Job Loss
Do you know a veteran who has recently lost a job or is in a precarious position regarding their federal employment due to the federal restructuring? Whatever your viewpoint is of these current changes, let us all reach out and help our veterans in job transition. One way to do so is to share this article and the interview I participated in with Kevin Price, “Help Hold the Safety Net for Veterans With Job Loss.”
My purpose of presenting this series is to give hope and share resources to our veterans.
First, if you are in a crisis, call 988, and select 1, which is a mental health resource especially for veterans. You could also text 838255.
Federal Programs
Apprenticeships and on-the-job training is available through your GI Bill Benefits. Here are ways to tap into those benefits.
There are several federal protections and programs found in the U.S. Department of Labor for veterans. This website is a wealth of information including information for veterans, employers, or service providers. What can you find here? Here is just a snapshot of the many resources on this website:
- Veterans can find many tools through the Department of Labor. One of these is CareerOneStop. Here you will find ways to locate training, job search information, veteran friendly employers, and much more.
- Employers can find one-on-one help for hiring veterans or their spouses, information on how to create veteran apprentices, and a toolkit and playbook for helping veterans.
- Service providers can find grant opportunities for employment and training, job help for military spouses, and other critical services.
First Steps After Job Loss
What is the first step for a veteran who lost their job? Apply for unemployment in the local county. There is special help for veterans within the Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Service Members Act. Your county should have all this information available when you start the unemployment application process.
Second, reach out and get assistance at your local Veteran’s Service Office, or VSO; they will have tools to help you understand available resources. You can look for help here: Get Assistance where they offer connections to attorneys, claim agents, or a local VSO officer.
Other Programs
You could also check these out for job hunting help.
- Hiring Our Heroes, a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation program that connects veterans with employers through job fairs and mentorship. Contact your local Chamber of Commerce.
- Wounded Warrior Project
- The Mission Continues
- Team Rubicon – Here veterans can help with disaster relief.
- Veterans Outreach
Write to Your Representatives
If you are concerned about veteran job loss I recommend you write to your federal and local congressional representatives. You could refer to the following federal laws and policies to remind them during the budgeting process that veterans are our priority! I recently wrote to several representatives about veterans job benefits and received personal responses from both my federal U.S. House representative, and a representative of my state senator.
Federal legislation includes the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, which protects veterans from discrimination in hiring and employment, and Veterans Preference in Federal Hiring, which gives eligible veterans priority in federal government job hiring.
You can use http://www.congress.gov/contact-us to find your federal representatives. Look on your state website to find local reps.
What Can Non-Veterans Do?
Serve as a support person for a veteran. Help do research and identify contacts using these websites. Offer encouragement, go with them to medical, mental health, or job searching venues if they would like a companion. Share this article.
Our veterans gave up so much to serve our country. We can support them and make our voices heard to serve and protect our veterans.
Find more caregiving resources, including information for veterans, at https://nancyrpoland.com/caregiver-resources/.
Nancy R Poland, Grace’s Message
With grace and hope, Nancy Poland provides written and spoken communication on caregiving, loss, and other valuable topics. She owns what she calls a “micro-business” named “Grace’s Message,” however she has many years of experience in the business world.
In December 2022, Nancy retired from NMDP (previously National Marrow Donor Program/Be The Match) after nearly 28 years of employment. She most recently worked as a Contracts and Compliance Manager and spent over 18 years in management as a people-leader. Nancy has a Bachelor of Arts in social work and a Master of Arts in Health and Human Services Administration. She has authored two books on caregiving, issues a quarterly newsletter, and offers both in-person and virtual presentations.
A life-long resident of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, Nancy and her husband John raised two sons and continue to contribute to their communities, travel, and work on solving British detective shows.
As a working caregiver, Nancy encountered dilemmas such as the following, with no good choices.
- The phone rings, an ambulance is bringing her mom to the hospital (again). Does Nancy stay at work for the rest of the training session, or should she race to meet the ambulance and mom at the hospital?
- Dad is in the care home, in the later stages of dementia. The only day they schedule monthly family conferences is Thursday, no later than 2:30. Should Nancy take a half day off work, leave work and come back, or dial in, and miss out on a face-to-face conversation.
Working caregivers struggle with job obligations, caring for their loved one, and often other family responsibilities. The one they are caring for may be a child with special needs, an aging relative, or an unexpectedly injured spouse. None of us know when we will be called upon to care for another, and trying to balance each facet of life can be a recipe for disaster. When a caregiver has a crisis, it affects not only the ones involved, but also the company.
Studies show caregivers often have increased absenteeism or reduced performance while at work. They often need to cut down work hours or quit. As this is especially true for caregivers of older adults with significant care needs, for this talk I will focus on ways companies and caregivers can partner together to address the ever-increasing needs of caregivers for our aging population.
Website: https://nancyrpoland.com
Connect with Nancy Poland on social media:
Twitter (now X): https://twitter.com/nancypoland
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nancyrpoland
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-poland-a4632632/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancypoland/
