Ohio rolls out veteran friendly employer registry

By Lisa Cornwell 

Ohio has rolled out an online registry letting military veterans know which employers are looking to hire veterans.

Registry proponents suggest it should result in more jobs for veterans, while others aren’t so sure.

The registry, stemming from a 2014 law, went online Dec. 19 with about 300 employer names. More than 150 indicated they have a preference policy for hiring, promoting or retaining veterans, service members or their spouses or surviving spouses. Others “self-reported” as military-friendly – an option that isn’t in the law but does allow employers to indicate other veteran support.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services must maintain the voluntary registry and provide a link on its OhioMeansJobs website for employers wanting to get on the list.

The registry was included in an amendment that Ohio House Speaker-elect Cliff Rosenberger proposed primarily to provide legal protection for employers’ concerned that establishing a preference policy might violate equal employment opportunity laws, state Rep. Terry Johnson said in an email.

But Johnson, who heads the House Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, said the registry should also help veterans find jobs.

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