President Joe Biden, accompanied by First Lady Jill Biden, is poised to introduce a package of executive actions aimed at fortifying the economic welfare of military and veteran spouses, caregivers, and survivors. These measures highlight the administration’s steadfast dedication to supporting the military-connected community and acknowledging their crucial role in the recruitment and readiness of the Armed Forces.
The President will solidify this commitment by signing an Executive Order encompassing nearly 20 significant actions. These actions aim to enhance career stability, expand employment resources, and provide additional assistance to military families.
The momentous announcement is scheduled to take place at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, which is home to the largest population of military spouses among all military installations.
The holistic needs of military and veteran families, caregivers, and survivors are being addressed, given their undeniable importance to national security. Recent statistics indicate that nearly 20% of military families contemplate leaving active-duty service primarily due to spousal employment challenges.
In response to this pressing issue, First Lady Jill Biden has been actively involved through her Joining Forces initiative since the onset of the Biden administration. The initiative seeks to eradicate employment barriers and enhance economic opportunities for military families.
Here are the key highlights:
- Development of a government-wide Strategic Plan on Hiring and Retention: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will collaborate with the Secretaries of Defense, Labor, Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security to devise strategies for eliminating barriers and improving hiring and retention practices for military and veteran spouses, caregivers, and survivors.
- Increased utilization of Military Spouse Noncompetitive Appointment Authority: Federal agencies will be directed to include spouses eligible under this authority when seeking external applications, thereby expanding employment opportunities for military spouses within the Federal government.
- Improved Domestic Employee Teleworking Overseas (DETO) program: Agencies will develop standardized guidelines, processing timelines, and communication protocols to ensure military spouses can participate in the DETO program, allowing them to work remotely from overseas locations alongside their service member.
- Enhanced access to child care for military families: The Executive Order mandates the implementation of Dependent Care Flexible Saving Accounts for service members by January 1, 2024, along with the expansion of home-based child care options on military installations to enable military spouses to pursue professional opportunities.
- Retention support for military spouses and caregivers: Federal agencies will be encouraged to grant administrative leave for military spouses during Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves, provide telework flexibility, and facilitate the transfer of military spouses or caregivers to another position following a PCS.
- Tailored resources for military and veteran spouse entrepreneurs: The Small Business Administration will develop specialized resources and guidance to assist military-connected spouses in starting and sustaining their businesses, including support for relocating a business due to geographic changes.
- Data collection improvements: The Office of Science and Technology Policy and various agencies will review opportunities to enhance data collection on military and veteran spouses, caregivers, and survivors in the Federal workforce. This will enable evidence-based decision-making to reduce barriers and improve hiring, promotion, professional development, and retention practices.
- Training on employment of military and veteran spouses, caregivers, and survivors: All Federal agencies will provide annual training for human resources personnel and hiring managers to equip them with best practices for accessing and supporting the diverse talent pool from the military-connected community.
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