ESGR is a Department of Defense/War agency seeking to promote a culture in which employers support and value the military service of their employees by advocating, recognizing, increasing awareness of the law and resolving conflict through mediation. Mission Statement
ESGR facilitates and promotes a cooperative culture of employer support for National Guard and Reserve service by developing and advocating mutually beneficial initiatives; recognizing outstanding employer support; increasing awareness of applicable laws and policies; resolving potential conflicts between employers and their service members; and acting as the employers' principal advocate within DoD. Customers
• All Employers
• All Uniformed Service Members
• Families of affected Service Members
Stakeholders
• Congress
• State and Territory Governors
• Department of Defense
• Department of Homeland Security
• Department of Labor
• Uniformed Services
Employees
• ESGR Volunteers and Staff
Goals
1. Gain and maintain support from employers for National Guard and Reserve service
2. Educate Customers and Stakeholders
3. Advocate within DoD for National Guard and Reserve employers
4. Facilitate employment and/or educational opportunities for National Guard and Reserve service members
5. Continually refine the ESGR organization for relevancy, effectiveness, and efficiency
6. Enhance Brand awareness of ESGR to all customers and stakeholders
Leadership
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is a Department of Defense office that will develop and promote a culture in which all American employers support and value the military service of their employees with ESGR as the principal advocate within DoD. The nation's Reserve components (total Guard and Reserve forces from all branches of the military) comprise approximately 48 percent of our total available military manpower. The current National Defense Strategy indicates that the Guard and Reserve will be full partners in the fully integrated Total Force. Organization
Today, approximately 4,800 volunteers, ranging from business executives, senior government representatives, educators and military personnel, serve on ESGR State Committees located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam-CNMI, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. With help and resources from the National ESGR Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, the 54 ESGR State Committees conduct employer support programs, including informational briefings, mediation and recognition of employers whose policies support or encourage participation in the National Guard and Reserve. By explaining the missions of the National Guard and Reserve and by increasing public awareness of the role of the employer, ESGR works to develop a dialogue among employers, the ESGR State Committees, and local National Guard and Reserve unit commanders and service members. ESGR is the lead advocate within the Department of Defense for Reserve Component employers. Despite the tremendous strides gained by ESGR, an enormous task remains. Census Bureau estimates the total employer population of the U.S. at 7.4 million. The estimated number of employers who employ members of the Guard and Reserve is 125,000. The estimated number of individual workplaces where Guardsmen and Reservists work is approximately 235,000. These numbers are in a constant state of flux due to Guard and Reserve recruitment, labor mobility and a dynamic business environment. The task for ESGR is to work through a nationwide network of volunteers and a small, full-time support staff to inform and educate hundreds of thousands of Reserve Component members and their employers regarding their rights and responsibilities, best practices, and to develop and maintain relationships with employers.
