Employment of Veterans: MHP explains how they adapt the military to civilian life

In the fall of 2023, MHP introduced the position of coordinator for cooperation with the military and veterans. This was done to facilitate the adaptation of employees who returned from the war. Inna Zakharchuk, MHP's Senior Business Partner for Human Resources in Sustainable Development, Marketing, Communications, shared how veterans adapt to civilian life and what is the role of the coordinator in this area, UNN reports.

Details

She said that people are the greatest value at MHP.

We are a company with more than 30,000 employees, and now more than 2,600 of our employees are mobilized. They are coming back, and we are creating opportunities for them to receive comprehensive support on the way to reintegration and professional adaptation

The adaptation of veterans to civilian life is part of the MHP Standing Together program, which focuses on medical care, financial assistance, a job, legal support, social reintegration, professional adaptation, psychological support and a friendly atmosphere. This is exactly what Ukrainian soldiers returning from war to society need, says Zakharchuk.

She also noted that as of January 1 this year, about 600 veterans had returned to the company.

"226 of them were hired to their previous jobs, which the company kept for them, and more than 240 were new jobs created. And 118 people joined the company as veterans who had not worked before. And each case is individual in its own way," said the MHP representative.

Speaking about the stages of reintegration of veterans, MHP's Senior Business Partner for Human Resources noted that this process can be divided into two stages.

"In general, I would divide the entire program into two important stages. These are mobilization and demobilization of the employee. At the mobilization stage, the company keeps the job and continues to pay salaries. In addition, we are with the person when he or she is mobilized, because we understand that there are often requests from the brigades where the person serves or directly from the person who serves," Zakharchuk said.

At the same time, MHP is taking care of the families of those mobilized.

"When a man is at the front, it is very important for him that his loved ones are supported. The interaction coordinator communicates with the family and helps if necessary. These can be very different requests: from consulting a psychologist or a lawyer to, for example, chopping or bringing firewood because there is no one to do it, the husband is at war. We also organize various support groups and retreats for women who are waiting for their husbands," she said.

Help

MHP Standing Together is a program of individualized support and comprehensive assistance to military personnel, veterans and their families. The program supports military personnel, veterans and their families during their service and after returning from the war: humanitarian aid to military units; medical examination, treatment and rehabilitation; legal and psychological support; social reintegration; professional adaptation and inclusive sports activities.