Educating your workforce about veterans and spouses will go a long way toward creating a positive environment for them.
Teach employees the military basics. The more your workers understand and appreciate veterans’ service and experiences, the more effective they will be at communicating and interacting with them. No two veterans will have had the same experience in the military, but everyone’s relationships will be stronger if nonveteran workers have a solid grounding in the basics. For starters, you probably have veterans or military spouses on staff who would be willing to help educate your workforce; engage them in the process. Educate your workforce on the culture, values and structure that veterans come from—for starters, the basics outlined in Military 101. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs also recommends this free training tool as a military primer. For a more interactive experience, register for one of the Military 101 webinars presented monthly by Hiring Our Heroes, or invite your local ESGR representative to speak about serving in the National Guard or Reserve, and USERRA guidelines.
Establish compliance and awareness training. There are laws about discriminating against veterans for their service. Teaching your workforce the rules, and especially those in positions of authority over veterans and those in hiring/firing roles, will help make sure the rules are followed. Knowledge is power. Find more information about the laws related to your veteran and military workers at the U.S. Department of Labor’s website.
Educate employees on post-traumatic stress, and disability issues and rights. These resources are good starting points for educating yourself and your leaders on these workplace issues:
Post-traumatic stress:
National Center for PTSD
AskJAN.org/media/ptsd.html
Rights of veterans with disabilities:
ADA: A Guide for Employers
ADA.gov