UP named military-friendly employer by GI Jobs

G.I. Jobs named Union Pacific one of America's top military-friendly employers for 2013, marking the 10th time in 11 years that one of the nation's career guides for military job seekers recognized Union Pacific.

Selection criteria included the strength of a company’s military recruiting efforts, the percentage of new hires with prior military service and company policies on National Guard and military reserve service. Union Pacific is Number13.

“We take great pride in employing military veterans,” said Barb Schaefer, Union Pacific senior vice president human resources. “Military training instills dedication and a goal-oriented work ethic that translates very well to the railroad. We encourage retiring and transitioning military personnel to help strengthen our organization by joining the Union Pacific workforce.”

The railroad’s reservist policy, which compensates the difference between military and company pay for employees called to duty and continues to provide health plan benefits for dependents when employees are deployed, is one example of how Union Pacific supports its reserve, active duty and veteran employees and their families.

Another example is UPVETS, a Union Pacific employee resource group devoted to attracting, developing and retaining employees who are military veterans.

Approximately 23 percent of Union Pacific’s 2012 new hires, nearly 800 in total, are military veterans. Overall, veterans comprise approximately 20 percent of Union Pacific’s workforce and 24 percent of Union Pacific’s hires in the past five years have been veterans.

The railroad actively recruits veterans through its involvement with military transition offices, military education offices, reserve and National Guard units, career fairs, information sessions, employer panels, resume review assistance and by serving on local military committees and boards.