Who: Kroll Ontrack

What: Enhanced its military leave policy

Results: Created a sense of camaraderie among co-workers

Some employers may be reluctant to revamp policies unless numerous employees are impacted by it. Others, like Kroll Ontrack, consider revising a policy--even if it directly benefits only one current employee--simply because it's the right thing to do.

About 3 years ago, Josh Berg, a clean room engineer II with Kroll Ontrack www.krollontrack.com), notified his employer that he was being called to active duty in the National Guard, according to DeeDee Grant, senior HR generalist with the company. Kroll Ontrack, which employs about 550 people at its Minneapolis headquarters and 1,100 employees companywide, provides large-scale electronic and paper-based discovery, computer forensics, and data recovery solutions.

When Berg received notice of his impending deployment, the company decided to update and enhance its "legacy" military leave policy, she says. The policy was adopted before Berg left in January 2004 for a 15-month tour.

Provisions Go Above, Beyond Legal Requirements

Several provisions of the new policy exceed the company's legal requirements under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), according to Grant. "We keep the person on the payroll, and they continue to accrue seniority, vacation, and sick time throughout the duration of leave," she says.

"Our employees who go on leave or who are called for training receive up to one month of full pay for that training or their first month of deployment," she continues. "After that 30 days, they receive differential pay between what they are compensated by the government and what they would otherwise be compensated" if they were working at Kroll Ontrack during that time.

There are no eligibility restrictions. "All full-and part-time employees--regardless of their length of time with the company--are eligible," Grant says. "We want employees to be invested in the company from day one, so we invest in them from day one."

Why is it important for employers to provide as much support as possible to their employees who serve in the National Guard or Reserve? "Aside from the obvious things, such as retention and loyalty, it's important for employers to uphold the values of their organization," she explains. "It sends a message to employees, vendors, and customers that we're a company that cares about our people, supports our people, and are generous to them."

Berg still appreciates the enhanced benefits offered by the company, according to Grant. "Even though it's been a couple of years since he returned, he is very grateful for the company's generosity."

He apparently felt so strongly about his employer's support that he nominated Kroll Ontrack for an award. In June, the company announced that it had received the Employer Support State Chair Award, which was presented by the U.S. Department of Defense's Minnesota Committee for Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). The annual award recognizes employers who have gone above and beyond USERRA requirements, according to Kroll Ontrack.

Grant credits adoption of the new military leave policy with helping rally Berg's co-workers to demonstrate their support for him. "While he was on leave, a number of co-workers helped his wife with projects around the house," she says, noting that they finished the couple's basement--a project Berg had started shortly before his deployment--and rewired the couple's house.

The company strives to treat its employees well and model how it would like employees to treat each other, according to Grant. "We're about retaining people who foster long-term relationships with one another."

Proactive Steps to Take

Employers who want to enhance their military leave policy should consider the following advice:

Balance cost with long-term benefits. "I think a lot of companies are overly concerned with the cost and don't look beyond that to answer difficult questions, such as, 'What is the right thing to do?'" Grant says. Although companies can't afford to overlook cost entirely, it's important to develop a supportive culture. "When a company can do that, they have loyal, motivated employees who do things for each other and work hard for the company through good times and hard times."

Benchmark. "It's a good idea to benchmark and use resources such as SHRM, local cooperatives, and associations" to find out what "bleeding edge" companies are doing to support their military Reservists and Guard members, as well as what employers in the local area are doing, Grant says. Each company needs to determine what type of support would be most appropriate for its employees.

Check out other resources. ESGR (www.esgr.org) provides a variety of military-related information for employers, including information on USERRA, tips, frequently asked questions, and an Employer Resource Guide for Business Leaders.