Posted by Mark Bossi (M.A. Bossi, Esquire) from Toronto Ontario Canada on January 06, 2021 at 22:46:24:
In Reply to: Mandatory time off for Reserves (Dav....) posted by MWG on January 04, 2021 at 16:36:44:
Reservists who are federal civil servants in their daytime job used to run into ridiculous difficulty when they tried to get "time off" to attend military training/exercises - because of jealousy from non-reservist union employees who felt they should also be entitled to time off for their chosen pursuits (i.e. stamp-collecting, spanking monkeys, whatever).
Also, the problem is further compounded by rocket scientists who decree that courses for reservists must be eight weeks long. GET REAL!! What employer can afford to lose a valuable employee for eight weeks straight? Gee, kinda makes one think that the old two week long courses kinda made sense, eh? If you need eight weeks of training, then break it down into four two-week blocks - period.
As for where to report for duty, there used to be "exclusion lists" - certain jobs were deemed "essential to the war effort" - my favourite historical example was the CNR and CPR Regiments in World War One - too many skilled railwaymen were quitting and joining the military, so they created the CNR and CPR Regiments - this allowed patriotic railway workers to join up as reservists, attend token training once a month, but kept the railways moving (all in aid of the war effort). Look this one up at the War Museum in Ottawa, if you don't believe me.
Dileas.