Authoria Receives “Above and Beyond” Award for its Support of the National Guard and Reserve

Authoria, Inc., a leader in integrated strategic Human Capital Management solutions (HCM), announced today that it has received the “Above and Beyond” award from the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). Authoria received the award for its program to help customers better reintegrate employees returning from activity military duty.

The award was presented over the weekend by Maj. Gen. Bobby G. Hollingsworth USMCR (ret), executive director of the National Committee for ESGR, at the 100th Annual Conference of the National Guard Association of Massachusetts, held at the Sheraton Ferncroft Resort in Danvers, MA.  In addition to Authoria, Raytheon and Ernst & Young also received ESGR awards for their support of the military.

In November of 2004, Authoria announced that it would help employers communicate details of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) as well as policies regarding military service and reintegration into the workplace.  Designed to work with Authoria’s Employee Advisor™ software solution, this content is available to Authoria customers at no additional cost.

In addition to returning reservists, Authoria customers can also make the content available to managers and representatives in company call centers, often the first resources to which employees turn with questions.  For both managers and call center representatives, the content can be enhanced to offer “coaching tips” that provide an additional layer of insight and support around handling issues related to returning reservists.

"Our goal is to communicate and educate employers on what it means to have a National Guardsman or Reservist as an employee," said Hollingsworth.  "We need to communicate all the way down to the supervisory level in order to accomplish our goal.

"I'd like to personally thank Authoria for what they have done.  The ESGR can't do it alone; we need companies like Authoria who are using their resources and expertise to support returning soldiers and their employers."

“Guardsmen and Reservists face tough transitions when they return from active duty,” said Tod Loofbourrow, president and CEO, Authoria.  “As part of our goal to give back to the community, we found a way to use our technology and expertise in personalized content to help employers address the important issue of integrating and welcoming their employees back into the workforce.  In developing this content, we’ve encountered two organizations that are doing outstanding work in this area and we’d like to publicly recognize their efforts.”

• Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a Department of Defense volunteer organization.  ESGR provides free education, consultation, and if necessary, mediation for employers of Guard and Reserve employees. ESGR's goal is to support America's employers who share their employees with the nation to ensure our national security.  ESGR is an agency within the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The ESGR also encourages the development of employer policies and practices to facilitate employee participation in the Reserve components through a network of 4,200 volunteers in 55 local ESGR Committees.
  
• SOFAR, Strategic Outreach to Families of All Reservists, is a pilot direct outreach program of the Psychoanalytic Couple and Family Institute of New England (PCFINE), designed to support the families of Army Reservists, especially the children.  More than 75 clinicians, social workers and other mental health professionals are donating their time to meet with and counsel families who are being referred to the organization through the military Family Support Services Centers and the clergy.  If successful, this project will be replicated in other states.

Sample content is available to current Authoria customers at no additional cost.  Additional details on the Authoria program and today’s highlighted volunteer organizations are available at www.authoria.com/reservists

About Authoria
Authoria is the leading provider of integrated strategic human capital management (HCM) solutions helping employers increase the business value of their workforce. The Authoria Advisor Series includes performance and compensation management, succession planning, and benefit and policy communication while providing just-in-time knowledge and coaching for managers and employees. Through Authoria Choice, applications are delivered as a fully managed on-demand service, or as an on-premise deployment. Authoria’s award-winning solutions have proven successful for more than 200 large employers, representing more than 7.5 million employees. Customer companies include Boeing, Pfizer, and Unocal. For more information, visit www.authoria.com/news34

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