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Many service members are returning to work after active duty in the Middle East. Federal law protects employees who serve in the military from discrimination in employment and provides them with certain benefits and reemployment rights when they return from military duty.

While the Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) spells out what an employer must do for its citizen soldiers, it doesn’t address what an employer should do to soften the transition from battlefield to workplace. Is your midsized company prepared to welcome back employees from military service?

Doing what’s right
According to the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), which maintains a database of companies that employ National Guard and Reserve members, hundreds of employers are going above and beyond the USERRA requirements in terms of offering paid leave, pay differentials and extended benefits.

A case in point: Walgreens provides special benefits for up to 42 months to its employees called to active military duty. Nearly 40 percent of the pharmacy chain’s employees on military leave receive supplemental pay from the company to make up for lower wages.

Employers should be aware of the emotional and psychological issues facing veterans returning to the workplace. The National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder has found that post-traumatic stress affects more than 30 percent of combat veterans.

Most human resource professionals don't have much understanding of or experience with this issue. Mental-health experts say the most important thing for employers to know is how jarring it can be for service members to go from active duty to civilian life within mere days, especially for those who’ve encountered life-and-death situations on a daily basis or seen close friends and comrades killed or seriously injured.

Reservists and guard members should not return to work too soon. They need time to decompress, let the stress and intensity of participating in a war dissipate, and slowly adjust to the routine of civilian life.

Facilitating workplace re-entry
While providing financial assistance and other special benefits to military employees depends on an organization’s resources, even the smallest companies can help ease service members’ transition back to work. The following information can help human resource professionals as well as managers and supervisors facilitate workplace re-entry.

Set a climate of positive expectations. Meet beforehand with the returning service member’s colleagues to discuss the transition, its impact on the team and related concerns. Emphasize the importance of being supportive and patient as their colleague readjusts. Plan a welcoming event such as an office party to foster a sense of community.

Update the returning employee. Brief the returning service member on the current situation at work: new policies and projects, personnel changes, new roles and responsibilities, and so on.

Prepare the coworkers currently on the job. If others performed the service member’s job, understand that they, too, will have to readjust. Acknowledge this and express appreciation for their dedication and hard work.

Ask but don’t pry. While it’s often hard to reach out to people who have been through traumatic events for fear of upsetting them, not acknowledging the service members’ experiences can leave them feeling isolated and believing their coworkers don’t care. Plus, giving them a chance to talk about their experiences can help relieve stress. By the same token, respect privacy. If a service member doesn’t want to discuss recent military experience, don’t pursue it. Above all, keep your political views to yourself at work.

Acknowledge and facilitate new skills. Due to unique experiences during deployment, a returning service member may have acquired new skills in the areas of leadership, teamwork and problem-solving that can be invaluable to your organization. Seek ways to learn about these skills and apply them in the workplace.

Support the employee if the transition proves difficult. Those exposed to intense combat and life-threatening situations, or those experiencing additional issues such as divorce or financial problems, may have ongoing stress and trouble readjusting. If so,discuss changes in job roles and performance expectations that might help. If you notice symptoms such as persistent sadness, anxiety, depression, withdrawal, sleep problems, family or workplace conflict,or alcohol or other substance abuse, be sure to refer the employee to professional support. If your organization has an employee-assistance program, take advantage of the resources it offers to make the employee’s transition back to work, as well as to home and family, a positive one.

Resources
Experts say the transition back to work is one of the most important components of a successful readjustment to civilian from military life. The following resources can help employers make such transitions as smooth as possible for their organizations and affected individuals.

• Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve: 800.336.4590, www.esgr.org. Provides education and consultation to employers and service members.
• The National Mental Health Association: 800.969.6642, www.nmha.org. The country’s oldest and largest not-for-profit organization addressing all aspects of mental health and mental illness.
• The U.S. Department of Labor: 866.487.9243, www.dol.gov. Provides a thorough explanation of USERRA.
• Military One Source: 800.342.9647, www.militaryonesource.com. Provides support for service members who need financial counseling or help with other issues.

U.S. Military Statistics (from the Institute for Policy Studies, Aug. 31, 2005)

• The United States has deployed more than 1 million troops to Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001.
• More than 210,000 of the National Guard’s 330,000 soldiers have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Guard mobilizations average 460 days. Activation can last up to two years.
• Nearly one-third of active-duty troops, or 341,000 men and women, have served two or more overseas tours.
• More than 14,065 U.S. troops have been wounded.
• Asof May 2005, stop-loss orders are affecting 14,082 soldiers — almost 10percent of the entire forces serving in Iraq — with no end date set forthe use of these orders.
• In 2004, 3,325 Army officers’marriages ended in divorce — up 78 percent from 2003, the year of theIraq invasion, and more than 3.5 times the number in 2000.
• InJuly 2005, the Army’s surgeon general reported that 30 percent of U.S.troops have developed stress-related mental-health problems within three to four months after coming home. Because about 1 million American troops have served so far in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, some experts predict that the number eventually requiring mental-health treatment could exceed 100,000.