There are over 18 million living US veterans, and roughly eight million are in the workforce, according to data from 2023. Yet many employers may not know how to adequately support these workers, especially as veterans join corporations after spending years in the military. Two veterans recently spoke with HR Brew about the types of support and benefits that could help service members transition to civilian life.
Be patient and explain processes. There are many aspects of the workplace that will be new to veterans, Elizabeth Toenyes, a content strategist at staffing firm Aquent, told HR Brew. She enlisted in the Army Reserves at 17, then joined ROTC before commissioning Active Duty Army as an Engineer Officer, spending 10 years in service before retiring and joining the civilian workforce in 2022.
“For a lot of people, getting out of the military and then getting a job, and translating those skills—it’s really challenging, and it’s a bit of a leap of faith,” she said. “I think there’s some patience there for employers when they’re looking at supporting veterans and helping them translate their skills.”
When hiring veterans, companies should also be aware that they may experience learning curves, with everything from business terminology to healthcare benefits.
Toenyes said she didn’t even know what a co-pay was and how to choose a health insurance plan for the first time. The military had always handled that for her, so she needed HR to spend extra time explaining the options and what they meant. Even the concept of taking a sick day can be new to a veteran.
“There’s no such thing as sick days in the military…if you are sick, you come into work and you go to sick hall at six the morning, and then the medics there will assess you, and if you are sick enough, they will give you bed rest,” she explained, noting that employers should explain that workers don’t need permission to use sick leave and how to take the time off.
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Mental health benefits are key. Joel Axler, an Army veteran, psychiatrist, and behavioral health leader at Brown & Brown, told HR Brew that mental health benefits are also important for veterans. While the suicide rate among veterans is going down after decades of rising, veterans still die by suicide at higher rates than non-veteran Americans, according to the Veterans Administration.
Many struggle with complex mental health issues related to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can make the transition to civilian life more difficult.
“Maybe there’s more feelings of isolation, hopelessness, then obviously there’s an increased risk of substance abuse for these military veterans,” Axler explained, noting that it’s important for employers to have mental health benefits and employee assistance programs (EAPs). “And when they have their EAP…make sure that the EAP has programs tailored for veterans, because there’s a lot of unique needs.”
Axler said that employers should establish a veteran-specific employer resource group (ERG) when possible, to provide additional emotional support and work to combat the stigma associated with receiving mental health care. He said employers could “[make] awareness campaigns much more available; making sure that if there are a pocket of veterans within a company, that managers are trained to understand the unique challenges that veterans may face, such as the post traumatic stress disorder.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or chatting online at 988lifeline.org.
Correction 11/07/24: This piece has been updated to clarify Toenyes' military service.