Why Supporting Military Spouses Who Have To Relocate Is the Right Move

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 9, 2023 / T-Mobile
By Shawn Ryan, T-Mobile Stories

In recognition of Veterans and Military Families Month, we check in with a military spouse we first interviewed after she was hired by T-Mobile in 2020. While the conversation then was around her experience of the company's commitment to hiring veterans and military spouses, today she shares how the company has provided her, and others in a similar situation, support when military families are given the order to relocate.

When we first met Logan Mcintosh, she was celebrating her one-year wedding anniversary as a military spouse. She also happened to be celebrating solo. It was the first inclination of how complicated this world can be. Her husband, Morgan, an active-duty Special Operations soldier in the Army, was serving a tour of duty in a place that was confidential and therefore unknown even to her.

She shared the myriad challenges of being a military spouse, a big one she said she only discovered after becoming married to the military: finding a supportive employer.

Logan revealed she quickly learned that companies are habitually wary of hiring people like her because of active military post relocation needs, and some military spouses she talked to even recommended she not disclose her husband's occupation. But she said that noticeably changed when she found a job opening with T-Mobile and applied.

A lot has happened for Logan since we last spoke. Currently finishing up her third year in T-Mobile's corporate communications organization, her husband indeed had to travel to other military bases since she was hired. She also started a family and navigated returning to work with a newborn while her husband was deployed overseas. Now a well-versed military spouse, we checked back in with Logan to ask her what she has learned to be most important when it comes to helping military and veteran families thrive.

You told us when you were first hired you were unaware of T-Mobile's dedication to building lasting careers for veterans and military spouses, including a commitment to hiring 10,000 veterans and military spouses by end of 2023, but felt an immediate difference in the way your military connection was treated from previous interviews. Can you elaborate on what that difference was?

I've been a military spouse for four years now. When my husband finished training, he was assigned to a team in Washington State, so we were picking up and driving across the country in February of 2020 after getting married. I had lost my job before we left because my employer was not supportive of the military lifestyle where we could be up and moving at any moment's notice. I spent months just scouring the internet for job postings. But, as soon as I would say that my husband is in the military, they immediately would ask, "Oh, well how long are you stationed for in the state?"

I saw a listing for a communications position at T-Mobile and reached out. During the interview, I just said straight up, "I'm a military spouse. I'm always going to be a military spouse. I'm not going to hide that. I'm a really hard worker, I'm dedicated and I'm stationed here for now. I'm just looking for an employer that is willing to work with me." And luckily that is exactly what happened.

I am still impressed with how much this company does with the help of the T-Mobile Military & Diversity Sourcing team and also through partnerships with Hiring Our Heroes (HOH), Carry The Load and One Tribe Foundation.

The company has formalized its practice of recognizing military spouses by implementing a companywide benefit. You've mention that this is also important to you and your family. How so?

Well, here I am in a different location, still working at T-Mobile. My husband wrestled at one of the best college programs in the country at Penn State before enlisting. In early 2022, he was given the opportunity to go back and train on behalf of the military through their world-class athlete program, or WCAP. We received military orders to move to Pennsylvania and I'll never forget, I was so anxious having to go talk to my managers about it because we were only given a month's notice before we had to pick up and move. I remember I went into the office at 6:30 in the morning. I wanted to be the first one there. I just sat them down and I said, "Listen, I so badly want to still work here and I really value my job and all the benefits and support I've received for being a military spouse. So, is it possible to maintain that while moving back across the country?" And they were like, "Of course! Why wouldn't we want to support the military?" It's a reason why I've been so grateful for this company because I don't know what I would be doing if I wasn't able to keep my job. Knowing that the T-Mobile employee handbook has this benefit called The Military Spouse Portable Career Option, which formalizes the company's commitment to military spouses under these circumstances, lifts a lot of uncertainty and stress.

The Why Behind What T-Mobile Does To Support Military Families

Just this year, the Chamber of Commerce reported that military spouses have faced an unemployment rate of 22%, compared to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which states that the national average sits at 3.6%. That makes service member spouses one of the highest unemployed demographics in the United States

A lot has happened since we spoke in 2020. Can you catch us up on what's been going on with your family and how T-Mobile has supported you through it?

Almost eight months ago we welcomed our beautiful daughter, Brooke, to our family. She has been so great, except of course when she's teething! When I was back from maternity leave, my husband Morgan had to start traveling again for the military. I was at home trying to juggle being a first-time mom and going back to work and everyone was just so unbelievably patient at T-Mobile. Even before we had Brooke, when Morgan would be deployed, I remember my managers would be supportive in so many ways, big and small, that made an impact on me. They even sent me a gift card to Whole Foods when Morgan was still overseas during Thanksgiving.

I also have to mention that the company's exclusive phone plan discounts for military families on its regular Go5G plan rates made a big difference when my husband was deployed overseas for six months. It's not like we just get to talk on the phone whenever we want when he's deployed, especially when we're in opposite time zones. It's made a huge difference not having to worry about racking up exorbitant charges. It's a true benefit for active military, veterans and their families - and ours!

*It was recently announced that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has chosen T-Mobile as its primary wireless provider through 2032, to provide free wireless service for the VA's telehealth app, making healthcare more accessible to millions of veterans. Read more HERE.

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SOURCE: T-Mobile