Military
Workers Brake For War
With 15,000-plus on call for military duty, employees and firms prepare for upheaval
Sunday, February 09, 2003
Mike Hudson
The Detroit News
Already some 2,000 Michiganians have been called to active duty in preparation for possible war with Iraq. And more than 15,000 others are on call in case more troops are needed.
Among them are Dan and Nicole Grenon, who are trying to raise four kids, pay the monthly bills and keep their jobs while tensions increase in the Middle East.
Nicole, 31, an employee at General Dynamics in Sterling Heights, was called to active duty Jan. 30 with her Air Force wing. And Dan, 39, a Ford Motor Co. employee, is preparing for his wing to call him up any day.
"If we're both gonna be gone, it's going to put a terrible strain on everyone," Dan Grenon said. The first priority is the children. If it's a short-term deployment, the kids will go with aunts and uncles. If it's long term, a grandmother will take over as a full-time parent.
Beyond the obvious emotional and family problems, however, the Grenons and thousands like them are coming to grips with the financial and career problems service poses.
Unlike past years, reservists and employers are more prepared to deal with the process thanks to new laws and an increased emphasis by employers on making life easier for the military servicemen and servicewomen in their ranks.
"The biggest problem has been that employers didn't know what their responsibilities are," said Gen. Stanley Wilk, chairman of the Michigan chapter of the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. Oftentimes, reservists would be replaced or just simply not rehired when they returned from service, Wilk said. Companies also were not prepared to deal with questions on pay or benefits for spouses because of a lack of experience with military operations.
"We're getting better support from companies this time around," Wilk said. "There's still problems, but they're getting better." Wilk said after Gulf War veterans experienced a host of problems with employers upon their return from service, Congress cleared up many of the problems with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994. The law stipulates that employers cannot base hiring decisions on a person's military commitments. It also provides that employers must reinstate employees for up to five years after returning from service.
Employees don't feel the effects alone. Companies must grapple with vacated jobs. Generally, the larger the employer, the lesser the impact. At General Motors Corp., for instance, only 68 of a total 190,000 salaried and hourly employees in the United States have been called up, said spokesman Rob Minton.
But depending on where the employees work, troubles can arise.
Dan Grenon's department at Ford has only a handful of employees and two are reservists. If both are called up, replacements would have to be brought in or the other employees would have to absorb the extra work.
"That kind of hangs over you, that by your leaving, everyone else has to pick up your slack," Grenon said.
On a smaller scale, such as police and fire departments, missing an officer or two can mean added overtime for those who are left.
At Shelby Township's police and fire operations, two police officers and three firefighters are potential call-ups. One firefighter already has been tapped. While the department still has more than 100 employees between the two divisions, some adjustments would have to be made if all its reservists left, township supervisor Ralph Maccorone said.
"We're pretty well set, but if they all got called up we'd be using some overtime to cover shifts," Maccorone said. "But we'd be proud to see them go and come home safely."
While employment problems have decreased, financial planners say reservists are still struggling to cover bills and other costs while away on duty. Many servicemen and servicewomen suffer a drop in pay when they leave their jobs, which requires a massive adjustment many don't make, said Howard Dvorkin, president of Florida-based Consolidated Credit Counseling Services.
"People are seeing their pay go from $50,000 as a mechanic to $20,000 as a soldier," Dvorkin said. "They need to plan ahead, cut their spending now to adjust to that level of income and start saving the difference so there is something there in case of emergencies." Dvorkin's company has received so many calls from reservists, it has set up a guide for common questions at www.consolidatedcredit.org.
As a general tip, Dvorkin said, soldiers often qualify for reduced payments on mortgages, car payments and debts, which can reduce bills dramatically. But the soldier must file extensive paperwork to receive the benefit. "There's a number of ways they can reduce their expenses," he said. "The key is to plan ahead and get a plan in place before they're called."
