Now that summer is over; it is time to reevaluate how your company operates. It is a time to set goals, benchmarks, implement new techniques, and purchase new materials. It is also an occasion to focus on being a better team and focus on your company’s most important capital – its employees.
There are many ways interested stakeholders can improve their program and increase workplace morale. Here are some steps that can be taken:
Provide the best tools so employees can perform efficiently.
If you drive cars, this does not mean that all drive a top of the line Cadillac. This is meant more to show how to provide the best output for employees. Ways to do this include making workstations adjustable so employees can perform at the levels they need to. This will increase output and performance, as well as reduce the chance of injury. Extra lighting can provide clarity and precision.
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Do not run your company like a prison.
The workplace does not have to run hard-nosed and rigid. Employers should consider flex work hours, rotating job tasks, and allowing hourly breaks to best utilize employees time at work for production. Allowing for job rotation can provide breaks for those that do heavy-duty work day in and day out. It will also reduce injury from heavy, repetitive movements.
Keep an open mind.
This requires an employer to listen and see if suggestions from employees can drive change. Discuss alternative job tasks and how things could be done quicker and easier. If someone knows that you will take the time to listen to them, you may get an idea that you can implement. Not everyone will hit the ball out of the park every time, but you could stumble upon something that can make a difference.
Encourage healthy lifestyles and reward those that make a change.
A healthy body is one that comes ready and able to work. Healthier employees have less sick time away from work and fewer injuries. Companies now offer discounts to local gyms, reduced medical premiums for wellness exams, and smoking cessation programs for free. Be sure to provide incentives for the employees who participate.
Launch a return to work program.
The longer a person is out of work, the harder it is to get them back to productive employment. Older employees also take longer to heal than younger ones, so consider home-based employment. If you provide some light-duty work, employees know that even though they have an injury, they can still work and make a difference. This will help them transition back into full-time work once they are released from medical care.
Establish a mentoring program.
Mentoring programs allow less-experienced employees in gaining valuable skills and knowledge of how a company operates. It also develops relationships that increase company morale and increase productivity. A successful mentorship program should also include on-the-job “shadowing.”
Do not be afraid to hire experienced employees.
There are many benefits to hiring experienced employees. These employees already have sound work habits, years of experience in the field, and the skills the company needs to take you to the next level of competition. These employees also have less out of work distractions, such as needing more time off for childcare or more time off for school commitments. Experienced employees will also add some diversity in workforce, contributing their ideas and experience to the team projects and ideas. If you utilize their assets, the workplace will benefit.
Conclusions
Now is the time to reflect and focus on what you can do better before the end of the year. This requires interested stakeholders to bring veteran employees to the table and generate ideas. Experienced employees are a great untapped resource, and their ideas and work ethics can be beneficial in many ways. Listen to their ideas, and make the management team approachable when someone has an idea about how something may be able to be done better. If you make this one of several things to focus on, accomplishing the rest of the goals could be that much easier.
Author Michael Stack, CEO Amaxx LLC. He is an expert in workers’ compensation cost containment systems and helps employers reduce their workers’ comp costs by 20% to 50%. He works as a consultant to large and mid-market clients, is a co-author of Your Ultimate Guide To Mastering Workers Comp Costs, a comprehensive step-by-step manual of cost containment strategies based on hands-on field experience, and is founder & lead trainer of Amaxx Workers’ Comp Training Center .
Contact: mstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.
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