THE RETURNING RESERVIST DILEMMA

In the past year and a half, hundreds of thousands of military reservists from all branches of the service were called to active duty, sending their employers scrambling to manage around their absences. Soon, many of these brave men and women will begin returning home to resume their lives and professions, which creates a new challenge for management teams across the country, who must reintegrate these employees back into the work flow.
Lee Hecht Harrison was faced with these very issues when a valued senior consultant, who also happened to be a public affairs officer in the Navy reserves, was deployed to a post in Italy after September 11th. While Lee Hecht Harrison regularly works with organizations to manage change, we know that many companies have never experienced losing an employee temporarily to military service and may be unsure about how to handle the situation.
First, it’s important to remember that reservists are protected by the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act (USERRA). Employers play a role in maintaining a strong national defense and, as part of that role, must protect the jobs of reservists by making the original, or an equal, position available on the reservists’ return, whether they are gone for six months, a year, or longer. Employers can learn more by visiting the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve website at www.esgr.org.
Prepare a reintegration strategy as soon as possible. Returning reservists often face mixed feelings from colleagues, particularly those who took on additional roles that will need to be relinquished. It’s important to ensure that all members of your team understand the roles they will play moving forward and to update the reservist about who stepped up to the plate during his or her absence. You may also need to reassure the reservist that he or she is positioned correctly in the company, since the transition from the high pressure position he or she held previously might seem abrupt.
Coping with the sudden departure of a military reservist can be a complicated issue. With that in mind, here are a few suggestions for effectively managing the reservist dilemma:
Develop a contingency plan. If possible, develop a strategy for redistributing the workload before the reservist is called, cross-training other employees as needed. Can your existing team handle the additional responsibilities or will you need to hire contractors? Be sure to gain buy-in for the plan at all levels of management. Remember that a reservist’s immediate supervisor may change during the time he or she is away, so any transition policies must be firmly established.
Communicate, communicate, communicate. During times of stress, it’s important to maintain a precise and constant flow of communication. Tell everyone involved what is happening and what you expect of them. And take time to communicate to your team the importance of the work the reservist has been called to do and how much you appreciate their extra work during the reservist’s absence.
Motivate your team. You may need to "reframe" the situation, in order to help your remaining staff view their additional responsibilities in a positive light. Persuade them that this is an opportunity to stretch and grow into new roles. They may find that they learn new skills during the process, which could eventually lead to a promotion. It’s not enough to simply tell people what to do, you need to inspire them to buy into the entire process.
Delegate. There is a difference between simply reassigning responsibilities and true delegation. It’s important to let go of the expectation that the work will be done in the same way the reservist would have done it. Communicate the results you need, but allow your team to find their own path to those results. Forcing a specific work process will only serve to reinforce the idea that team members are performing "someone else’s" work.
Remain flexible. During active service, the reservist may not be able to maintain regular contact with the office, particularly if he or she is stationed in an unstable area like Afghanistan. It is also unlikely that you’ll be able to depend on a particular timeframe for the reservist’s return. You’ll need to plan future projects without the reservist, but be prepared to integrate him or her back into the workflow when necessary.
Reach out. Keep in mind that reservists will be understandably nervous about being away from work for an extended period of time. Regularly emailed updates of office news or even occasional calls by an immediate supervisor to the reservist’s spouse can help minimize any feelings of isolation. Remind the reservist that he or she is still a vital part of the team, even thousands of miles away.
Prepare a reintegration strategy. Returning reservists often face mixed feelings from colleagues, particularly those who took on additional roles that must now be relinquished. It’s important to let everyone on the team know the role they will play moving forward, and to update the reservist about who stepped up to the plate during his or her absence. Reassure the reservist that he or she is positioned correctly and understand that the adjustment will take time.
Management teams should familiarize themselves with the reserve process, so that they can develop realistic strategies. One misconception that many companies have is that the reservist will be prepared to come back to work within a few days of their return to the United States. Reservists need time to spend with their families and to adjust to being home. Depending on the amount of time the reservist has been away, USERRA provides guidelines for when they are expected to resume their pre-service jobs.
Ideally, companies should develop clear policies governing military reservist employees and incorporate those guidelines into their human resource manual. This will help management and employees alike deal efficiently and sensitively with a situation that is likely to become more widespread in the months, and possibly years to come. Military reservists are part of a larger national defense strategy. They’re helping to safeguard our country and it’s important that management teams place their absence from the office into that context.