Moving from military to civilian life is not an easy task for veterans and their families. The key to establishing a stable life after service in the army is finding a suitable occupation. However, for the wife of a war veteran, from what she could see it appears that potential employers were eager to exploit his VA benefits for their financial well-being, rather than provide him with a job. This problem, unfortunately, is more widespread than many think and the irritation it causes is turning into a problem for veterans in every corner of the United States.
Employers Expecting VA Benefits to “Make Up the Difference” in Pay
Upon retiring from military service, the veteran took the opportunity to enroll in the SkillBridge program which, like most military men, he found appealing after deployment. This is a program that allows members who are in transition to undertake internships to acquire relevant skills for the labor market while waiting to fully be back into working clothes. The firm he was attached to for internships usually said that the intern would ‘continue with his military pay’ which was 65,000 dollars per annum. However, the disappointment came when, after the end of the internship, a job was offered at a pay rate that was expected low. “They offered him way less money than they originally said,” said the veteran’s wife. Most shocking was the justification that came with this: “He was told it would be ok as he was going to receive some disability money that would cover the difference.” The employer thought that his VA disability payments would be used to top up the salary they were prepared to pay him.
This is a disheartening and too common tale for every veteran or military family member. VA disability payments are intended to assist such people for what they have gone through, not to fill in for civilian salary pay. The company’s expectations were incorrect and very disturbing.
Can Employers Force Veterans to Use Their GI Bill for Job-Related Training?
Following the rejection of the poorly compensated offer of employment, the veteran achieved some measure of success in finding part-time employment within the city government in the hopes of growing into a full-time position later on. Initially, that started looking like an ideal situation. However, an entirely different problem presented itself later on that made him feel exploited yet again.
When he and three other recruits were informed that they would require further training or schooling, for the other recruits the city agreed to pay, for him however they did not. They expected him to apply for education with his GI Bill but that was not a term that was presented at the time of employment. That leaves him in a dilemma: either he uses the GI Bill which they will provide for this job, which will deplete his benefits before his bachelor’s degree in the future, or he finds another means of getting the training. His wife explained his concern: ‘They never said he would have to use his GI Bill, so he is afraid that they only hired him because they knew they wouldn’t pay for his education’.
Veterans’ Benefits Are Not a Bargaining Chip
For veterans like this gentleman, VA benefits and the GI Bill play a significant role in the process of constructing a life post-service. These should not be taken into consideration by an employer when drawing financial projections. This issue brings to the forefront the challenges that a lot of veterans and their families have to encounter: ‘Do companies intentionally recruit veterans with this idea that they will save money as these individuals tend to have benefits?’
The wife of this war veteran who also served in the past shared her sentiments on this matter. “I thought the benefits I earned through the VA were of no concern to my future employer.” This situation that her husband went through is one of the issues that many veterans encounter when seeking employment after they have served in the military – and it is one that many service members and their families do not have to deal with until they have experienced it firsthand.
A Call for Fair Treatment
Veterans and their families hardly have the comfort of employers’ gimmicks that seek to rob them of their hard-earned benefits, regardless of their military or civil status. VA benefits are aimed at helping veterans recover, attend school, and adjust to civilian life. Not for companies to cut costs.
This story is a warning to them: do not be complacent and fight for what is right. Veterans should be treated in the way one earns the given respect. There should be no attempt to abuse the very benefits meant to assist them.
