5 Ways Gannett Fleming is a Military and Veteran-Friendly Employer

Past and present members of the Canadian and U.S. armed forces embody characteristics we highly value in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, including problem-solving, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and the ability to work well in teams.

Knowing the work ethic, loyalty, and goal-oriented nature military members possess drives our recruiters to meet military and veteran communities where they are in their job searches. We post our open positions on military-friendly job boards, attend military-focused career fairs, and seek referrals from our current employees.

Hiring veterans and aiding them as they transition to the civilian workforce is also essential to our recruitment and retention strategy, which we realize through programs like our apprenticeship program. Still, our ultimate goal is for veteran and current military members to enjoy long, rewarding careers with us while supporting their families and achieving their personal and professional goals.

Gannett Fleming is proud to promote Military Veterans at Gannett Fleming, an employee resource group (ERG) dedicated to:

• Creating a culture that recognizes the skills, contributions, and value that military veterans bring.
• Fostering veteran recruitment and career growth.
• Supporting veterans and their families.

However, this affinity group is also open to all guard members, reservists, and allies. Military Veterans partners with our Human Resources department and talent acquisition team to ensure our hiring and retention policies support past and present military members. In addition, Military Veterans co-sponsors our Connected Relationships Mentoring Program, which utilizes the existing knowledge, skills, and experience of senior employees and pairs them with a junior or less experienced employee at Gannett Fleming.

“Our ERG’s goal is to help Gannett Fleming be more than just a ‘military-friendly’ company,” said Carmen Figueroa, Military Veterans chair and assistant project manager for our Construction Services Corporate Business Group. “We are striving to be military focused by providing support for those employees who currently serve and those with veteran status. Gannett Fleming is committed to showing our appreciation for their service, and we dedicate ourselves to addressing this demographic’s unique, lesser-known needs. We want to make life easier for them and their families.”

In addition to Military Veterans, we currently support three more ERGs that all employees are welcome to join:

1. Connected Women at Gannett Fleming™.
2. Future Generations of Gannett Fleming.
3. LGBTQ+ of Gannett Fleming.

When Charles Smith, a reservist and business analyst with our Integrated Risk Management Corporate Business Group, came to Gannett Fleming in October 2021, he was dismayed when he got word that he would have to attend his two-week annual training with the Reserves within the first month of his new employment. Although Charles was nervous about needing to request time off so soon after starting, he found that he had complete support from his manager, team, and our Human Resources department.

“My manager, Ister Morales, could not have been more supportive,” said Smith. “She assured me she and the team fully supported me going to my annual training, and we would pick back up where we left off when I returned. And that’s exactly what happened.”

Smith was so impressed with Gannett Fleming’s response that he nominated the firm for the United States Department of Defense Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Seven Seals Award. Gannett Fleming ultimately received the Pennsylvania Seven Seals Award, which Smith accepted on the firm’s behalf.

“Even though I had only been at Gannett Fleming for a few months when I nominated them for the award, my experiences had been so good that I knew I had to do it,” said Smith. “When Bob Scaer, Gannett Fleming chairman and CEO, got word we submitted and won, he reached out to me personally to express his appreciation, which I really respected.”

Gannett Fleming provides partial compensation during short-term military absences and the reinstatement of employment and other benefits upon returning from long-term military absences. We also ensure that our management teams and departments understand and appreciate the importance of supporting our guard and reserve team members during their leaves.

Being a current military member brings unique needs and circumstances. One benefit that sets Gannett Fleming apart from other employees is our flextime policy. Under this policy, Gannett Fleming permits full-time employees to flex their hours within the same week, as long as they are still recording a total of 40 regular hours each pay week.

“The flextime policy has been super helpful,” said Smith. “If I need to be out for a long weekend with my reservist duties, I can without using my paid time off. This is especially useful when I know we have a lot of project work to complete because I can still be there for my team.”

Internal support programs are crucial to ensuring the well-being of our employees, and our military veterans, reservists, and guard members are top of mind for many of these programs.

One program that Gannett Fleming’s employees find valuable is our Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Under the EAP, Gannett Fleming employees can access free, confidential counseling and referral services through an independently administered Life Assistance Program. This benefit can assist employees in resolving many work and life issues by providing referrals and connecting employees to resources to help them in their daily lives.

Gannett Fleming also offers employees many wellness benefits at little to no cost. Some of these programs include:

• A membership to the Calm app.
• Regular reimbursements for fitness trackers, fitness equipment, and gym memberships.
• Personalized health coaching.

We also acknowledge the responsibilities military spouses and family members face in supporting their loved ones in the military. We provide up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave to allow an employee to care for a family member (such as a spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin) who is:

• Receiving medical treatment.
• Recuperating from an illness or injury.
• Receiving therapy.
• Is an outpatient.
• Is on the temporary disability retired list for a serious, service-related injury or illness.

In addition, qualifying exigency leave provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to an employee for the qualifying, urgent, non-medical needs of a family member (such as the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent) who is a reservist or active-duty service member and deployed to a foreign country.

A qualifying exigency may include the following:

• Short-notice deployment.
• Military events and related activities.
• Childcare and school activities.
• Financial and legal arrangements.
• Non-medical counseling.
• Rest and recuperation.
• Post-deployment activities.
• Additional related activities agreed to by the company and employee.

If you’re ready to start a fulfilling and exciting career with a top AEC firm, apply to our open positions, and join our talent community today!