Military Veterans & spouse initiatives

Wipfli embraces hiring top-talent military veterans and their family members because we value the wide range of life experiences, ideas and perspectives they bring to our firm. We are committed to providing members, especially those transitioning into civilian life, with support for navigating the corporate world.

Spotlight On Our Vets: Wipfli Featured on Military Makeover: Operation Career from Wipfli on Vimeo.

How we support veterans

1. Valor

The mission of Wipfli’s internal business resource group Valor is to create a community to honor and serve military veterans and their families.

Valor’s purpose is focused on:

• Connection: Create intentional space for comradery that mirrors the support system members had while serving.
• Work readiness: Provide members, especially those transitioning into civilian life, with support for navigating the corporate world.
• Education: Educate associates around the firm about the strengths and skills gained through military experience to inform recruiting, hiring and career advancement opportunities.
• Engagement: Create a platform for volunteer opportunities, community involvement and other ways to give back to our heroes.

2. Recruiting

Wipfli has partnered with various organizations to strengthen our efforts to attract and recruit military veterans.

• Hiring Our Heroes: This program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation connects transitioning military service members, veterans and military spouses with American businesses through hiring events, digital programs, training fellowships and internships to develop a pipeline of talent ready to join the firm. Through Hiring Our Heroes, Valor and our talent acquisition teams participate in virtual hiring events with a specific focus on accounting and technology/cybersecurity candidates. Valor also participates in Hiring Our Heroes’ fellowship program, which is open to veterans, military spouses, transitioning service members and military caregivers.
• Warrior Care Program: The U.S. Special Operations Command Warrior Care Program (Care Coalition) was established in 2005 to provide Special Operations Forces (SOF) wounded, ill or injured service members and their families advocacy after life-changing events in order to navigate through recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration as quickly as possible, strengthening SOF readiness.
• Direct employers: We are able to leverage this relationship to share our jobs with State Workforce Personnel to better connect transitioning military service members seeking jobs with opportunities at Wipfli.
• Our recruiters and hiring managers undergo training to understand the military rank structure and other aspects of military life.

3. Benefits

Wipfli’s flexible work options allow veterans and families the ability to fit in appointments or fulfill their duties as members of the reserves and National Guard. It also is ideal for spouses of active military who might be moving from base to base.

Reserve duty

Wipfli recognizes that associates may have military reserve commitments in the form of 2 to 3 weeks of annual encampment or training duty. If an associate would otherwise have worked during this time, the firm pays the difference between what an associate earns from the government for military service and what the associate would have earned working their standard schedule during this 2– to 3-week period.

Extended military service

A military leave of absence is granted if an associate is absent in order to serve in the uniformed services of the United States for a period of up to 5 years (not including certain involuntary extensions of service or otherwise provided by applicable law). If associates intend to return to employment after leaving military service, they must notify Wipfli within 90 days of their honorable discharge.

Pay

For the first 6 months of military service, if the associate would otherwise have worked during this period, Wipfli pays 50% of the difference between the associate’s normal monthly compensation and the amount the associate receives as military pay.

Upon request, Wipfli provides loans with 7% interest for the remaining 50% of the difference between the associate’s normal compensation and the amount received as military pay. Upon return to work, that loan is repaid from payroll deductions.

Continued benefits

While on an extended military leave of absence, Wipfli will maintain associate benefit coverage for a time period of 12 weeks as if the associate had continued to work. If applicable, arrangements will need to be made for associates to pay their portion of insurance premiums while on leave. Wipfli continues to pay the firm’s portion of monthly premiums for medical, dental, and vision plans, as well as long-term disability insurance and life insurance for the duration of the 12-week period. Should a military leave period extend beyond 12 weeks, COBRA benefits will be offered as applicable. Under COBRA rules, associates on a military leave of absence must be allowed to elect continuation of coverage for themselves and their dependents, under any health care plan in connection with their employment.

Life insurance coverage continues as long as premiums are paid by the employer. Wipfli LLP continues to pay life insurance premiums for a period of 6 months while an associate is on "Active Duty" status. Associates may choose to convert to an individual policy upon completion of appropriate forms and upon application to our current provider.

Discontinued benefits

Long-term disability insurance terminates the day the associate stops active work with Wipfli. Coverage is reinstated on the first date of return to work. Upon "Active Duty" status in the Armed Forces, Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage terminates.

Returning to work

Associates are entitled to reinstatement with the same duties and at the same level of pay and benefits that they would have received had their employment not been interrupted by military service. Associates receive credit for full years of service and all time spent while on military duty. 401(k) and other deferred vesting rights are also calculated as though the associate had not been absent.

Associates who serve in the United States Armed Services, National Guard, National Reserves or state military may also be entitled to additional rights and benefits under applicable state and local law. Where applicable law affords associates greater rights than this policy, applicable law will control. Associates should contact the Talent & Culture team with questions.

4. Community engagement

Wipfli is focused on identifying opportunities to positively impact the veteran community in the markets we serve. Wipfli associates volunteer thousands of hours to various community service programs throughout the year and on Wipfli’s Community Day. Our community efforts continue to develop and expand.

The Wipfli Foundation matches donations to causes our associates care about. With the guidance from Valor, our associates have donated tens of thousands of dollars — matched by our foundation — to groups that support military veterans.

Wipfli has also been proud to be a sponsor of Honor Flight, an organization whose mission is to celebrate America’s veterans by inviting them to share in a day of honor at our nation’s memorials.

Our contributions in the past have helped make it possible for individual veterans to visit Washington D.C. monuments as part of larger organized flights with dozens or hundreds of participants.

Meet veterans on our team

https://www.wipfli.com/about-wipfli/living-our-values/valor-members