0704-XXXX_ESGR Employer Survey_draftV2_6.4.2021

OMB CONTROL NUMBER: 0704-XXXX

OMB EXPIRATION DATE: XX/XX/XXXX

Understanding Employer Experiences Under Continuing Reserve Component Operations

Draft Employer Survey Instrument

AGENCY DISCLOSURE NOTICE

The public reporting burden for this collection of information, 0704-XXXX, is estimated to average 30 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or burden reduction suggestions to the Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, at whs.mc-alex.esd.mbx.dd-dod-information-collections@mail.mil. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number.

[FOR FEDERAL RESPONDENTS] In this survey, we seek to learn about [ORGANIZATION NAME]’s overall experience employing individuals who serve in the National Guard or Reserve in addition to their civilian employment in your organization. By organization, we mean all [ORGANIZATION NAME]’s locations. Each federal level one agency in our study has received one survey invitation for their portion of the entire organization

[FOR ALL OTHER RESPONDENTS] In this survey, we seek to learn about [ORGANIZATION NAME]’s overall experience employing individuals who serve in the National Guard or Reserve in addition to their civilian employment in your organization. By organization, we mean all [ORGANIZATION NAME]’s locations in the United States (U.S). Each company, state or local agency in our study has received one survey invitation for the entire organization.

Please answer each question to the best of your ability. You are free to seek input from others in your organization to provide a more precise or complete answer, but we do not intend for you to undertake extensive research to complete this survey.

Background on Guard or Reserve Employees at Your Organization

Our first questions are about your organization’s experiences in general with hiring and employing Guard or Reserve personnel.

1. Within the last 36 months, has your organization employed anyone who also serves in the National Guard or Reserve? Serving in the National Guard or Reserve could mean participating in weekend military drills, completing annual military training, or being called to active duty to support a military mission.
   
   

• Yes

• No

• Don’t know/Not sure

[Programmer: For non-Guard or Reserve (“non-G&R”) employers (Q1=“No” or “Don’t know/Not sure”), skip to Q7]

2. What is your best estimate of the number of employees at your organization who have served in the Guard or Reserve within the past 36 months?

_________

3. In what Service/Reserve Component(s) are your Guard or Reserve employees? Mark all that apply.

• Army National Guard (ARNG)

• U.S. Army Reserve (USAR)

• U.S. Navy Reserve (USNR)

• U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR)

• Air National Guard (ANG)

• U.S. Air Force Reserve (USAFR)

• U.S. Coast Guard Reserve (USCGR)

• I don't know the Service/Reserve Component of at least one employee

• My organization does not routinely collect information about the affiliation of our Guard or Reserve employees.

4. In the past 36 months, have any of the Guard or Reserve employees in your organization been absent from work for military duties (e.g., weekend drills, annual two-week training, or an extended period of active duty service)?

• Yes

• No

• Don’t know/Not sure

[Programmer: For G&R employers without recent absences for military duties (Q4=“No” or “Don’t know/Not sure”), skip Q5 and Q6]

5. Of the Guard or Reserve employees at your organization who were absent for military duties in the past 36 months, were any absent for the following periods of time? Mark one answer for each item.

	Yes	No	Don’t Know
Up to 30 days
31 days to seven months
Eight months to one year
More than one year

6. Of the Guard or Reserve employees at your organization who were absent for military duties in the past 36 months, did any of them have cumulative absences exceeding five years when totaling their recent and prior absences?

   • Yes, one or more employees had cumulative absences exceeding five years while employed by our organization.

   • No, none of our employees had cumulative absences exceeding five years while employed by our organization.

   • Don’t know.

7. Has your organization been nominated for and/or received any of the following awards or media recognition in the past 36 months for the support it provides to Guard and Reserve employees? Please select all that apply.

	Nominated	Won	Neither	Don’t know
Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award (SDESFA)
Employer Above and Beyond Award
Seven Seals Award
Patriot Award
Pro Patria Award
Media coverage or recognition
Some other award(s) (Please specify)

8. During your organization’s hiring process, are job applicants asked if they are…

	Yes	No	Don’t know
Veterans?
Members of the Guard or Reserve?

9. All other things being equal, compared to civilians with no prior military service, does your organization in some cases have a preference for hiring…

	Yes	No	Don’t know
Veterans?
Members of the Guard or Reserve?

10. Which of the following resources has your organization looked to for guidance on hiring or employing Guard and Reserve personnel?

• Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR)

• National or State Guard Bureau

• Department of Labor

• Society for Human Resource Management

• Chamber of Commerce

• Lawyer or attorney

• Other internet websites: [list]

• Other professional associations: [list]

• Other: [write-in; names orplease do not provide other identifying information]

• None

11. Are you aware of the statement of support for Guard and Reserve members provided by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR)?

• Yes, my organization displays a signed statement of support

• Yes, my organization has signed the statement of support but does not display it

• Yes, although my organization has not signed the statement of support

• No, my organization was not aware of the statement of support

[Programmer: For non-G&R employers (Q1=“No”), skip Q12]

12. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements about Guard and Reserve employees in your organization. Mark one answer for each statement.

	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neither agree nor disagree	Agree	Strongly agree	Don’t know
Their training and experience make them valuable employees
They are good team players
Overall, my organization is satisfied with these employees
Employing them is challenging because of their military obligations
The advantages of employing them outweigh the disadvantages

Guard or Reserve Employee Absences for Military Duties

The next set of questions are about your organization’s experiences with Guard or Reserve personnel being absent from work for military duties. As a reminder, by organization, we mean all [ORGANIZATION NAME’s] locations.

[Programmer: For non-G&R employers (Q1=“No”)] Since you indicated that your organization has not employed any Guard or Reserve personnel in the past 36 months, please consider how your organization might act if it did employ these personnel.

13. Assume at least one of your employees is a Guard or Reserve member; would your organization provide any of the following types of support?

	Yes	No	Does not apply
Flexible hours to accommodate military duty
Continued payment of employee salaries (full, part, or differential) when they are absent for military duties
Continued payments for employee benefits (e.g., life insurance, pension)
Support to their families (e.g., continued education, childcare, or housing benefits)
Continued health benefits for employees who are absent for military duties for more than one month, or their families
Other (Please specify, but do not provide names or other identifying information)

14. Assume at least one of your employees is a Guard or Reserve member. Which of the following tactics might you use to handle a military absence? Mark one answer for each item.

	Yes	No	It depends
Postpone workload to be completed when the absence ends
Reassign workload to other current employee(s)
Hire an additional permanent employee
Hire a temporary replacement

14a. [Programmer: If any responses to Q14 = “No”] You selected “No” for at least one of the tactics listed above. Please explain why you responded that way. Do not provide names or other identifying information.

14b. [Programmer: If any responses to Q14 = “It depends”] You selected “It depends” for at least one of the tactics listed above. Please explain why you responded that way. Do not provide names or other identifying information.

14c. Are there other tactics not listed above that your organization might use to handle a military absence of Guard or Reserve member employees? Do not provide names or other identifying information.

[Programmer: For non-G&R employers (Q1=“No”), skip to Q18]

15. Do the following employer notification scenarios appropriately account for your organization’s needs?

	Yes	No
Two-day notification for activation during a natural disaster or emergency
Two-week notification for a 30-day deployment or scheduled annual training
One-month notification for a deployment of one year or more

16. To what extent would the following factors influence the amount of time your organization would need to prepare for a military absence:

	Not applicable	Not at all	Small extent	Moderate extent	Large extent	Very large extent	Don’t know
Duration of the absence
Position held by the employee in your organization
Timing of absence
Other [write in option; please do not provide names or other identifying information]

16a. [Programmer: If any responses to Q16 = “Large extent” or “Very large extent”] Please describe why you indicated [that factor / those factors] would influence planning time.

[Programmer: For G&R employers without recent absences for military duties (Q4=“No” for all options), skip Q17]

17. Thinking of all the times in the past 36 months when Guard or Reserve employees were absent from work for military duties, how often was the advance notice that your organization received adequate?

    • Always adequate

    • Usually adequate

    • Sometimes adequate and sometimes inadequate

    • Usually inadequate

    • Always inadequate

17a. [Programmer: If Q17= C, D or E] Please describe why you indicated the advance notice that your organization received was [C=sometimes/ D=usually/ E=always] inadequate Do not provide names or other identifying information.

18. [Programmer: For G&R employers with recent absences for military duties (Q4=“Yes”):]

In the past 36 months, to what extent have the absences of Guard or Reserve employees for military duties contributed to the following ... Mark one answer for each item.

[Programmer: For non-G&R employers (Q1=“No”) and G&R employers without recent absences for military duties (Q4=“No”):]

Assume at least one of your employees is a Guard or Reserve member. To what extent could absences of these employees from the workplace due to military duties contribute to the following for your organization ... Mark one answer for each item.

