Beyond Service: Honoring Workday Veterans Every Day
As Veterans Day approaches in the United States, I find myself reflecting on the significance of this day and the incredible individuals it honors. This holiday recognizes all military members who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Veterans Day holds a special place in my heart, as I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the sacrifices and courage of Veterans firsthand.
What is Veterans Day and Who Are We Celebrating
Veterans Day is a great chance to show appreciation for those who have served in the U.S Military and for them to think back on their experiences, the friends they made there and share those things with the people around them. At Workday we value inclusion, belonging, and equity (VIBE) for all. And that comes to life in many ways including our Employee Belonging Councils (EBCs), one of those being Veterans@Workday. We celebrate all Veterans here at Workday and acknowledge holidays across the world like Remembrance Day (UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) and many more.
Each year, we do a big cantina to celebrate at the Salt Lake City office, and it’s always a lot of fun. Our custom grog recipe was a big hit last year, and we’re making a new one this year! Memorial Day is all about those we’ve lost, so although we also remember them on Veterans Day, I like the fact that Veterans Day gives us a chance to celebrate those who made it home, too.
Many believe that Veterans are expected to act or behave in specific ways due to stereotypes shown in movies, like being seen as rule-followers who are blunt and brash, but this does not reflect reality.” To me, being a Veteran is someone who places a lot of value on doing the best they can at the things that are important to them, inside work or out of it. Someone who knows the value of teamwork and helping others, who probably doesn’t talk a lot about their military service unless asked. And perhaps surprisingly, someone who has a real sense of humor, probably a fairly dark one.
Veterans Day reminds me to reflect back at my time spent in the National Guard, how my military skills have been transferrable into my civilian life, and how Workday supports Veterans.
From The National Guard to Workday
My journey from the Utah Army National Guard to a career at Workday has been a distinctive adventure. In the late ’90s, I enlisted as a Spanish translator in the Utah Army National Guard. That’s also what I was studying in college at the time, and when I graduated, I got a promotion to Specialist (E4). An important part of the Guard is supporting the local community, and I still see my work in translating the Utah driver’s license manual as the most important thing I did for them. In early 2000, I joined an HR management tech company as a consultant, and my time in Guard ended just about a year later.
I stayed with this company through an acquisition, using my translation skills a few times to teach classes for them in Mexico. In 2013, some friends at one of Workday’s partners, Collaborative Solutions (now part of Cognizant), reached out and asked me to join their Workday practice, and after four years of making sure I showed up at every Workday opportunity I could, I was able to join the Field Readiness team here, now supporting consultants after being one for 17 years, and I love it.
How Workday Supports Veterans
Workday continues to show up for Workmates in many ways — especially Veterans. Thanks to some very hard work from our EBC leadership and our executive sponsors during my time here, I’ve seen greatly expanded support for military members and their spouses when they are called up to active duty. But Workday doesn’t just try to help Workmates on this front — we’ve also utilized what we’ve learned from our Skills functionality to work with the Department of Defense on translating the skills that military service members gain in their duties into the terminology that civilian companies recognize as valuable to their organizations, to help Veterans transition more easily out of active duty at the end of their service.
The EBCs help on a local level as well — the Salt Lake City branch of our EBC recently catered and brought $1900 worth of goods donated by Workmates to a Veterans Affairs (VA) Stand Down event where VA staff and volunteers distribute supplies to homeless Veterans and try to connect them with services that can help them in many different ways.
How To Get Involved
For our own reasons, many Veterans find it awkward when someone says “thanks for your service.” For example, because of unforeseeable, fortunate timing, I was never deployed overseas, so I’ve struggled with thinking of myself as a Veteran, although other Vets have told me that it doesn’t matter if people shot at me for my country — it matters that I signed a paper saying I was willing to let them. But even if we find it awkward, we know what you mean, and we appreciate the message. Many wonder how to support veterans beyond saying “thank you.” You can help by volunteering, advocating for veterans’ rights, or donating to organizations aiding veterans in need.
Approximately 11% of homeless adults are veterans. Your local VA Hospital actively supports them and accepts year-round donations.
Check out this wishlist for items needed in Salt Lake City: https://www.cdceportal.va.gov/facility_needlist/?id=660. You can even order items online and ship them to the volunteer office, but be sure to contact them first.
Today, I honor my fellow Veterans. Because of their sacrifices, we have been able to look at brighter days ahead.
Check out John’s 3D prints via Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/atdesignsByJohn
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