How to support veterans in your workplace

Executive overview

Veterans bring highly developed leadership, teamwork, and loyalty to civilian workplaces — yet the transition from military to civilian culture is genuinely difficult. The gap between structured military culture and unpredictable civilian life can take one to two years to navigate, particularly after combat deployments.

Most veterans reintegrate successfully. Only 15–30% return with PTSD. The real barrier is a lack of empathy and practical language among civilian colleagues and managers.

Veterans will be the most hard-working and loyal employees you ever hire — if you create the conditions for them to succeed.

Understanding the military-to-civilian transition

• Military culture instills a distinct worldview: structured, predictable, values-driven, team-oriented
• Civilian life can feel unstructured and inconsistent by comparison
• Adjustment periods of one to two years are common, especially post-combat
• Previous wars allowed decompression during long ship voyages; today's veterans are home within 48 hours
• Not all combat veterans have PTSD — avoid this stereotype
• Veterans bring strong followership, respect for authority, punctuality, and unit cohesion skills

What managers should do

• Ask about their service — most veterans want to engage, not be avoided
• Welcome them explicitly and signal openness to future conversations
• Avoid negative stereotypes; treat them as you would any new employee with significant life experience
• Be open to reasonable accommodations (e.g., flexible hours if sleep is disrupted)
• Consider workspace layout and ensuring the environment feels safe
• Acknowledge military holidays meaningfully — Veterans Day and Memorial Day carry real weight
• If a veteran needs time for a memorial or fallen comrade, give it without hesitation

Building a veteran-friendly organisation

• Accept and actively encourage use of VA and military benefits — never stigmatise them
• Celebrate veteran-specific dates with intentionality, not just as long weekends
• Ask individual veterans how they want to be recognised — don't assume
• Create spaces (e.g., a Veterans Day meeting or community of practice) where service is acknowledged
• Once a veteran trusts you, they demonstrate loyalty through action, not words

Getting involved beyond the organisation

• Many veteran-serving organisations are run by veterans and actively seek volunteers
• Start by reaching out and asking: "What do you need? How can I help?"
• The experience is rewarding for both the volunteer and the veteran