According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD), is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat. For the veterans returning from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, this is the reality they face. Statistics show that of the 1.5 million U.S. soldiers who have served in the mid-east conlicts, about one in every four is a National Guard or Reservist. This is the highest rate of civilian service members since WWII. With one out of every three Iraq veterans facing serious psychological injuries such as depression, anxiety, or PTSD, it is necessary that the issue is addressed quickly and properly.

As veterans return home, many will come back to jobs, families, and lives that they held before their tour of duty. Adjusting back to civilian life can be a challenging process for all involved. For employers, it is important to recognize that there are certain steps that need to be taken to help this process along. The majority of returning veterans fall under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. USERRA establishes the cumulative length of time an individual may be absent from work for military duty and retain reemployment rights for five years. In addition to providing a much needed opportunity, employing veterans can have monetary benefits in the form of tax incentives.

1. Active duty/Active duty for training
2. Initial active duty for training (and Inactive)
3. Full-time National Guard duty
4. Absence from work for an examination to determine a person’s fitness for any above duty
5. Funeral honors duty performed by National Guard or reserve members
6. Duty preformed by intermittent employees of the National Disaster System, part of Homeland Security- Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate

1. Service is required beyond five years to complete obligation
2. Service from which a person, through no fault of theirs, is unable to obtain a release
3. Those involved in two-week annual training sessions and monthly weekend drills mandated, reservists and National Guard members
4. Service under an order to remain on active duty because of war or national emergency declared by the President or Congress
5. When active duty by volunteers and select reservists have been ordered to active duty without consent
6. When put in duty in support of critical missions or requirements in times other than national emergency or war
7. When federal service is needed of the National Guard and called to action by the President
8. When federal service by member of the National Guard is called to action by the President to suppress an insurrection, repel an invasion, or execute laws of the United States

Other laws that returning veterans are protected by include Americans with Disabilities Act and the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act.

If a veteran returns to work with any type of physical disability, such as the loss of arms or legs, employers will be required in a timely manner to provide the veteran with reasonable accommodations in the workplace. If a veteran returns to work suffering from post-traumatic stress problems or any other form of psychological disabilities as a result of military service, employers may be required to modify the employee’s work schedule and to make appropriate medical treatment possible. Reasonable accommodation may require some form of job retraining.

A list of accomodations employers can be expected to make include:

• written materials in accessible formats, such as large print, Braille, or on computer disk
• recruitment fairs, interviews, tests, and training held in accessible locations
• modified equipment or devices (e.g., assistive technology that would allow a blind person to use a computer or someone who is hearing impaired to use a telephone; a glare guard for a computer monitor used by a person with a traumatic brain injury; a one-handed keyboard for a person missing an arm or hand)
• physical modifications to the workplace (e.g., reconfiguring a workspace, including adjusting the height of a desk or shelves for a person in a wheelchair)
• permission to work from home
• leave for treatment, recuperation, or training related to their disability
• modified or part-time work schedules
• a job coach who could assist an employee who initially has some difficulty learning or remembering job tasks
• reassignment to a vacant position where a disability prevents performance of the employee’s current job, or where accommodating the employee in the current job would result in undue hardship

Information on disabled veterans can be found at the EEOC. Additional resources on getting veterans back into the workforce can be found at CSOonline, Department of Labor, or through Veterans Affairs.