Divining the right role, capabilities, structure, and Regimental System for Canada's Army Reserves

[Halifax Tar]

I should not be correcting DMPAP on production of tax forms.

I should not be telling clerks that they failed to properly reconcile my pay when they send out recovery info.

I should not be telling clerks that there are no months with 32 days, despite the spreadsheet they sent me.

I should not be ordering a clerk to maintain records they are responsible to maintain.


As I said, we need HR professionals, both at the tactical level (HRAs) and the strategic level (ATR can do Strat HR with no training or experience, right?)

I was trying to make you laugh... Ill go back to my corner.

 

[dapaterson]

I mean, while HR records, pay and claims may not have been maintained, the clerk did start a second career as a DJ, so not a total loss...

 

[Furniture]

And then throw in Succession Management... Which seems to be a workable program, unless you're a purple trade.

Particularly when you're in a trade that just became purple, and nobody knows what to do with you.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I should not be telling clerks that there are no months with 32 days, despite the spreadsheet they sent me.

 

[GK .Dundas]

But it has to be otherwise it wouldn't be in the spreadsheet...right?

 

[Skysix]

Any of this starting to sound familiar?

Army Reserve officers are bailing out, this general has a plan

Practices that fed the mobilization machine during recent wars now bedevil the Reserve as those wars end and the Pentagon preps for bigger fights.

www.armytimes.com

 

[Eaglelord17]

What if for the Reserves instead of having fixed unit locations, we did a decentralized model?

So for this model I am going to completely ignore the current system.

The idea would be to join the Reserves you apply online. The numbers available for each trade will not be dictated by what a specific unit needs, rather what the CAF needs (i.e. we have manning for 30k infanteers, we can hire up to 30k infanteers, no matter where they are located). You do your basic and trades courses either in a straight go, same training as the Reg Force, or you do them over the summers like they are currently done. Once you reach OFP you no longer have to go on courses if you so choose not to. Can't get the courses done within 5 years you get released.

There is no physical armouries for each unit. Instead all equipment will be held in centralized training areas. Once OFP qualified Reservists will only be required to show up for a one month period once a year. This one month period shall be mandatory with only very specific exemptions. Legislation would be written to guarantee the time off from a employer.

During that month you get transported to which ever training area is selected to host the Reserves for the year. Have two weeks be the IBTS, range shoot, admin, refreshers, etc. The last two weeks be a field exercise featuring the Regs as well.

The units that a Reservist shall be assigned to shall attempted to be dictated by the region you live in to try and keep some of the historical relevance of the units alive, but the reality shall be that you can be any trade in any region provided the CAF has a spot for it. With this system someone who say would make a excellent vehicle mechanic but has no Service Battalion locally currently could be a V-Tech, vs the current system where they are SOL.

Have a cap on the ranks the Reserves can reach, say roughly Sgt for NCMs and Capt/Major for officers with the exemption being a transfer into the Reserves from a higher rank. Have the higher up CoC be fleshed out by the Regs. No more platoon sized regiments, man them to full capacity before standing up another regiment. If the numbers drop too much, stand down a regiment and amalgamate two together.

The advantages of this system would be no requirement to maintain all these buildings in the country. No requirement to try and keep fledgling units going. No requirement to have a ton of overhead maintained by part timers who are either burning themselves out, or become full time themselves. Reservists skill sets will also keep a lot more up to date as there will be significantly more field portions and actual training under this system vs the current minimum of about 8-10 half days a year. The quality of the training shall be higher because it shall be actual field exercises with the whole army as opposed to a weekend where a couple sections show up.

The cons of this system would be the Regs would have to take significantly more responsibility for the Reserves, basically a substantial portion of manning would have to go into creating the upper echelons of the Reserve units and planning/organizing all of this. But it would create a viable force which would keep costs down in peace time with a quickly scalable army for war.

Thoughts?

 

[mariomike]

This one month period shall be mandatory with only very specific exemptions. Legislation would be written to guarantee the time off from a employer.

We had that for two weeks.

Employees can take a leave of absence with pay, for the two week period of absence, to attend the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve Training Program.

