By Jennifer Goodale

MOAA has partnered with Microsoft and Hiring our Heroes (HOH) to reopen a pilot program providing necessary resources for military spouses to work remotely for their small-business employer after a PCS move.

The Military Spouse Remote/Telework Pilot Program, which launched last year, targets one of the factors that contributes to the long-standing high unemployment rate within the military spouse community: the never-ending PCS cycle. According to HOH’s Military Spouses in the Workplace study, two-thirds of military spouse respondents reported they had to quit their job due to a PCS.  

“Companies employing military spouses know how hard they work and don’t want to lose them due to a change in assignment,” said MOAA President and CEO Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins, USAF (Ret). “With this program, we hope to provide military spouses and their employers with the tools to telecommute, thus keeping military spouses in the workforce.”

Current economic conditions brought about by COVID-19 have further increased the difficulties military spouses face when it comes to finding and maintaining employment. As more people find themselves working from home, and with many children unlikely to return to in-person school in the near future, greater demand is placed on electronic resources such as computers, laptops, and tablets. This program seeks to alleviate some of the burdens facing military families by providing a new workstation solely for remote-working military spouses.

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Microsoft will continue to supply hardware and software for the program, the latest in a number of efforts in support of military spouses.

“This kit is going to enable and empower military spouses to continue their career, to continue their job, wherever they may go,” says Danny Chung of Microsoft Military Affairs.

How to Apply

To apply for the pilot program, spouses must prove military relationship and fill out the Remote Work Grant Application. Active duty military spouses must be employed full time at a small business and be PCSing within 12 months of their application. They must also have approval from their company to submit an application.

To qualify as a small business, the employer must be an independently owned and operated company limited in size and in revenue, depending on the industry, a definition developed by the Small Business Administration. Furthermore, the small business must be willing to maintain military spouse employees, but not currently have telecommute policies or resources established.

Selected military spouses will be awarded a “remote work kit,” which includes:

• Remote work contract templates
• Microsoft Surface Pro laptop
• Docking station, keyboard, and mouse
• Antivirus/malware protection

If awarded, the military spouse and their small business employer must also meet with the grantor for progress reports every three months.

More program requirements and information can be found on MOAA’s website.