U.S. troops have already begun leaving some Iraqi cities, and we now are about a year away from the target deadline the Obama administration has set for pulling a significant number of combat troops out of that country. The United States has more than 140,000 men and women currently serving in Iraq, all of whom we hope will be returning home and most of whom will someday return to the civilian workforce.

Additionally, there are thousands of employable veterans searching for jobs now. To remind you why military veterans make such good employees, the people at www.hirevetsfirst.gov have put together a list of the top 10 reasons to hire vets:

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By Gary Jiles

A wise employer recognizes that with age comes solid work experience. Thus, it is beneficial to both you and the employee to accommodate the needs of your aging employees. While an older workforce may trigger a few considerations, flexibility and additional training can ensure that your employees (and business) continue to prosper.

Baby Boomers are all grown up and represent a large portion of today’s workforce. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 40 percent of people age 55 and older consider themselves part of the workforce. Before the recession, many companies were becoming increasingly aware of the needs of older workers. However, many initiatives aimed at meeting those needs have been scrapped because of tumultuous financial times. Labor experts now fear that employers are woefully unprepared to meet the needs of the aging labor force.

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By Stephen J. Stine

The categories of persons entitled to legal protection under federal antidiscrimination law have remained the same for almost 20 years. The last major expansion of federal antidiscrimination protection occurred in 1990, when Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act to protect individuals with an actual or perceived disability or a history of a disability.

Now, Congress appears poised to extend federal antidiscrimination law to a whole new level — sexual orientation and gender identity. Let’s look at the proposed legislative measure designed to prohibit sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination and the potential impact on your business if passed.

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On July 31, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas entered a judgment against communications giant AT&T, Inc. The lawsuit was filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on behalf of two male customer service technicians who were suspended and fired for attending a Jehovah’s Witness convention. AT&T paid $1,307,597 to satisfy the judgment.

In October 2007, a jury of nine women and three men awarded Jose Gonzalez and Glenn Owen $296,000 in back pay and $460,000 in compensatory damages for their Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 claim. During the four-day trial, the jury heard evidence that both men had submitted written requests to their manager in January 2005 for one day of leave to attend a religious observance scheduled to take place Friday, July15, through Sunday, July17.

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On July 31, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas entered a judgment against communications giant AT&T, Inc. The lawsuit was filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on behalf of two male customer service technicians who were suspended and fired for attending a Jehovah’s Witness convention. AT&T paid $1,307,597 to satisfy the judgment.

In October 2007, a jury of nine women and three men awarded Jose Gonzalez and Glenn Owen $296,000 in back pay and $460,000 in compensatory damages for their Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 claim. During the four-day trial, the jury heard evidence that both men had submitted written requests to their manager in January 2005 for one day of leave to attend a religious observance scheduled to take place Friday, July15, through Sunday, July17.

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