Employees are paid their regular pay provided they submit any compensation received for military service to the city treasurer, unless this compensation is paid for days they are not scheduled to work.
Compensation received for travelling expenses and meal allowance does not have to be returned to the city.
All benefits continue during the leave.
An employee’s service is not affected by the leave. An employee’s vacation entitlement, seniority and pension credit do not change.

Thoughts?

City taxpayers had to pay us for the 80 hours "time off".

In addition, they had to pay OT at time-and-a-half to those who covered the 80 hours you were away.

So, that was another 120 hours. 200 hours total. For two weeks.

Double that for one month.

Assuming the one month of PRes training was during summer "prime time", that meant someone senior to me got bumped off on their summer vacation, due to "the requirements of operations".

I got an earful over that every summer. "My kids! The #$%^ing cottage!"

 

[MilEME09]

We had that for two weeks.







City taxpayers had to pay us for the 80 hours "time off".

In addition, they had to pay OT at time-and-a-half to those who covered the 80 hours you were away.

So, that was another 120 hours. 200 hours total. For two weeks.

Double that for one month.

Assuming the one month of PRes training was during summer "prime time", that meant someone senior to me got bumped off on their summer vacation, due to "the requirements of operations".

I got an earful over that every summer. "My kids! The #$%^ing cottage!"

Two weeks doesn't even cover a reserve bmq in the summer. Legislation needs updating, but likely won't because of the lack of political will

 

[mariomike]

Two weeks doesn't even cover a reserve bmq in the summer.

I joined when I was 16. We had our summers off school back then.

Yes, I understand, many PRes applicants now are older, and out of school with jobs and kids, and no longer living at home, with mortgages to pay.

lack of political will

Right.

It is a challenge.

 

[Eaglelord17]

Keep in mind currently your civilian employer doesn’t have to provide any time off for the Reserves other than Class C service. Its all at their discretion currently.

Even if we made it so we paid the civilian employer for a replacement for that month your still saving a ton of money in comparison paying a reg force soldier year round.

My thought process with making it decentralized is a way to reduce costs, hire what we actually need instead of what ‘x’ unit needs, achieve maximum efficiency for the money, and bring us into the 21st century. Having regiments tied to a geographical location is very 19th century. With the size and scale of Canada it isn’t particularly practical for many Canadians.

 

[mariomike]

Even if we made it so we paid the civilian employer for a replacement for that month your still saving a ton of money in comparison paying a reg force soldier year round.

If not, although employers might not admit it directly, they might me a little bit hesitant to hire, or keep on, an employee who required an annual one-month replacement, if "we" did not compensate the replacement cost.

As you said,

This one month period shall be mandatory with only very specific exemptions.

I was just a number where I worked. But, some others might be considered "Irreplaceable".

Class C service.

Our collective agreement worded it this way,

Leave of absence shall be granted to employees to serve in the Armed Forces during hostilities or during a time of war as declared by the Government of Canada. Seniority will accumulate during such leave

 

[GR66]

Keep in mind currently your civilian employer doesn’t have to provide any time off for the Reserves other than Class C service. Its all at their discretion currently.

Even if we made it so we paid the civilian employer for a replacement for that month your still saving a ton of money in comparison paying a reg force soldier year round.

My thought process with making it decentralized is a way to reduce costs, hire what we actually need instead of what ‘x’ unit needs, achieve maximum efficiency for the money, and bring us into the 21st century. Having regiments tied to a geographical location is very 19th century. With the size and scale of Canada it isn’t particularly practical for many Canadians.

What employer is going to want to go through the process of searching for a replacement, training and then employing them for a one month period? What employee is going to want to take on a one month temp position knowing that they're going to be kicked out once the Reservist returns from their training?

In our industry we're finding it almost impossible to find candidates for full-time positions as it is. Even when we do get people to apply for positions I'd say that almost 25% are no shows for their interviews.

 

[Eaglelord17]

What employer is going to want to go through the process of searching for a replacement, training and then employing them for a one month period? What employee is going to want to take on a one month temp position knowing that they're going to be kicked out once the Reservist returns from their training?

In our industry we're finding it almost impossible to find candidates for full-time positions as it is. Even when we do get people to apply for positions I'd say that almost 25% are no shows for their interviews.

