What is employment?
It implies the state of anybody who is doing what they most want to do under any circumstances ("Definition of Employment"). The employed carry out the sustained activity to earn their living or fulfill their interests in life. In the US, around 125.97 million citizens were employed on a full-time basis with the number increasing by over 20 million since 1991("Number of Full-Time Employees in the U.S. 1990-2017 | Timeline"). With the need of employment rising over the years, the two major sectors that contribute in the sector that are Civilian and Military continue to dominate the field. Civilian employment aims to recruit individuals above the age of 16 in fields such as in retail trade, mining, healthcare, manufacturing industries, and others that are not related to the army ("Employment Situation Summary"). On the other hand, military employment employs US citizens and even Green Card holders aged between 17-40 years (every branch has its different age requirements), high school diplomas or GED in some branches, and a pass in "Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery" test ("Join the Military | Usagov"). In this paper, in comparing and contrasting civilian versus military jobs, their advantages and disadvantages in pay, working hours, job security, healthcare, freedom to quit, housing, education, and safety will be discussed. The ultimately preferred type of employment will also be explained.
Pay
Civilian pay in all sectors in the US is much higher than military ones. Majority of the civilians are also paid every other week thus contributing to their salaries being more whereas military pay is only done on the first and fifteenth of each month. However, when it comes to tax, the military job has an upper advantage than civilians since soldiers are not taxed in their basic needs and even in their salaries (Guina).
Working Hours
Civilians work schedule is more efficient and flexible than the military one. Majority of full-time civilian jobs are usually 35-40 hours per week with the clock starting from eight to five from Monday to Friday thus offering them a greater opportunity to bond with their families ("Comparing Military Pay and Benefits to Civilian Jobs"). Whereas, in military jobs, their working hours are rigid since the soldiers work 24 hours in the seven days of the week ("Comparing Military Pay and Benefits to Civilian Jobs"). That is required for constant security operations in the country and combat missions abroad. Soldiers being on call 24 hours limit their interaction with their family members.
Job Security
Military offers job security to their service members in their bases all around the world whereby they do not get affected by the fluctuating economic and social issues (Guina). Military members are offered free services regarding the institutions such as free education in America. Conversely, civilian jobs do not provide job security to their employees who can lose their jobs. For instance, in 2017 as corporate America was celebrating tax cuts, the majority of the firms laid off some workers. Comcast managed to lay off quietly around 500 employees in the sales department in December after giving them $1,000 bonus (Dayen).
Healthcare
Military jobs offer the soldiers free full health coverage free. Army personnel and their families have the privilege of visiting any hospital or clinic in America without using their money since the military medical insurance covers them ("Comparing Military Pay and Benefits to Civilian Jobs"). However, civilian jobs free healthcare is not guaranteed since it depends on the employer insurance policy with some firms requiring the employees to pay their own or partial amount of their bills depending on their medical condition. For instance, in surgeries, some companies will assist the sick worker in co-paying their medical bills insurance ("Comparing Military Pay and Benefits to Civilian Jobs").
Freedom to Quit
Civilian jobs offer workers with the opportunity to resign any time they need. There are no restrictions on the period that one wants to work or quit. They can get jobs in other companies that they feel will offer them better working conditions when it comes to allowances and salaries. Their retirement will depend on the company's age limit with some requiring employees to work for more than 35 years ("Comparing Military Pay and Benefits to Civilian Jobs"). However, freedom to quit is not an option in the military sector. Soldiers are supposed not to use the word "no" when sent to duties. When one joins the army, he or she is required to serve and protect his country at all times thus quitting is an offense that can lead to being imprisoned for the military rules violation. One can only request a retirement after 15 to 20 years of service ("Comparing Military Pay and Benefits to Civilian Jobs").
Housing
Military jobs offer free housing to those working in the military base; however, those who stay off base are offered a basic housing allowance, which is usually tax-free. Conversely, civilian jobs do not provide housing to their staff; thus employees have to cover all the costs ("Comparing Military Pay and Benefits to Civilian Jobs").
Education
Military employment offers free education to their members whereby they are entitled to attend branch college programs with other limitless possibilities. However, Civilian jobs are not responsible for the education of the employees: thus, it is an individual responsibility ("Comparing Military Pay and Benefits to Civilian Jobs").
Safety
Military job work safety for soldiers is not granted. The army officers took an oath to serve and protect the country from any harm. Soldiers are sometimes deployed in other war zone countries such as Afghanistan for a long time, which is usually risky since they can get injured or die in the process ("Comparing Military Pay and Benefits to Civilian Jobs"). On the contrary, civilian jobs safety is guaranteed since employees only have to worry about their welfare and fulfilling their duties in the office that do not involve the use of arms ("Comparing Military Pay and Benefits to Civilian Jobs").
Preferred Employment
In spite of the pros and cons discussed above, both the two sectors assist in the employment of Americans. They assist in providing social and economic security to the citizens in handling their daily lives. Every system has its flaws that people learn to adapt to them. Personally, both are preferred.
Conclusion
Civilian and Military jobs offer employment opportunities to all Americans. However, they have their advantages and disadvantages. As discussed in this paper, the civilian has a benefit of higher pay than military but disadvantaged when it comes to taxes. Civilian jobs also have a flexible working hour that involves an average of 35 hours from Monday to Friday with military employment having a rigid working hour that focuses on a 24-hour basis in the effort of protecting the citizens all the time. Military job security is also efficient since they are not affected by the economic or social crisis, unlike the civilians who are fired easily by their employers. In healthcare, military personnel enjoys free services, unlike the civilian job where the guarantee is partial. Civilians also have the privilege to quit any moment from their duties, unlike military where it is prohibited. Housing is also allocated to the soldiers living in the base free with those staying outside being offered a basic tax-free allowance. The soldier also enjoys free education, unlike their counterparts that have to pay for their fees.
Works Cited
"Definition of EMPLOYMENT". Merriam-Webster.Com, 2018, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/employment. Accessed 24 Apr 2018.
"Join the Military | Usagov". Usa.Gov, 2018, https://www.usa.gov/join-military. Accessed 24 Apr 2018.
Guina, Ryan. "Do Military Members Get Paid Enough?". The Military Wallet, 2018, https://themilitarywallet.com/do-military-members-get-paid-enough/. Accessed 24 Apr 2018.
Dayen, David. "Corporate America Celebrated Tax Cuts by Laying Off Workers". Vice, 2018, https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/59wk9n/corporate-america-celebrated-tax-cuts-by-laying-off-workers. Accessed 24 Apr 2018.
"Employment Situation Summary". Bls.Gov, 2018, https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm. Accessed 24 Apr 2018.
"Comparing Military Pay and Benefits to Civilian Jobs". Military.Com, 2018, https://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/military-vs-civilian-benefits-overview.html. Accessed 24 Apr 2018.
