Supporting Employees Who Deploy: The Case for Financial Assistance to Employers of Military Reservists

Abstract

Military reservists have become a vital component of Canada’s forces at home and abroad, and like their counterparts in the regular forces, provide a service for all Canadians. However, owing to recent federal and provincial job protection legislation, employers of reservists tend to bear a disproportionate share of the costs when their employees are deployed overseas or domestically. If reservists choose to take on full-time military duties, their civilian employer’s search for a temporary replacement worker of equal skill represents a genuine and potentially significant cost. An unintended consequence of the current policy framework is that relationships among employers, reservist employees, and the military can be eroded.

Keywords: Canadian military, Canadian Forces, military reservists, Canadian employers, Department of National Defence

JEL Classification: H56, F52