Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a Department of Defense organization that seeks to promote a culture in which all American Employers support and value the military service of their employees.

The nation's Reserve components (referring to the total of all National Guard members and Reserve forces from all branches of the military) comprise approximately 48 percent of our total available military manpower. The current National Defense Strategy indicates that the National Guard and Reserve will be full partners in the fully integrated Total Force. Our Reserve forces will spend more time away from the workplace defending the nation, supporting a demanding operations tempo and training to maintain their mission readiness.

In this environment, civilian employers play a critical role in the defense of the nation by complying with existing employment laws protecting the rights of workers who serve in the Reserve component.

ESGR was established in 1972 to gain and maintain employer support for Guard and Reserve service by recognizing outstanding support, increasing awareness of the law and resolving conflict through mediation. It is the lead DoD organization for this mission under DoD Directive 1250.1.

Today, ESGR operates through a network of more than 4,500 volunteers throughout the nation, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Mission:
We will gain and maintain employer support for Guard and Reserve service by recognizing outstanding support, increasing awareness of the law, and resolving conflict through mediation.

Vision:
Develop and promote a culture in which all American employers support and value the military service of their employees.

Customers:
Employers of National Guard and Reserve members and National Guard and Reserve members themselves.

Strategic Goals:

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

Programs and Activities:
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:

We fully recognize, honor and enforce the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-Employment Rights Act (USERRA).

Our managers and supervisors will have the tools they need to effectively manage those employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve.

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.