View Full Version : Employer discrimination of military reservists?
Hog Wild
03-16-09, 04:20 PM
As someone who is about to graduate from grad school, enlist in the Marine Corps Reserves, and then go looking for a job in the civilian sector after the completion of training/schooling (provided that I'm not activated immediately), I was wondering if any of you Marine Reservists out there have experienced any difficulty getting a job because of your Reservist status (i.e. deployments, training, etc.). I hear that the Soldiers and Sailors Act is designed to prevent malpractices of justice in the workplace like this, but what if you're applying for the job? Has anyone experienced discrimination from employers? Thanks for any info.
Pete0331
03-16-09, 04:25 PM
As someone who is about to graduate from grad school, enlist in the Marine Corps Reserves, and then go looking for a job in the civilian sector after the completion of training/schooling (provided that I'm not activated immediately), I was wondering if any of you Marine Reservists out there have experienced any difficulty getting a job because of your Reservist status (i.e. deployments, training, etc.). I hear that the Soldiers and Sailors Act is designed to prevent malpractices of justice in the workplace like this, but what if you're applying for the job? Has anyone experienced discrimination from employers? Thanks for any info.
I have heard of discrimination but not during the employment process.
It is much more beneficial (usually) for employers to hire a reservist.
Tax credits, and whatnot.
This also applies to IRR Marines.
ssgtblue
03-16-09, 09:58 PM
Hog Wild , I can give you some insite on this subject....
Would I be able to attain insight as well?
My husband spent his first enlistment contract as a reservist. He never had any issue with employers discriminating against him as far as HIRING him went.
However...even though there are laws in place to protect reservists' jobs during deployment, many employers balk at having to give them their job back once the deployment ends.
My husband had such an employer in 2003, and the choice became going after the employer legally or just finding a new job. My husband left the parking lot of his previous employer and drove to the recruiting office to sign an active duty contract. That was how he chose to handle it.
My advice, given my limited experience as "the wife" in that situation is that when you are in the interview process...ask very frank questions and make sure you have a good bead on how these people will respond to a deployment. Their attitude towards your duties and rights as a reservist will likely be apparent from the get-go if you put it all out there and see what they have to say. Don't allow it to be the elephant in the room that no one discusses until you're on the point of leaving for Iraq or wherever else.
In our case, it never occurred to my husband that his employer would suddenly turn into a giant d*** about his having to deploy because they had always handled his weekends and annual training duties quite well. When we went to Iraq in 2003, however, the employer changed his tune and made as much trouble as he could for my husband upon his return. Don't let that happen to you.
That's my advice.
You went to Iraq with him, Mrs. Nix?
My husband spent his first enlistment contract as a reservist. He never had any issue with employers discriminating against him as far as HIRING him went.
However...even though there are laws in place to protect reservists' jobs during deployment, many employers balk at having to give them their job back once the deployment ends.
My husband had such an employer in 2003, and the choice became going after the employer legally or just finding a new job. My husband left the parking lot of his previous employer and drove to the recruiting office to sign an active duty contract. That was how he chose to handle it.
My advice, given my limited experience as "the wife" in that situation is that when you are in the interview process...ask very frank questions and make sure you have a good bead on how these people will respond to a deployment. Their attitude towards your duties and rights as a reservist will likely be apparent from the get-go if you put it all out there and see what they have to say. Don't allow it to be the elephant in the room that no one discusses until you're on the point of leaving for Iraq or wherever else.
In our case, it never occurred to my husband that his employer would suddenly turn into a giant d*** about his having to deploy because they had always handled his weekends and annual training duties quite well. When we went to Iraq in 2003, however, the employer changed his tune and made as much trouble as he could for my husband upon his return. Don't let that happen to you.
That's my advice.
I hadn't even thought of that. Thanks for the heads up.
"We," as in "we, the American people" went to Iraq in March of 2003.
I was simply trying to be helpful. I did not mean that I went to Iraq. We, the nation, went to Iraq at the time I was speaking of, and conversationally it came out "we" as I typed.
If I'm not meant to join in discussion here, I will cease attempting to do so. I'm not trying to butt in where I'm not meant to be.