”
If the dispute cannot be resolved through
mediation, you have the right to take legal action
by filing a civil suit in court or a labor law complaint
through the Department of Labor.
“Fortunately, only a handful of cases go to that
level,” Smith says.
Employers, he says, understand the increased
reliance on the reserve components, and most of
them want to support our defense efforts. At the
same time, employers feel the impact of frequent
deployments, especially when a critical employee
is called away. Fortunately ESGR stands ready
to help employees and employers and can be
reached at 1-800-336-4590 or www.esgr.org.
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