Citation
Highlights
- The study's objective was to examine the impact of employer-offered veteran transition support programs on veteran job satisfaction levels, stress rates, and retention.
- This study was a non-experimental analysis that compared a group of veterans employed at civilian companies offering veteran transition support programs to veterans at companies without these programs. The primary data sources were two surveys with questions on stress levels, job satisfaction, and demographic information as well as employee retention data from the participating companies.
- The study’s findings suggested a positive relationship between employer veteran support programs and veteran stress and job satisfaction levels. The study did not find a statistically significant relationship between these programs and veteran retention in the firm.
- This study receives a low evidence rating because the author did not ensure that the groups being compared were similar before the intervention. This means we are not confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the veteran transition support programs; other factors are likely to have contributed.
Features of the Intervention
Veterans experience many barriers when re-entering the civilian workplace after deployment. These barriers can present challenges for both veterans and employers. Some veterans may thus benefit from social, mental, and emotional supports in the workplace that help them successfully integrate into a civilian work environment.
In the context of this study, veteran transition support programs were employee resource groups or focus groups that were designed to support veterans. These veteran transition support programs served United States veterans employed in civilian companies for at least 90 days and were available to veterans who served on active duty or in a full-time role.
Features of the Study
This study was a non-experimental analysis that compared a group of veterans employed at civilian companies offering veteran transition support programs to veterans at companies without these programs. Overall, 148 veterans working for 15 different civilian companies were recruited for the study and were either in the intervention or comparison group, depending on whether their companies offered a veteran transition support program or not. Most of the veterans were male (60%), served in the army (33%), and left the military after 7-12 years of service (28%). Veterans at companies that offered veteran transition support services – the treatment group – made up 32% of the sample. Veterans at companies without these programs – the comparison group – made up 40% of the sample. An additional 28% of the sample did not provide information about whether veteran support services were available at their place of employment.
The primary data sources were two surveys with questions on stress levels, job satisfaction, and demographic information as well as retention rate data provided by the participating companies. The author compared the outcomes of veterans at companies with transition support programs to veterans at companies without these programs using statistical tests.
Findings
Attitudes
- Study findings suggested that employer veteran support programs were associated with higher levels of job satisfaction and lower levels of stress among veteran employees.
Employment
- Study findings suggested that there was no statistically significant association between employer veteran support programs and employee retention.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
The author does not account for the potential self-selection of participants into different workplace environments. For example, veterans may be aware of which firms prioritize veteran support and choose their employer based on this information. If veterans who proactively seek out workplaces that offer veteran supports systematically differ from veterans who do not seek out such services, these differences could be reflected in the study’s findings. Additionally, in the statistical analysis, the author only accounted for gender and not for other key factors, such as age, race/ethnicity, or baseline job satisfaction levels and stress rates.
Accordingly, this study receives a low causal evidence rating because the author did not account for possible pre-existing differences between the treatment and comparison groups or include sufficient control variables. These pre-existing differences between the groups – and not employer veteran support services – could explain the observed differences in outcomes.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is low because the author did not ensure that the groups being compared were similar before the intervention. This means we are not confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the veteran transition support programs; other factors are likely to have contributed.