In Depth

Getting Veterans Back to Work

Employer tips for integrating veterans back into the workforce

By Stacy Collett

When Poinsette moved to work for Aflac, he found a comfortable environment because many other veterans and their families work there. "We have common experiences, and we were able to form bonds a little bit faster," he says. Fowler adds that Aflac is sensitive to the social adjustment needs of combat veterans.

5. Be alert to behavioral signs of trouble. Such behaviors include expressionsof self doubt, depression, an individual's decreased ability to function at work, increased absenteeism, and disturbances in relationships with family, friends and coworkers.

The VA reports that post-traumatic stress disorder could be an underreported problem among veterans of the most recent deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2005, only 215,871 veterans received disability payments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), compared with more than a million Vietnam veterans from 1986 to 1988. The agency suggests that because of the stigmas and barriers associated with getting help, these numbers likely represent only a small fraction of the total number of vets today with PTSD.

However, experts also say veterans rarely have been shown to cause workplace problems. Gene Rugala, retired FBI supervisory special agent and expert on workplace violence, says the FBI focuses on behaviors, not whether someone has served in the military. "Every [workplace violence] case is looked at on its individual merits," Rugala says. "I wouldn't treat veterans any differently, other than knowing what they've gone through and being more sensitive to some of those issues that develop," he adds.

Other stories by Stacy Collett

• Email
• Print
• Comments
• Digg This
• SlashDot