CWU Honored for Supporting National Guard and Reservist Employees

It recognized the university for having gone above and beyond the legal requirements of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act by providing its Guard and Reserve employees additional, non-mandated benefits, such as differential or full pay to offset lost wages, and extended health coverage or other similar benefits.

The award is given in limited numbers by state committees to employers who have had at least one of their supervisors or managers previously recognized with a Patriot Award, acknowledging individual supervisors for support of their specific National Guard or reserve employees, and who have signed or agree to sign an ESGR Statement of Support.

CWU has already received several state Patriot Awards. Last year, the university also honored with the Pro Patria Award, the state’s highest honor for guard and reserve support.

And, for the second consecutive year, CWU is among the 30 national finalists—and the only one from the Pacific Northwest—for the Freedom Award. It’s the nation’s highest honor recognizing organizations and businesses for support of their employees, and their families, serving in the guard and reserves.

Media contact: Robert Lowery, CWU Public Affairs, 509-963-1487, Robert.Lowery@cwu.edu

Photo: Andreas Bohman, CWU vice president of Operations and Washington State National Guard officer, who nominated CWU for the award; Staci Sleigh-Layman, CWU executive director of Human Resources and Equal Opportunity manager; John Patterson, state chair, Washington ESGR.