Military
Your Career
Your Career
Most employment conflicts can be avoided
by being straight forward with your employer about your obligations as a member
of the Reserve or National Guard. Keep your boss informed about what you do in the
military and when you do it. Make your boss aware of how your military experience
and training will make you a more capable civilian employee. Take time to recognize
the sacrifice your boss and co-workers make when they support you.
No matter what your military assignment
or specialty, tell your employer about it. Many people hold down military jobs that
relate directly to their civilian careers. If yours is one of them, your boss would be pleased to know that you are learning and practicing military skills that can
pay
off on the job.
Even if what you do in the military
is different from your civilian job, sharing the details can impress your boss.
You are using your spare time to participate in a second career that is of great
importance to your community and the nation. That is a strong indication to people
at work that you are the type of person who seeks out - and can handle - serious
responsibility.
USERRA,
enacted in October 1994, provides re-employment protection
and other benefits for veterans and employees who perform military service. It clarifies
the rights and responsibilities of National Guard and Reserve members, as well as
their civilian employers.
USERRA was significantly updated in 1996 and 1998. It applies almost
universally to all employers - including the federal government-regardless of the
size of their business. Under this law, significant changes in military leave of
absence management occurred:
- An employee no longer requests permission to be absent for military leave but rather
provides of pending military service;
- There is no longer any differentiation between voluntary and involuntary service;
an employee cannot be required to use earned vacation or similar leave days for
military leave of absence; and,
- Military service will not be counted as time away from the employer for retirement purposes.(Federal employees should review the code of Federal Regulations, series 5 CFR 353.201 through 210 for further details).
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