	Not at all	Small extent	Moderate extent	Large extent	Very large extent	Don’t know
Disruptions in work scheduling or workflow?
Increased workload of coworkers?
Loss of critical or unique work skills?
Increased costs from hiring or training replacements?
Increased cost of benefits plans?
Loss of existing business or difficulty developing new business?
Other? (Please specify, but do not provide names or other identifying information)

[Programmer: For non-G&R employers (Q1=“No”) and G&R employers without recent absences for military duties (Q4=“No”), skip to Q24]

19. In the past 36 months, have any of your Guard or Reserve employees returned from military duties with any of the following? Mark one answer for each item.

	Yes	No	Don’t know
Professional or personal contacts that are or may be helpful to your organization
Additional skills or expertise relevant to your organization
Increased maturity, time management skills, self-discipline, or resilience
Increased interpersonal skills (e.g., better trainers, mentors, leaders)
Increased positive interactions with co-workers
Increased tension with other coworkers
Increased tension with their supervisor
Increased difficulties interacting with customers (e.g., easier to anger, less helpful)
Increased risk-taking behaviors at work (e.g., less likely to follow safety precautions)
Increased stress or emotional problems
Substance abuse issues that interfere with performance (e.g., alcohol, drugs)
Other: (Please specify, but do not provide names or other identifying information)

20. To what extent have the following aspects of Guard or Reserve employee absences for military duties in the past 36 months contributed to problems for your organization? Mark one answer for each item.

	Not at all	Small extent	Moderate extent	Large extent	Very large extent	Don’t Know
The absences were too frequent
The absences were too long
The lengths of military assignments were unclear
It was unclear when, or if, employees were going to return to work
The organization owner or other senior leader was activated
Other (Please specify; but do not provide names or other identifying information)

21. In the past 36 months, has your organization had any disputes connected with Guard or Reserve employee absences for military duties?

    • Yes

    • No

    • Don’t know/Not sure

[Programmer: If Q21=“No” or “Don’t know/Not sure” skip to Q24]

22. What was the resolution of the dispute(s) with Guard or Reserve employees? Please check all that apply.

    • Organization reached an agreement with employee(s)

    • Employee(s) left the organization

    • Dispute(s) remain unresolved

    • Other [Please specify, but do not provide names or other identifying information]

23. If consulted, to what extent were the following resources or supports useful to your organization in helping to resolve its dispute(s) connected with Guard or Reserve employee absences for military duties? Mark one answer for each item.

	Did not consult	Not at all useful	Slightly useful	Moderately useful	Very useful
Internal Human Resources and/or Legal Departments
External Human Resources expertise
External lawyer or attorney
Employee’s military commander
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR)
Department of Labor (DOL)
Office of Special Counsel or the Department of Justice

Policy Environment Facing Guard and Reserve Employers

This section includes questions about your organization’s understanding of existing policies on employing Guard and Reserve personnel, including the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), and your views on potential policies to help organizations such as yours with hiring and employing these personnel.

24. If your organization had questions about its rights and responsibilities related to Guard and Reserve employees, which of the following sources would your organization turn to for information? Mark one answer for each item.

	Yes	No
Military command
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR)
Lawyer or attorney
Department of Labor (DOL)
Other internet Web sites

25. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about your knowledge of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)? Mark one answer for each statement.

	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neither agree nor disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
Our organization knows everything we need to remain in compliance with USERRA
I know where to go when I need help fulfilling my responsibilities under USERRA
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a valuable resource for finding the best way for my organization to comply with USERRA

[Programmer: For non-G&R employers (Q1=“No”), skip Q26]

26. How easy or difficult is it for your organization to implement the following provisions of USERRA?

	Very easy	Somewhat easy	Somewhat difficult	Very difficult	Don’t know / unsure
Prompt reemployment of employee (absent unusual circumstances, within two weeks of employee's application for reemployment)
Reemployment in the position the Guard or Reserve member would have held or advanced to had the employee been continually employed (i.e., the escalator principle)
Accumulation of seniority, including pension plan benefits while absent
Reinstatement of health insurance
Training or retraining of job skills, including accommodations for the disabled
Protection from workplace discrimination
Protection from workplace retaliation

26a. [If any responses to Q26= “Very difficult”:] Please describe why you indicated that one or more USERRA provisions are very difficult for your organization to implement. Do not provide names or other identifying information.

27. To what extent would the following services help your organization with hiring or employing Guard and Reserve members?

