Employer Support and Outreach

We Canadians live in a vast and remarkably peaceful country. The last time the Canadian military fired a weapon at an adversary on Canadian soil was during the Battle of Batoche in 1885. Many immigrants who arrived after the Second World War came here to leave military conflict behind — not to prepare for the next one. As a result, Canada does not have a deeply rooted military culture, and many Canadians prefer to keep it that way.

But the military isn’t just about fighting wars. The CAF plays a vital role in domestic operations, international peacekeeping, and humanitarian assistance. Just as every country maintains a national stockpile of critical resources — oil, medical supplies, influenza vaccines — the CAF is our national stockpile of trained personnel and equipment, ready to respond to anything from forest fires to floods, civil unrest to hostile extraterrestrials.

In times of national or international crisis, reservists play a critical role in rapidly expanding military capacity.

During the First and Second World Wars, nearly every Canadian family either had a member in the reserves or knew someone who did. Today, however, reservist culture has largely faded from our collective memory, and many employers remain unaware of the value and obligations of reservist service.

Reservists place Canada above self, balancing the demands of two parallel lives. They have their civilian job and family, and they have their military role and military family — double lives, double careers; committed to Canada.

Most employers have a military leave policy in place. However, tensions can occasionally arise between a reservist and their employer. This is where Honoraries can quietly and effectively step in. With your unique civilian-military perspective, you may be in a position to help bridge the gap, advocate for understanding, and support the reservist in navigating workplace challenges.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian Forces Liaison Council (CFLC) https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/canada-reserve-force/about-canadian-forces-liaison-council.html played a key role in fostering strong relationships between reservists and their employers, educational institutions, and other organizations.

Since the pandemic, however, the CFLC has taken on a diminished role, and their website is currently offline. Fortunately, archived versions of the CFLC site can still be accessed via www.archive.org and these contain a goldmine of valuable resources and links. In regions where the CFLC is no longer active, Honoraries can step up to fill the gap — advocating for reservists and helping build the bridges that support their dual civilian-military commitments.

For example, the webpage entitled "Employer and Educator Support Programs" can be accessed here: https://web.archive.org/web/20130702230307/http://www.clfc.forces.gc.ca/ees-pae/index-eng.asp  On it, you will find templates of letters to employers and educators that can be printed on your unit's stationary and co-signed by yourself and the CO https://web.archive.org/web/20130702230322/http://www.clfc.forces.gc.ca/ees-pae/rr/rus-pau/tlr-elr/index-eng.asp

The webpage entitled "Employer's Guide to Supporting Reservists" https://web.archive.org/web/20130702230109/http://www.clfc.forces.gc.ca/ees-pae/rr/rus-pau/uges-guae-eng.asp is still useful today, even though it dates from 2010.

Likewise, the webpage entitled "Reservist's Guide to Employer Support" https://web.archive.org/web/20130702230049/http://www.clfc.forces.gc.ca/ees-pae/rr/rus-pau/rgees-greee-eng.asp also contains much useful information.

Public recognition of employers is always nice.  With Glowing Hearts https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/canada-reserve-force/supporting-reservists/with-glowing-hearts.html is a program developed by the CFLC that recognizes organizations that support the CAF.

Your unit will have an employer liaison leader; usually a 2Lt who is struggling to keep their head above water.  You should identify this individual and ask if you can help to lighten their load.

Lastly, the Canadian Forces app (available on iPhone and Android) has a Reservist Employer Support Services section that can also be found here: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/canada-reserve-force/information-reservists/reservist-employers-support-services.html  Another helpful webpage can be found here: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/canada-reserve-force/supporting-reservists.html  On these pages, you'll find a variety of tools that will help you help the reservists in your unit.

Executreks are the Rolls-Royce of employer engagement — immersive, high-impact experiences that give civilian leaders a firsthand look at the value of reservists.

Learn more here: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/programs/executrek.html

That said, Executreks are resource-intensive and don’t happen frequently. There are often more cost-effective ways to communicate the benefits of reservist service to employers — but when an Executrek does happen, it’s an unforgettable experience.

If you believe you’ve identified a strong candidate for an Executrek, contact your Division Head. Be prepared to take time off work to accompany your guest — your presence as an Honorary adds both credibility and context to the experience.