Employer support covers any kind of activity that involves fostering and maintaining good relations between Reservists and their employers. This is vital if employers are to feel comfortable about releasing their Reservist employees for routine training and mobilisation if required, and for Reservists to carry out their duties to the best of their ability.
As an Employer Support Officer you are likely to be the first point of contact for support and advice for all the Reservists in your unit and their employers, with your time divided roughly 60/40 per cent between the two.
Communicating with Reservists
One of your key functions will be helping Reservists handle the relationship with their employers. There are a number of times when this will be particularly important. These include:
Engaging with employers
You’ll spend almost as much time liaising with employers as you will with Reservists. This is where SaBRE can really help. As well as general information and advice on this website, SaBRE also can help by:
- putting employers in touch with their Regional SaBRE Campaign Director (RSCD) who can help with specific enquiries face-to-face;
- promote ‘best practice’ by publishing those employers who have publicly pledged their support for Reservists on our website;
- host regular events to help employers gain a better understanding of the vital role Reservists play;
- lobby on behalf of Reservists and their employers;
- raise awareness of Reservists’ skills and qualities, and their potential benefits in the workplace;
- we also issue regular e-bulletins with information on issues and new developments in employer support.
Resource library
You can download a copy of the Unit Employer Support Officer information and guidance booklet from our resource library.