I get that, keep in mind however that the current system is based on either the Reservist being unemployed and available or begging their employer.

Provide some sort of tax break to employers maybe. Maybe make it so all the money employers readily soak up from the government as investments have strings attached in terms of employing some Reservists or at least not being hostile to employing them. Make Reservists a priority hire group.

Just because the job market is tough today, doesn’t mean it won’t flip tomorrow.

 

[KevinB]

What employer is going to want to go through the process of searching for a replacement, training and then employing them for a one month period? What employee is going to want to take on a one month temp position knowing that they're going to be kicked out once the Reservist returns from their training?

In our industry we're finding it almost impossible to find candidates for full-time positions as it is. Even when we do get people to apply for positions I'd say that almost 25% are no shows for their interviews.

Give Employers of PRes members either some healthy tax credits, and financial assistance for smaller businesses.

Bingo you have a viable PRes system that employers won’t suffer from members taking 30 days off.

 

[GR66]

Give Employers of PRes members either some healthy tax credits, and financial assistance for smaller businesses.

Bingo you have a viable PRes system that employers won’t suffer from members taking 30 days off.

In our industry (telecom construction) which employs exactly the type of young, healthy, mechanically inclined employees that work outdoors on a daily basis - so therefore the ideal target group for combat arms Reserves - no amount of tax credits or financial assistance will make up for the loss of trained employees during the prime summer construction period. We are constantly under staffed during the summer as it is and any forced legislation to give up employees for a full month during that peak period would have major pushback from employers (or the simply wouldn't hire anyone who is a Reservist).

Two weeks you might find do-able (but still with some pushback) but at least it's in line with what might be experienced with vacations - although hardly any of our employees take vacation during the peak summer period because they are all making craploads of OT. A weekend a month and two weeks during the summer for our industry at least would have a much better chance of acceptance.

 

[IKnowNothing]

How useful is a 4 day weekend from a training perspective?

Reporting window Thursday night, full day Fri/Sat/Sun, end Monday early enough to be home for late dinner and back to work on Tuesday.

As an employer, with advance notice and scheduling that would be relatively easy to manage for each singular occurrence. A single full week a year isn't much of an issue either. Need to be able to manage for that anyway via vacation and sick time.

The biggest burden would actually be the cumulative impact on long tenured employees if that TO has to be on top of their other entitlements rather than out of them. 6 weeks vacation and personal time plus 1 week training plus twenty days of weekend training time (extended weekends 10 months of the year)- that's a lot of time away to account for. Drop that to five weekends and cap reservists at ESA minimums for non-reserve vacation time and it gets workable.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Give Employers of PRes members either some healthy tax credits, and financial assistance for smaller businesses.

Bingo you have a viable PRes system that employers won’t suffer from members taking 30 days off.

I'm an employer.

I was a Reservist.

I will never hire a Reservist because anyone taking 30 days of my company's time to pursue their own 'bliss' is a tourist, not an employee. I've worked here for over 20 years and even I only get three weeks annually, less if we're busier.

Change the laws so that I get into trouble if I don't hire them back after their global swan - fest? I would be even less likely to hire them in the first place.

I might change my mind if the government pays me 30 days x what I pay that person with my firm but, even then, probably not

 

[mariomike]

- although hardly any of our employees take vacation during the peak summer period because they are all making craploads of OT.

We could work OT, during a vacation period. Just not shifts on your regular schedule.

ie: You couldn't be paid OT - and vacation - for the same 12-hour shift.

I will never hire a Reservist because anyone taking 30 days of my company's time to pursue their own 'bliss' is a tourist, not an employee.

Interesting to read an employer's point of view.

 

[GK .Dundas]

I'm an employer.

I was a Reservist.

I will never hire a Reservist because anyone taking 30 days of my company's time to pursue their own 'bliss' is a tourist, not an employee. I've worked here for over 20 years and even I only get three weeks annually, less if we're busier.

Change the laws so that I get into trouble if I don't hire them back after their global swan - fest? I would be even less likely to hire them in the first place.

I might change my mind if the government pays me 30 days x what I pay that person with my firm but, even then, probably not

At one time the Federal government was one the worst for dealing reservists and the two worst offenders were DND and VAC supposedly.
Banks were apparently the best.