President Joe Biden, joined by the first lady and the local military community, signed an executive order (EO) June 9 at Fort Liberty, N.C., which includes nearly 20 actions designed to enhance career opportunities and stability for military and veteran spouses, caregivers, and survivors.

From directing the development of a government-wide strategic plan on hiring and retention of this community to improving support for military spouses during transition, this EO includes recommended solutions from various stakeholders, including MOAA.

[TAKE ACTION: Ask Lawmakers to Incentivize the Hiring of Military Spouses]

The military spouse un/underemployment conversation has spanned over a decade, and though the landscape has improved dramatically thanks to the efforts of DoD and several military service organizations, this resilient community still faces a double-digit unemployment rate. Jill Biden’s relaunch of the Joining Forces initiative serves as an opportunity to maintain positive momentum and find solutions that reflect today’s more remote-friendly work environment.

What’s Included in the Executive Order?   

• Developing a Strategic Plan on Hiring and Retention for Military and Veteran Spouses, Caregivers, and Survivors. This plan will include guidance for marketing the talent, experience, and diversity of this community to federal agencies and help establish benchmarks to improve institutional performance and accountability.
  
  
• Bolstering Access to Child Care. The EO directs the implementation of dependent care flexible savings accounts for servicemembers no later than Jan. 1, 2024, and will expand pathways for spouses interested in providing home-based child care on military installations.
  
  
• Improving Support During Transition. Servicemembers aren’t the only ones going through a transition. The EO directs DoD, the Department of Labor, and the VA to collaborate to advance support for military spouses in the workforce through transition to veteran spouse status.
  
  
• Increasing Resources for Entrepreneurs. The Small Business Administration will develop tailored resources for military-connected spouse entrepreneurs. This will help with relocation, sustaining a business, and accessing capital.
  
  
• Supporting Working Spouses OCONUS. The EO directs the provision of legal assistance to allow spouses outside the continental U.S. to receive advice relating to employment under Status of Forces Agreements or other host nation agreements. It also reinforces the importance of considering remote work options for OCONUS spouses when reevaluating or entering agreements with host nations.

[READ THE WHITE HOUSE FACT SHEET]

In September 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration published the Strengthening America’s Military Families report challenging the federal government to become the “employer of choice” for military dependents. To accomplish this, hiring practices and employment policies must be improved to accommodate the unique nature of military life, and better data must be collected by and made available across federal agencies.

The EO targets these issues by:

• Increasing Utilization of Military Spouse Noncompetitive Appointment Authority. The order directs agencies to include spouses eligible for noncompetitive appointment authority when soliciting applications from outside their workforce.
  
  
• Establishing Standards to Improve the Domestic Employee Teleworking Overseas (DETO) Program. The EO will establish a permanent memorandum of understanding between DoD and the State Department to help retain valuable talent and expertise in the federal workforce when spouses are OCONUS.
  
  
• Providing Additional Tools for Retention of Spouses. These tools include encouraging federal agencies to grant up to five days of administrative leave in conjunction with a PCS move; directing the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to outline telework and remote work flexibility for spouses and caregivers; encouraging agencies to collaborate to place military-connected employees in another position following PCS orders that make it untenable to continue in the existing position; and directing all federal agencies to provide annual training for human resources personnel and hiring managers concerning the employment of military and veteran spouses, caregivers, and survivors.
  
  
• Improving Data Collection within the Federal Workforce. Improved data on military-connected federal employees will allow agencies to take an evidence-informed approach to reducing barriers in hiring, promotion, professional development, and retention practices.

[FREE DOWNLOAD: MOAA Military Spouse Employment Guide]

More Work to Do

This EO is a significant starting point, and MOAA has a role in ensuring these solutions are crafted and implemented effectively. In an age when customized ads appear on your social media feed based on your browsing behavior, we should be able to remain more aware of the military connections of federal employees. Data collection and analysis is only effective if communities are accurately defined – active duty spouses face different barriers than veteran spouses, for example.

Some of the provisions “encourage” employers to make changes or take action. Stronger language (such as “require” or “direct”) could help turn the tide on the continued high rate of military spouse unemployment.

Military spouses also face the difficult task of navigating the frustrating USAJobs website to apply for vacant government service positions. Support for navigating the bureaucracy to apply for a federal position could help improve spouse employment and support the talent management shortages for DoD civilians. Although the encouraging directive is positive, one wrong click in USAJobs can result in an automated message – “You are not in the zone of consideration” – with little feedback.

Want to get involved in the conversation? Follow MOAA Spouse on Facebook and share your concerns, challenges, and successes with us at moaaspouse@moaa.org.