EMPLOYERS DEVELOP PLANS FOR IF RESERVISTS GET CALL.

Byline: Brent Hopkins, Rick Orlov and Troy Anderson Staff Writers

With the possibility that local government employees will be called to active military duty, the Los Angeles City Council and county Board of Supervisors took steps Tuesday to make sure their reservists will not be financially hurt and vital jobs are filled.

Local businesses also have been making decisions on how to get work done if key employees are called to active duty with their reserve units, and what pay and benefits to extend.

As it has in past instances when city workers were called up, the City Council adopted a measure Tuesday to pay the difference between military paychecks and the employees' city salaries.

The supervisors scheduled a vote next week on a similar policy and received a report Tuesday on how to fill jobs of county workers ordered to active duty.

Hundreds of city workers could be called up depending on the extent of military activity, officials said. The Los Angeles Police Department has 663 reservists.

Michael J. Henry, director of the county's Department of Human Resources, told the Board of Supervisors the county has more than 800 employees in the reserves, including 292 in the Sheriff's Department.

``We'll probably back-fill those positions and spread the work among existing employees,'' Henry said. ``Some departments will have to use overtime to back-fill. This could also include calling retirees to come back to work for a short time.''

Private employers also are determining strategies to handle the possible deployment of up to 50,000 reservists, with more than 8,000 in Southern California. Companies say they want to support their employees as well as comply with laws covering employment of reservists.

``It's never easy,'' said Nina Hangen, director of women's services at Northridge Hospital Medical Center and a major in the Air Force Reserve. ``You don't want to have to leave your family and job - you change your life in a matter of days. But if you're a member of the armed forces, it's something you accept.''

Whether authorizing supplemental wages to augment workers' military pay or looking into hiring temporary replacements, most large businesses are finding a way to adapt.

The Department of Defense's Employer Support of Guard and Reserve Committee reported a sudden spike in interest from employers in learning procedures for accommodating military personnel.

The Walt Disney Co. altered its policy to extend pay differential from the usual 30 days to 180 days, said spokeswoman Christine Castro.

Boeing, with its Rocketdyne operations in the San Fernando Valley, also is beefing up benefits for reservists and National Guard members.

Oil giant BP figures it could send up to 30 of its employees to duty, according to spokesman Paul Langland, and is developing a policy to cover them.

Northrop Grumman will cover its employees for a full year if they're mobilized, with pay, health care and pension continued, said spokesman Randy Belote.