New in Israel: IDF reservists cannot be fired within 60 days of returning to work

Labor and Social Security Minister Yoav Tzur signed an order prohibiting the dismissal of reservists for up to 60 days after their return to work. The previous order prohibited the dismissal of reservists within 30 days.

In addition to expanding the period of ban on dismissal, parents of children under 14 years of age who are called up for war will be able to receive up to 8 additional paid days of leave after returning to work. These days will not be officially considered vacation; they are intended to put things in order after a long service, spend time with children, and so on.

Another innovation is the possibility of using vacation days accumulated in 2024 for the next year.

Minister Tzur commented on the decision: “The government has taken an important step for reservists who left their families and jobs for long periods of time to defend the country. The new benefits will better protect them from being fired. I urge all employers to take into account the important contribution of reservists to the defense of Israel and refrain from dismissing them.”

Note that the only authority that can authorize the dismissal of militia employees before the expiration of a 30- or 60-day period is the employment commission operating under the Ministry of Defense. They report an increase of hundreds of percent in requests for dismissal of reservists before the expiration of the 30-day period. If in a normal year the commission receives several dozen such requests, then since the beginning of the war their number has increased significantly.

At the same time, we must not forget that the government does not provide employers with any incentives for employing reservists. While large companies can afford to “lose” an employee for several months, small employers are unable to do this and are forced to resort to dismissal and search for new employees.