	Very helpful	Somewhat helpful	Helpful	Not helpful	Unsure
Assistance identifying whom to talk to within the military regarding your employee-related concerns
Materials describing how military skills and training align with civilian skills and training
Assistance understanding military service, status, or terminology
Assistance understanding military personnel records/documents
Assistance verifying a service member's service dates and status
Assistance understanding what service counts against USERRA's five-year limit

27. Assume at least one of your employees is a Guard or Reserve member who needs to be absent for military duties. How helpful would the following measures be to your organization?

	Very helpful	Somewhat helpful	Helpful	Not helpful	Unsure
Financial support to cover employer expenses related to an employee’s military absence, such as a tax incentive, grant, or low-interest loan
Government reimbursement for employee benefits costs accrued during military absences
Providing replacement assistance for job vacancies
Opportunity to reschedule military duty to a more manageable time
A cap on employer responsibility for absences beyond five years
Adjustment of USERRA protections/benefits for voluntary activations

27. [If >1 responses to Q28= “Very helpful:”] Which of the following measures would be the most helpful to your organization? Mark one.

[Auto-fill with Q28a-Q28f for answers= “Very helpful”]

27. Assume at least one of your employees is a Guard or Reserve member who needs to be absent for military duties; are there any other measures that would help your organization adapt to the employee's absence? Please do not provide names or other identifying information. [Programmer: FREE TEXT BOX]

Background on Your Organization

This final set of questions pertains to your organization and your role at the organization.

27. Is your organization... Mark one.

• Public sector, part of local government with responsibility for a city, county, or other area smaller than a state

• Public sector, part of state government

• Public sector, part of federal government

• A privately owned or publicly traded for-profit organization

• A non-profit organization (e.g., a private school, charity, or religious institution)

27. Does your organization provide any of the following services to customers or the public as part of its mission? Select all that apply.

• Aviation related services

• Cyber security services

• Emergency/first response fire protection

• Emergency/first response police protection

• Emergency/first response medical services

• Law enforcement services (e.g., police, sheriffs, security services)

• Non-emergency medical services (e.g., preventive care, physical therapy, support for chronic health conditions)

• My organization does not provide any of these services

27. Which of the following best describes how many work locations your organization has?

• One work location

• Multiple work locations in the same state

• Multiple work locations in multiple states

27. How many employees work for your organization across all work locations?

• 1-10 employees

• 11-49 employees

• 50-99 employees

• 100-500 employees

• 501-1,000

• 1,001-10,000

• 10,000+

27. Does your organization have an HR professional who handles personnel matters ? Please select the option that best describes your organization.

• Yes, our organization has an HR department with one or more HR professionals who spend most of their time on HR matters for employees who serve in the military

• Yes, our organization has an HR department with one or more HR professionals but with none spending most of their time on HR matters for employees who serve in the military

• Yes, our organization has an HR professional who handles military and civilian HR matters and other responsibilities, but does not have an HR department

• Not internally, but our organization contracts out HR services to an HR professional

• No

• Don't know

27. Do you require your employees to sign agreements to engage in mediation, arbitration, or other forms of alternative dispute resolution in lieu of legal action?

• Yes

• No

• Don't know

27. Which of the following best describes the role of individual who took the lead responding to this survey? Mark one.

• CEO/President/Owner

• Human Resources/Personnel Manager

• Administrator

• Worksite Manager

• Supervisor

• Other (Please specify, but do not provide names or other identifying information)

[Programmer: For non-G&R employers (Q1=“No”), skip Q38]

27. Which of the following apply to the individual who took the lead responding to this survey? Mark all that apply.

• Supervisor of one or more Guard or Reserve members

• Coworker or subordinate of one or more Guard or Reserve members

• I am/was also a currently a Guard or Reserve member

• Other

27. If you have comments or concerns that you were not able to express in answering this survey, please enter them below. Do not provide names or othet identifying information. Your feedback is useful and appreciated. [Programmer: FREE TEXT BOX]

[SUBMIT SURVEY]

Thank you for completing the Understanding Employer Fatigue Under Continuing Reserve Component Operations Employer Survey. Your input will help inform DoD efforts to better support employers of Reserve Component members.

If you would like to be added to the distribution list for our final report, please send an email to the following with the subject line “Request ESGR report”addressemail : ESGR-study@rand.org.

If you would like to print out a certificate of recognition, please click here [LINK]

[END SURVEY CLOSING]