Dallas-based AT&T recognized as one of the most military-friendly employers in the U.S.

by PegNews wire

DALLAS — AT&T announced that G.I. Jobs magazine has included AT&T in its seventh annual list recognizing the nation's top Military Friendly Employers. A full list of all 100 Military Friendly Employers can be found at www.gijobs.com/top100pr.

G.I. Jobs is a national monthly publication that provides resources to help members of the military transition into a civilian career. AT&T's recognition is based on its commitment to veterans and members of the armed forces via recruitment and support programs. Criteria for the rankings included assets dedicated to military hiring, Reserve/Guard policies, percentage of new hires who are veterans, veteran training programs, and previous three years' rankings.

AT&T demonstrates its commitment to military families in a number of ways, including:

• Supporting military and veteran employees and vendors as an employer
• Working to engage the general public in support for the troops
• Continuing its 85-year tradition of corporate giving to military causes and related charities

"At AT&T, supporting military families -- and working to help them stay connected -- means a lot to us for a number of reasons. More than 2,500 AT&T employees have been called to active duty since Sept. 11, and nearly 300 are currently serving in the U.S. armed forces," said Cindy Brinkley, AT&T's chief diversity officer. "We're proud of them, and we know it's vital for us to support them and their families."

Supporting military families as an employer

AT&T provides multiple benefits to its military employees, including differential pay for those who report to active duty, benefits options for those employees and their families, and guaranteed availability of the same or similar position upon an employee's return from service. AT&T also pursues recruiting opportunities with active duty, reserve, and retired U.S. armed services personnel, attending job fairs, and hosting events at military transition centers or bases.

AT&T includes disabled-veteran-owned businesses in its supply chain. AT&T spent $74 million with these firms in 2008, and has a program in place to ensure that they are included among the eligible suppliers that are considered for its contracts.

Earlier this year, AT&T was named one of the Best Corporations for Veteran-Owned Businesses by Vetrepreneur Magazine. AT&T has also been recognized by the Association for Service Disabled Veterans (ASDV) for its unwavering support of programs for service disabled veteran-owned businesses.

Engaging the public in military support

AT&T also supports Cell Phones for Soldiers (CPFS), a nonprofit organization that uses the proceeds from recycling to buy phone cards to donate to military personnel away from home. Today, wireless users -- regardless of their carriers -- can donate phones for recycling via any AT&T-owned store or by downloading or requesting a free shipping label or envelope at www.att.com/recycle.

To extend cell phone recycling drives into communities across the U.S., the AT&T Pioneers, a network of more than 300,000 AT&T volunteers, have been working to collect phones for recycling with CPFS in corporate offices and community locations since 2008. And, the AT&T Veterans, an employee resource group, also supports fundraising and volunteerism to help active duty, reserve, and retired U.S. armed services personnel and their families.

Corporate giving for veterans and related causes

AT&T has built 70 calling centers for military members stationed in Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan, so they can stay in touch with loved ones. In recent years, AT&T has donated free prepaid phone cards with a retail value of nearly $8 million to military members. And, AT&T and the AT&T Foundation have provided more than $6 million in grants and contributions to organizations that serve active military members and veterans, including the USO, VFW and the American G.I. Forum.

The complete list of the Top 50 Most Military Friendly Employers will be included in the December 2009 issue of G.I. Jobs magazine, which hit newsstands Monday, in celebration of Veteran's Day.

Source: AT&T Inc.