- Office of the Secretary of Defense
- Uniformed Services
- ESGR Volunteer Committees
- Gain and maintain support from employers of Guard and Reserve members
- Educate customers and stakeholders
- Advocate for RC employers within DoD
- Continue to refine the ESGR organizational structure to be relevant, effective, and efficient
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve has a national and local organizational structure to support the following functions:
- Operate a proactive program directed at U.S. employers, employees, and communities that ensures understanding and appreciation
of the role of the National Guard and Reserve in the context of the DoD Total Force Policy.
- Encourage and assist employee participation in National Guard and Reserve training programs and on military duty without
civilian job impediments of any kind, to include encouraging voluntary compliance with federal and state statutes governing
employment and reemployment rights of Reserve Component members.
- Encourage interaction between National Guard and Reserve units and their communities to promote public understanding of the
National Guard and Reserve and encourage partnerships between civilian organizations and military units in the community.
- Assist in preventing, resolving, or reducing employer and/or employee problems and misunderstandings that result from
National Guard or Reserve membership, training, or duty requirements through information services and informal mediation.
- Assist in educating National Guard and Reserve members regarding their obligations and responsibilities to employers.
- Use the military chain of command to promote better understanding of the importance of maintaining positive working relations
between employers and their Reserve Component employees, in order to sustain National Guard and Reserve participation.
- Solicit the assistance of military agencies, military training schools, and military and civilian associations in educating
the Reserve forces about their rights and responsibilities regarding terms and conditions of civilian employment, as stipulated
in the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).
- Recruit and develop volunteer leaders at the national and local levels to promote the development of employer personnel
policies and practices that accommodate and facilitate employee participation in National Guard and Reserve activities.
ESGR conducts both proactive and reactive services in support of the organization’s strategic goals.
The primary emphasis for a comprehensive employer outreach program is directed towards known employers of the Guard and
Reserve, as identified by the Civilian Employment Information (CEI) initiative through the Office of the Under Secretary of
Defense for Personnel & Readiness. To that end, ESGR conducts the “Statement of Support Program ”.
Statement of Support employers are those who have completed the following steps:
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We fully recognize, honor and enforce the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-Employment Rights Act (USERRA).
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Our managers and supervisors will have the tools they need to effectively manage those employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve.
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We will continually recognize and support our country’s service members and their families in peace, in crises and in war.
The primary means of assistance in preventing, resolving, or reducing employer and/or employee problems and misunderstandings
that result from National Guard or Reserve membership is done through a nationwide
Ombudsman Program.
ESGR has a national network of more than 800 volunteer ombudsmen who help resolve issues between employers and their employees
who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. These volunteers, each of whom receives extensive training on USERRA and dispute
resolution techniques, serve as informal mediators between the employer and employee and inform and educate the employer and
employee on what the law requires and assist in finding a mutually agreeable solution. ESGR Ombudsmen have successfully mediated
more than 70 percent of cases in the past year.
Anyone interested in USERRA information is encouraged to contact the ESGR's Customer Service Center via e-mail at USERRA@osd.mil,
by phone at (800) 336-4590, or by submitting an online support request.
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