For Those Who Are Called

Even before they report for duty next month, most of the 24,500 reservists just called to active military service will be facing no small battle on the home front. During tours that can last as long as two years, spartan soldiers' pay will have to be stretched to cover civilian responsibilities. Yet a fortunate few will be able to count on a financial ally: U.S. businesses that sense a duty to their duty-bound employees.

Though the practice is by no means widespread, many companies are helping their former weekend warriors with financial aid, including substantial supplementary pay. Among the leaders is Sears, Roebuck & Co., whose called-up family men can count on receiving the difference between service pay and 75% of their civilian salary for at least four years. Even unmarried draftees who have been with the company for at least 16 weeks, go to induction with an extra week's pay.

And Free Cigarettes. Sears is by no means the only employer willing to go beyond the letter of the law, which merely requires that draftees and reservists be given a comparable job and continued seniority when they return.

Among many companies that are concerned about the economic gap between business and the barracks is Standard Oil of New Jersey, which offers a flat two months' induction pay plus 50% of the difference between service and civilian pay for married men as long as they are on active duty. Atlanta-based Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Co. pays a 100% differential for up to six months, while Dow Chemical men go off to war with a check for up to two months' pay. Western Electric pro vides full differential pay for the first three months of active duty, plus an other three months for each of an employee's dependents. Philip Morris's men get profit sharing plus a free carton of cigarettes each month.

A vast majority of U.S. corporations give their duty-bound employees quite a bit less, perhaps because until very recently the possibility of call-ups hardly seemed to be on anyone's mind. In their negotiations with the auto companies last fall, the United Auto Workers won a differential-pay provision --but only for ten days a year, to cover summer camp or "riot duty."

Now the longer term is coming up for wider consideration. Oppenheimer Industries, a Kansas City-based, real-es-tate-managemeift firm, was long happy with a fairly generous pay plan for employees on summer-training duty. Now that its board chairman, Harold Oppenheimer, a colonel in the Marine reserves, is on duty in Viet Nam, com pany officials say that they are working out something for those "called up for an indefinite tour."

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