To date, the Department of National Defence has relied on the work of the CFLC, which is composed of Canadian business people, to educate employers on the roles and value o
f reservists and to encourage them to voluntarily reinstate reservists who ar
e absent because of training and military operations (42) The CFLC had previously aken the position that since Reserve service is voluntary, job protection for reservists should also be voluntary, rather than required by legislation (43) There have also been concerns that legisl
ated job p ...[+++]rotection could result in discrimination in hiring practices whereby employers could, for example, avoid hiring or promoting reservists because of the possibility that they might be absent for a long time due to military duty (44) However, through the testimony of its representative before the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence, the CFLC took a supportive position in relation to Bill C-40.
Jusqu’ici, le ministère de la Défense nationale a fait confiance au travail du Conseil, qui est composé d’hommes d’affaires canadiens, pour sensibiliser les employeurs au rôle et à la valeur des réservistes et pour les encourager à réintégrer volontairement ceux‑ci après une absence pour entraînement ou opérations militaires (42). Le Conseil est d’avis que, puisque le service dans la Réserve est volontaire, la protection de l’emploi des réservistes devrait l’être également et non pas faire l’objet d’une loi (43).