Military spouses, veterans, and wounded warrior caregivers often face big challenges when looking for work. These can range from unexpected moves and deployments to packed schedules due to medical appointments and unforeseen health issues. These are just a few of the many reasons why flexible work is so important to veterans, wounded warrior caregivers, and military spouses.
To help military families, PsychArmor Institue and FlexJobs’ sister site, 1 Million for Work Flexibility (1MFWF), have come together to create a course geared at helping employers with flexible work programs. Below you can learn about the course as well as how you, too, can help military families through flexible work.
Helping Employers Help Military Families:
What is the PsychArmor Course?
Accessible online, the PsychArmor course is a 10-minute slide-type video with information about why military families need flexible work, and how employers can support military families with flexible work options. The course is broken into three parts:
- Types of Flexible Work
- Benefits of Flexible Work
- How to Implement Flexible Work Programs
- Unlimited job posts
- Low, flat membership fee
- Access top-level remote advice
- Unlimited resume searches
- Reach the right candidates
- And so much more!
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Since military families face unique circumstances, flexible work is more of a necessity than a desire. That flexibility is also not a one-size-fits-all solution. Thankfully, flexible work comes in a number of variations, including part-time schedules, flexible and alternative schedules, remote work, freelance contracts, and variations of each form together. This allows each employer and employee to find the right fit.
The course also covers the many benefits of flexible work, and not just for the military family. Employers equally benefit through higher productivity levels, decreased turnover, increased morale, larger talent pools, lower real estate costs, and improved creativity and innovation. Given the right flexible work fit, especially with a focus on remote work, employers not only gain valuable employees, but keep them, no matter what the military throws at them.
The final part of the course provides guidance on how to put flexible work programs into practice. While this is no easy feat, it is one well worth the time and investment. Here are a few major things to consider:
- Types of flexible work
- Legal and tax requirements
- Necessary tools and equipment
- Training at all organizational levels
- Formal plans
- Benchmarks for measurement
Outside of the logistics of implementing a flexible work program, it’s important that everyone in the organization leads by example. If flexible work is good for entry level, it is equally good for the executive level.
How can you help military spouses, veterans, and caregivers with flexible work?
Implement and support a flex program long-term.
Ideas and new programs can sometimes be fleeting. This is not the way to approach a flexible work program, especially if you want to support military families long-term. Make sure that your flexible work program is solid, truly flexible, and will stand the test of time. Eventually, your military spouses will have to move. Are you ready to let the job move with them? If not, iron it all out before going live with the program. For military spouses, it is disheartening to have yet another area of their life in chaos when they are in the thick of a move or deployment.
Understand that the military life is full of surprises and challenges.
As a military spouse myself, I can say we aren’t looking for sympathy, just a little understanding. There are a number of challenges related to the military lifestyle, and while military families prepare as much as possible, much of the lifestyle is unpredictable and unknown. A little understanding and empathy goes a long way when a caregiver, vet, or military spouse faces another hurdle and needs some flexibility not only with work, but with life in general.
Be flexible in more ways than just a flexible work program.
While allowing flexible work might seem like enough, it might not be. In addition to flexible work options, consider the benefits you offer and other programs you operate. Are you flexible with your time off policy? If you don’t allow full remote work options, do you offer it for days when a person has to be home? Ultimately, does everything about your organization scream, “We value flexible work?” The more flexible you are, the more likely your military spouses, vets, and caregivers will stick around—because you’ve made it possible for them to do so. They absolutely need the flexibility.
For more great information, check out other military focused employer resources on the FlexJobs employer blog!
Photo Credit: bigstockphoto.com
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