As a business owner, would you hire military reservists?

Question

There was a piece on National Public Radio last night about how it's killing small businesses that employees who are military reservists or National Guard are being sent to Iraq or Afghanistan for two or more years, and the businesses are required by law to keep their jobs open for them.

Plus, apparently, when they return, they are often in poor health, either physical or mental, and not the same good workers they were when they left. They take a lot of sick days and time off.

Why would anyone in their right mind hire military reservists or National Guard?

Answer 1

If there was an equally qualified applicant, I would favor him/her simply based on anticipated availability.  Up until the Iraq war it was OK because it was just weekend duty.  Now, it's got to be a nightmare, similar to hiring a childbearing age woman in the UK.

Answer 2

Who did this study? We have had a lot of reservists been called and they have come back just fine.

So I guess it is ok now to say the same about women who want a baby. They will miss time and after the baby is born they miss a lot of days due to sickness and activities.

According to your logic why would anyone hire a fertile woman?

What is the difference?

Answer 3

I suppose you could write up a contract . If they fail to honor the signed contract then there would be grounds for a dismissle. And any female who has maternity leave that they will work for said period of time after they give birth. So if they decide to become full time moms. That they would have to re emburse the company of any said amount of money that is agreed upon. Get everything in writting along with there signature. The military uses this type of contract. If the recruit doesn't honor there agreement to the military. Then they are dishonorably discharched and forefet any benefits due to them.

Answer 4

If I were a business owner, I would gladly hire anyone with military experience assuming their other credentials were in line.

Not only is it illegal NOT to hire them but it's foolish. These people have obviously proven themselves as the select few who feel a calling and act on that calling to serve our country. The military provides a lot of training in addition to discipline and numerous other attractive qualities.

I would agree many (reserve or otherwise) come back from Iraq in poor condition but how exactly would firing them HELP their cause in any way, shape or form? It's not their fault the government has sent them to fight unprepared and hasn't provided adequate aftercare.

Answer 5

That's just a generality, many come back fine, more disciplined and/or healthy.

They would hire them because 1) they can't not hire them because they are Reservists, unless of coarse you would promote not hiring someone because they might take a period off followed by increased personal/health demands (like lets say women who can get pregnant) 2) people love the benefit of having a military and therefore need to shoulder the responsibilities that come with it

Answer 6

Hmm I see the correlation between women that may be called away to have a baby... I personally wouldn't on prinicple, because I don't believe that people should be fighting in wars.

Answer 7

I am a small business owner and I would absolutely hire a military reservist. The fact that they are in the reserves tells me that they are loyal, hard working, decent people.

Answer 8

This is a good point.

At least with women having babies you know when they will return and can plan around that.

With this neverending military action there is no way to know when...or even if... your employee will return.

Not to mention the complete LACK of transitional support for soldiers returning from their tours of duty...they aren't going to be ready to resume their old jobs as if they never left... a lot of them have severe trauma to overcome.   They may NEVER be able to work in the same capacity.  Have we forgotten what war does to people?

Business needs to take care of business and we ALL need to take care of our soldiers.  I hate that the government tells us HOW we have to take care of them.  If they offered the proper services through miltary hospitals, businesses would be competing to hire returning soldiers.

ETA: I don't listen to NPR - my feelings are based on direct experiences from contact with soldiers I have met... I live near a miltary base.  My point is not that they *all* return messed up... but that there are no services for those that actually need them.

Answer 9

Same goes for you know whats of you know whating age.

I don't hear a point, you expected people to rally round for the reservists and intended to post another question about anti-feminist hypocrisy later.

Businesses do not want or need these kinds of laws. Why should the business owners pay? That's the point.

Answer 10

I sense a bubbling indignity from all the people who said they wouldn't hire a woman in her 20s-30's who recently married.

Whoops. : )

Answer 11

They could fix this by making those positions which are impossible to fill through temp agencies active duty only positions.  Write your congressman.  Problem solved.

Answer 12

then you go over there and do it.  Dumb creep

Answer 13

Yes.  Many of them are wonderful workers having great work ethic.  The chances of them actually returning to work after coming back from over seas is slim.  Many move or find their old jobs mundane.

Answer 14

I would maybe hire one or 2 out of patriotism. Those companies should have known the risks of staffing their stores with a high number of military reservists. Eithier they did it out of missplaced patriotism, or they were stupid enough not to inform themselfs on the situation and if you make stupid decisions you eventually end up losing market share to the winners and go out of buisness.

Thats how the system works. Same for women, if you staff your store with plenty of married childless women aged in their early twens, well then it sucks to be you, ill gladly take over your store.

Tracey if the law says I have to keep their positions open and cant run the buisness on my own then I guess Iam

                                   f*****k e d

Isnt that obvious ? Why would you ask me that.  

I acted dumb hiring somebody without getting any background and if I had the background I didnt inform myself on how it might affect me and if I new the risk I took the gamble anyway hoping for peace and now it bites me in the rear.

I will go out of buisness and somebody else makes money with my buisness, thats the what if.

Answer 15

Of course I would and I have, I show favoritism to veterans and reservist. I also discovered a resource called temps. I found that when one of my reservist is out making sure I can own a business and securing other freedoms that I am able to hire one of these "TEMPS" to help pick up the slack in his/her absents. As for health issues, thats not a concern. I am a Vet myself and I have been places and done things, I know first hand that the propaganda that the left pushes about everyone coming home messed up is worth as much as the NPR's reputation for being unbiased.

Answer 16

Is there a message in your question?  Apparently, you are drawing a connection between military reservists and women who may become pregnant.  Although using the reservists is clever, I suppose, as you assume there will be more 'sympathy' for those who defend their country....

But since you asked it, I'll answer as posed (and cloaked).  As a former business owner, my responsibility was to the bottom line of that company.  If it was healthy, I created more jobs and was able to contribute to the economic health of the country.  And that just wasn't possible if I was having to pay maternity leave or holding jobs open for people who may or may not return to their jobs.  In fact, I was burned on more than one occasion by young women who took their 18 months and then decided - in the last two weeks of their mat leave - that they wanted to be full time mothers.  

I hire the people best suited to the position - which not only includes skills, but commitment to their position.  And if there is a person that I know will not be able to maintain that commitment, I will hire another who can and will.  That does not make me discriminatory, that makes me conscious of the health of the business - and interested in protecting the jobs of ALL employees...

Answer 17

I would rather hire them, then a single moms. Single moms have those type issues, even more.