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ESGR Balancing Act

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve helps reserve component service members and their employers understand each other

Brian Williams
by Brian Williams
August 18, 2018
ESGR tour

ESGR tours Joint Base Cape Cod Photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas Swanson

Most  members  of  the  reserve  or  National  Guard  know  something  about  Employer  Support  of  the  Guard  and  Reserve  (ESGR)  —  they  certainly  have  heard  the  acronym,  and  likely  know  it  is  an  organization  within  the  DoD  that  helps  facilitate  understanding  between  reserve  component  members  and  their  civilian  employers.

But  many  may  not  know  all  of  the  ways  that  ESGR  can  help  them  —  particularly  at  times  of  deployment  and  reintegration.

Nearly  half  of  our  military  force  resides  in  the  National  Guard  and  reserve.  Ensuring  that  the  reserve  component  maintains  a  constant  state  of  readiness  is  paramount  to  the  success  of  the  force.

A  big  part  of  that  effectiveness  comes  from  finding  a  balance  between  a  Guardsman’s  or  reservist’s  civilian  job  and  military  career.  ESGR  aids  in  the  success  by  conducting  courses  to  educate  the  parties  on  the  Uniformed  Services  Employment  and  Reemployment  Rights  Act  (USERRA),  mediating  between  the  two  when  conflict  arises,  and  recognizing  when  employers  are  exceedingly  supportive  of  their  reserve  component  employees.

“When  reservists  do  their  annual  training,  we  have  volunteers  conduct  training  to  let  service members  know  their  rights  in  regard  to  ESGR,”  said  Brian  LeBlanc,  a  Reserve  component  coordinator  with  Marine  Forces  Reserve.

Employers  and  employees  are  both  responsible  for  following  USERRA.  Some  of  the  conflicts  involving  USERRA  include  the  employer  wrongfully  terminating  the  service  member,  or  the  service  member  not  informing  the  employer  of  when  they  have  upcoming  drill  weekends  or  deployments.

“If  a  service  member  deploys,  and  they  come  back  and  their  employer  terminates  them  from  their  job,  that’s  illegal,”  LeBlanc  said.  “So  we  inform  them  of  those  rights.”

Not  only  does  ESGR  support  and  protect  the  service  member,  it  also  supports  the  employer  by  protection  through  USERRA  and  by  awarding  outstanding  support  of  the  reserve  service  member  who  is  employed.

“We  support  both  the  employer  and  the  service  member,”  LeBlanc  said.

ESGR PROVIDES SERVICE MEMBERS:

  • Samples of  military  leave  of  absence  forms,  sample  letters,  service  policies,  and  tips  to  help  you  avoid  employment  challenges
  • Wallet cards  and  other  resources  to  help  you  understand  your  rights  and  responsibilities  under  USERRA ESGR  volunteers  attend  mobilization/demobilization  briefings  to  answer  questions.  Call  ESGR  toll-free  at  1-800-336-4590,  visit  the  website or  contact  your  local  National  Guard  or  reserve  unit  for  more  information  —  Lance  Cpl.  Tessa  Watts,  Marine  Forces  Reserve,  contributed  to  this  article .

ESGR advice

Many  employment  challenges  can  be  avoided  by  being  candid  with  your  employer  about  your  obligations  as  a  service  member.

Be  sure  to:

  • Tell your employer  about  your  military  assignment  and  skills  you  have  gained  in  the  military.  •Know  your  rights  and  responsibilities  outlined  by  USERRA
  • *Mandatory* Provide your  employer/supervisor  with  drill  schedules,  annual  training  plans  and  any  extra  time-off  requirements,  preferably  in  writing,  as  early  as  possible
  • Be aware that  short  active  duty  tours,  exercises,  and  years  of  active  duty  for  non-contingency  operations  are  generally  subject  to  a  cumulative  5-year  time  limit  under  USERRA;  after  that  limit  is  reached,  you  may  no  longer  have  reemployment  rights
  • Your employer is  not  obligated  to  reschedule  you  to  make  up  work  missed  while  you  are  per-  forming  military  service,  unless  employees  who  miss  work  for  non-military  reasons  are  afforded  that  opportunity  also;  further,  you  cannot  be  required  to  find  replacement  workers  for  shifts  you  miss  during  military  service
  • You are allowed  to  use  earned  vacation  while  performing  military  service,  but  you  cannot  be  required  to  do  so
  • The law requires  the  employer  to  provide  only  an  unpaid  leave  of absence  for  your  time  away;  more  information  is  available  from  the  Office  of  Personnel  Management  site  and Department of Labor. If  your  employer  goes  above  and  beyond  before,  during  or  after  your  deployment,  show  your  appreciation  by  nominating  your  supervisor  or  organization  for  an  ESGR  award.
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Tags: ESGRNational GuardReserve
Brian Williams

Brian Williams

R. Brian Williams retired after 30 years in the U.S. Army, both on active duty and in the AGR program as a member of the Alabama National Guard, working at NORTHCOM, JDOMS and the U.S. Army War College. He is currently enjoying retired life, but misses his time in uniform.

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