Worker Wellness Blog: Employers Can Improve Lives of Veterans
Date Posted: November 12, 2024
Posted In: Discussion, Workforce,
by Dr. John Gaal
Editor’s Note: Each week, Dr. John Gaal, director of worker wellness for the Missouri Works Initiative, a non-profit workforce formed by the Missouri AFL-CIO, collects and comments on news and trends in workforce wellness and life balance. Construction Forum carries the Worker Wellness & Well-Being Blog as a regular feature.
The MO Works Initiative focuses on creating healthy and recovery friendly workplaces; connecting laid-off workers with job-search or upskilling resources for future employment; and collaborating with community partners to offer innovative points of entry to traditional apprenticeship opportunities.
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how chatbots are luring adolescents into very dangerous (sometimes deadly) situations; to a report on a recent study suggesting that back pain was reduced via a 12-week virtual yoga program; to how newly minted MDs are seeking work-life balance while older ones—rooted in “tradition”—are pushing back.
This week I would like to take this opportunity to take a closer look at how employers can improve the lives of our Veterans.
With today (Nov. 11) being Veterans Day—a National Holiday—it is only fitting that this blog addresses how we treat our Vets in the workplace. On an annual basis, well over 200k service members make the transition from the military sector to the public/private sector. Sadly, almost 25% of our nation’s “heroes” have a hard time adjusting to today’s civilian workplace culture. Food for thought: While, 1/3 of the nearly 9 million Vets in our current workforce are underemployed, approximately 60% of those discharged make less in their first year out than while on active duty.
To this end, it is not only incumbent upon HR to get a better handle on each and every potential new hire’s applicable skills but to also tailor aspects of its benefits program to this group’s specific needs. Case in point: Over 40% of transitioning service members may have issues regarding mental health care. Action: How can your workplace design and provide a safe work environment…one that allows each Vet to contribute and succeed? This may be in the form of wellness activities, legal counseling, and/or financial literacy courses.
Living in a post 9/11 era, most of have had some level of personal experiences with Vets. My loyalty to this special group of people goes back to honoring my Father’s contribution in WWII. His service in France fighting Nazis not only resulted in injuries that curtailed his career in pro baseball but cut his life short to a mere 48 years old. Thousands of families beyond mine also know this price of ultimate sacrifice. So, I kindly ask those of you who make hiring decisions, instead of just “thanking a Vet for her/his service”, let’s try doing something more meaningful: Ask a Vet how you can make her/his transition to the public/private sector less daunting? Then listen and take meaningful action!
Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/
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