The NFFE Military Veterans Committee is asking for your help in an effort to promote changes, improve the application process and ultimately our work environment for the disabled who suffer from hidden disabilities, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and those who work with them.
The Committee is seeking short, simple narratives regarding employees who’ve encountered problems, incidents, episodes, and/or interactions with co-workers, supervisors, and the public that involved hidden disabilities and the effects or outcomes from those events. For example, unidentified, undeclared, or unforeseen symptoms of PTSD have manifested themselves in unacceptable workplace behaviors. Whether a sufferer of a hidden disability has been diagnosed, or denies or doesn’t know a problem exists, it is still an issue for our federal workplaces. This is an effort to ultimately see if more suitable measures are required to appropriately and considerately intercede and offer these employees proper assistance, and consistent procedures across the federal government on how reasonable accommodations are processed and made available.
Submissions don’t need to be grammatically correct or perfectly written and do not need any specific names or locations. They will be used to gain support from management for our arguments that changes are required, from application process to workplace adjustments, to better meet the needs for employees with hidden disabilities. Send your submissions direct to the NFFE Veterans Committee chair, Dave Chevalier, at davidchevalier@fs.fed.us.
Statistics indicate we will see 300,000 military personnel ending their time in service each year for the next three years. Many of those will be seeking employment within the federal government. Our agencies must be better prepared to help these disabled Veterans and other employees as much as we would any other disabled person. Please get the word out and around that the NFFE Veterans Committee is seeking these stories, whether Veterans or not, because the aim is to improve our workplace for all. Please get these stories directed back to Dave as soon as possible. Anonymity is assured!
For resources to help veterans in the federal workforce, or to learn more about the committee, visit our Veterans Resources page.
