Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR)
DoD/volunteer organization – encourages employers to hire Guard and reserve, educates employers and reservists regarding USERRA (Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act ) employment rights, and mediates disputes. ESGR was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve component members and their civilian employers and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee’s military commitment.
The ESGR Ombudsmen Services Program was established to address potential problems arising among the nation’s employers regarding the phasing out of the “draft” or conscription of people into the military by the Selective Service and the establishment of the all-volunteer force. There was concern that the nation’s employers, who were used to some of their employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve as an alternative to compulsory active duty service, might question the necessity of such service in a purely voluntary military system. The Ombudsmen Services Program was established in response. It provides information, counseling, and informal mediation of issues relating to compliance with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).
Trained ESGR volunteers and the Ombudsmen Services national staff are available to promptly respond to inquiries and conflicts presented by employees or employers. (see ESGR Resources page of the Web site, ESGR Committee Contacts section, for local contact listing; use 1-800-336-4590 or About ESGR page of the Web site, Our Staff section, to contact national staff.) More than 95 percent of all such requests for assistance are resolved in this informal process. Many problems result from poor communication between employers and their employees or from a lack of familiarization with the rights and responsibilities of each as defined by law.
