Top Career Success Tips for 2026

Several new developments might affect the employment of military service members and their families and employers' compliance commitments in 2026. Changes vary from proposals to increase incentives for hiring military spouses to boosted work securities for service members while on task. Military partner job opportunity and assistance stay a focus for pending legislation.

, presented previously in 2025.

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Regular Movings Frequent movings continue to strain military households and can make it more challenging for companies to employ and retain military partners. Broadening the WOTC could create brand-new incentives for employers to employ military spouses and tap into this underutilized talent pool.

Advanced Retirement and Pension Optimization

The U.S. Congress has actually not yet used up the STAY Act this year, however if it is eventually enacted, it might result in lowered PCS moves that might impact recruiting, retention, and remote-work policies for military spouses. Military Re-Employment Protections Federal law currently supplies civilian employment leave defenses for veterans and service members who are involuntarily or willingly released for military service.

The Dole Act reinforced anti-retaliation defenses and allowed plaintiffs alleging USERRA offenses to seek minimum liquidated damages of $50,000 and lawyers' fees. Agencies and courts might continue to translate and apply the Dole Act's USERRA-related provisions.

New Company Resources In January 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service (DOL/VETS) introduced a program for companies to seek guidance for making sure compliance. The Support and Assistance for Leaders in USERRA Training and Employment (SALUTE) program is a chance for companies to demand technical assistance on USERRA-related questions or specific issues in their workforce before the start of a DOL/VETS complaint or suit.

Priority actions consist of reviewing USERRA compliance programs and training, updating military leave and reemployment policies, confirming health-benefit continuation treatments, and aligning hiring and tax-credit screening procedures to quickly capture brand-new incentives for military spouses. Ogletree Deakins' new Military Labor force Practice Group unites a team of attorneys, many of whom are veterans or presently serving in the Reserves or National Guard, who frequently encourage on USERRA compliance, policy development, multistate application, and examinations and lawsuits.

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Comparing Benefit Paths for Military Families

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For 10 years, Hiring Our Heroes has actually promoted military spouse employment, producing pathways to chance and driving systemic modification. As we commemorate this milestone, the 10th Annual Military Spouse Employment Summit will honor the legacy of development while charting a strong course for the future. This year's top focuses on Leadership & Legacy as we acknowledge the partners, companies, and advocates who have actually changed the work landscape and prepared the next generation to prosper in a developing workforce.

Together, we will build on a years of service and success to develop a future where military spouses lead with strength, vision, and function.

Military spouses deal with one of the most relentless employment spaces in the American labor force., military partner joblessness has hovered around 20% or higher in recent years.