The Ontario government has introduced new legislation that, if passed, would guarantee that military reservists can return to their civilian jobs after deployment.
They would also be given additional time off to recover from physical or mental injuries.
Of the Canadian 40,000 soldiers deployed in Afghanistan, nearly one in seven developed a mental injury attributed to trauma from their mission.
“We often think of the physical injuries soldiers suffer, but mental trauma experienced is no less severe,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “The brave men and women in our Canadian Armed Forces put their lives on hold to protect our freedom. They deserve to know that their job will not only be protected when they’re away but also should they need time to recover from physical or mental injuries.”
In addition, the proposed legislation would make Ontario among the first in Canada to allow reservists to respond and deploy to domestic emergencies, even if they just started a new job.
Reservists would be eligible for job-protected leave when deployed abroad or upgrading their military skills after just two months – as opposed to the current three.
The Canadian Forces has about 11,000 living in Ontario, and is still experiencing a shortage of interested candidates.