I am pleased to share my Veterans Day blog post from SHRM, Don’t Stop with “Thank You for Your Service”.

While we have a tragic divide in the political world, we seem united on at least one issue: we thankfully express support for our Veterans.  On this day, we make a point to thank Veterans for their service.

That’s a great start. But it is by no means enough.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Andrew Morton, Director of Social Engagement for SHRM.  Retiring as a Lieutenant Coronel after 21 years of service in the army, including a tour of duty in Iraq that resulted in his becoming disabled, Andrew shared with me his thoughts as to how we as employers sometimes, without bad intent, fall short where our veterans are concerned. All quotes are comments made by Andrew in the course of our open discussion.

Andrew made clear at the outset that “he did not want anyone feeling sorry for him.” He mentioned what he has faced in the past only in terms of how it has given him “the strength and experience to face challenges now.”

This led us to a discussion of how often employers talk about giving back to veterans.  Yes, there is, I believe, a moral imperative.

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