ESGR treats NMI employers, service members to lunch

To spread further information on the rights of military service members in the workforce, the Guam and CNMI Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve under the U.S. Department of Defense held what it calls “Lunch with the Boss,” which brought together employers of military service members last Tuesday at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan in Garapan.

The lunch drew dozens of Saipan employers who have military service members working for them, and was one of ESGR’s outreaches to employers, informing them of laws pertaining to them, particularly the 1994 Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, or USERRA, and the rights they and their service member staff have. Employers also learned how ESGR can serve or help them.

The luncheon was also attended by local dignitaries from the Legislature and Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang. Employers of service member were also recognized and thanked for what they do.

Guam-CNMI ESGR state chair Renie Llaneta said that ESGR recognizes that service member employees who have to leave for training sometime create conflicts within a company and that’s where the ESGR can help.

“Service members have to continuously go out there and train and be prepared to support and defend the Constitution, the nation, and our island. The service members are required to do training locally and sometimes conflicts arise. Of course, when you are an employer, and you need folks to do what your company is doing, sometimes conflicts arise because they have to leave and do their training,” he said.

It is therefore important for employers to understand the laws and their rights but also the rights of service members, he said. In conflicts, ESGR can help mediate and, through outreaches, continue to provide information needed for both service members and employers.

Llaneta also shared that, after nearly 12 years at ESGR, three of which he spent as state chair, he will be relinquishing his chairmanship in two months to the first-ever female state chair.