Finding a job can be tricky business, especially so for military spouses and veterans. Faced with frequent moves, a lack of childcare, and difficulties translating military skills to the civilian world, military families need a better way to find and keep civilian employment. The answer to the many challenges is simple: helping military families with flexible work.
Blue Star Families recently released their annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey results, and the numbers show the need for work flexibility for our military families. While big challenges, such as frequent moves, result in lost employment opportunities, there are other hidden challenges, such as mental health needs, schooling difficulties, and caregiving responsibilities that also stand in the way of finding jobs.
Check out the survey results below, as well as tips on how you, as an employer, can start helping military families:
BSF Military Family Lifestyle Survey Results
Top Five Issues Military Families Face
- Time away from family
- Military spouse employment
- Military pay and benefits
- Veteran employment
- Dependent children’s education
Veteran Employment
- Employment takes longer than expected.
- Less than half of veterans utilizing transition services said they were successfully prepared for transitioning to civilian life.
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- Unemployment, mental illness, homelessness, and substance abuse continue to be issues.
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Military Spouses
- Employed military spouses – 47%
- Unemployed military spouses – 28%
- Not in the labor force – 26%
- Of those employed:
- Number of employed military spouses indicating they are underpaid – 55%
- Number of employed military spouses that make less than $20,000 annually – 51%
- Military spouses earn far less than their civilian counterparts.
- Employed spouses create a more positive veteran transition experience.
- Despite desire to work outside the home, the ability to obtain and retain employment is a top challenge.
Children and Families
- Families that cannot obtain reliable childcare – 67%
- Families that feel they don’t have adequate support to help children cope – 56%
- Families that do not feel like they belong in their local communities – 51%
- High rates of separation continue, with big impacts on military children.
Financial Challenges
- Military spouse unemployment and underemployment are top financial security obstacles.
- Saving for retirement is also a big challenge.
- Nearly half of military families have less than $5,000 in savings.
- Only 9% of military spouses were able to financially contribute equally or more than their active spouse.
- Fifty-two percent of military spouses earned zero income.
Mental Health Impact
- Feelings of isolation are common among military spouses.
- Thoughts of suicide continue to rise year after year.
- Depression and anxiety rates are significantly higher among veterans, veteran spouses, and military spouses than the national average.
Not all of the above numbers directly link to unemployment or underemployment. However, many are challenges that must be overcome or managed in order to obtain a solid job, and this is in addition to frequent moves, mission requirements, and restrictions placed on families by the service. Through flexible work, many military families could see a change in their circumstances, allowing them to manage their service-related duties, home life, and professional aspirations.
Military spouses and veterans are also eager employees, not to mention educated and highly trained. Outside of the workplace, both populations have skills that are needed to mitigate risk, handle high levels of stress, and provide creative solutions to difficult challenges.
Here’s how you can support military families with flexible work:
Flexible Schedules
Offer flexible schedules to help military spouses and caregivers meet the demands of their hectic personal lives. Being able to balance the responsibilities at home with the responsibilities at work is necessary. A flexible schedule makes this dream a reality.
Remote Work
Military spouses frequently move around. Having the ability to take their job with them is a huge benefit. Caregivers are also equally supported through remote work. When you have someone who depends on you, being close to home makes the situation more manageable. For military veterans, remote work can help with the transition to civilian life, making one less huge change at the end of one career and the beginning of another.
Company Culture
For a military spouse, caregiver, or veteran, being welcomed and supported is much appreciated and makes transitioning that much easier. It can be difficult for each of these groups to come into an organization only to find out there is little understanding, empathy, or support for their unique needs. Try implementing programs and processes that support work-life balance as well as reading up about being a military-friendly company.
Community Support
Engagement in your local community, and the military community at large, can go a long way. Get involved in local or national initiatives that support flexible work, such as Remote.co, FlexJobs, or 1MFWF. You can also join military-focused organizations, such as Blue Star Families to show your support for military spouse and veteran employment.
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