Compensation for Employers of Reservists Program
Compensation for Employers of Reservists Program (CERP) is a Department of National Defence (DND) grant program for which the Department of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) provides administrative support. In addition to issuing grants to employers of reservists and self-employed reservists, CERP provides an opportunity to conduct outreach and bring awareness to the business community and educational institutions about the important role, training and special skills reservists bring to the military and their personal careers outside of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
Objectives of this Program:
- Provide a one-time financial support to civilian employers of reservists and self-employed reservists, to offset operational costs they incur when reservist employees deploy on full-time operational duty (Chief of Defence Staff directed operation), both domestically and abroad.
- Enable reservists to be more fully integrated alongside the Canadian Armed Forces Regular Force.
- Enable a better understanding of the role of reservists in the military, their places of employment and in their communities.
Immediate outcomes:
- Employers are compensated for operational losses when reservists take time away from work to serve on military operations.
- Enhanced relationships with civilian employers.
- Internal and external stakeholders’ capability to support reservists is strengthened.
Intermediate outcomes:
- Reservists’ availability for military duty will be further enabled.
- Reservists’ ability to balance work, family and military commitments will be better supported.
Long term outcomes:
- Greater awareness and promotion of the work of the Reserve Force among civilian employers, educational institutions and throughout Canadian communities.
- Improved links to Canadian communities.
- The reputation of the CAF and reservists in communities across Canada is protected and enhanced.
For more information on the program, please refer to the Department of National Defence website.