The Ministry of Defence says it keeps the legal protections for reservists seeking leave from their civilian jobs to attend mandatory training under review, in a written answer that comes amid wider questions over the strength of the British reserve forces, the Ministry of Defence has said.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, Louise Sandher-Jones, was responding to the Labour MP for Leeds South West and Morley, Mark Sewards, who had asked whether the department had assessed the adequacy of legal protections for reservists needing time off work for training commitments.
Sandher-Jones said reservists played “a vital role in Defence” and that the government recognised the importance of helping them “balance their military commitments with their civilian employment”. The department, she said, keeps “the legislative and policy framework under review” to ensure reservists are appropriately protected when undertaking mandatory training, and works closely with employers to promote understanding of the value reservists bring and to encourage supportive employment practices, including by engaging directly with industry.
Around 9,000 employers, the minister said, have signed up to the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, which encourages organisations to demonstrate their support for reservists, including by enabling them to attend training and fulfil their service commitments.
The question of how reservists juggle their service with civilian careers is a long-standing one, with the obligation to release staff for training and the protections around their employment governed by the Reserve Forces framework, and with the willingness of employers to accommodate reserve service widely seen as one of the practical limits on how much can be asked of the reserves. The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, which awards bronze, silver and gold status to supportive employers, is the principal tool the Ministry of Defence uses to encourage that goodwill.
