Melanie is the Executive Director for ABC Organization, Inc. Her company employs twenty people, who work on a variety of web development projects for nonprofit organizations.
ABC Organization is very busy and the team has been working overtime to try to keep up with the workload. Melanie noticed that several of her employees have called in sick in the past two weeks and two were regularly visiting the chiropractor.
Melanie examined the work area of her employees and found that some of the spaces were not ergonomically correct, which was causing back and neck strain for her employees. She replaced several chairs and had each workstation inspected to ensure it was ergonomically correct.
Melanie understood that providing a healthy work environment would lead to lower absenteeism and insurance costs. She also understood that comfortable employees would be more willing to stay late if needed to keep up with their workload. A simple change created a more positive work environment and happier, more loyal employees.
Jennifer is the owner of a small, online company. She employees twelve people, but due to the economic downturn, she has to lay-off half of her staff.
Jennifer lets the staff know in advance that lay-offs will have to occur, so that they have time to process this news and prepare for the possibility.
She meets with each employee individually, and shares with them the positive impact each has had on the company. She reluctantly lets six staff members go, but provides references and referrals to each employee to assist them in finding new employment.
After the lay-offs, Jennifer meets with her reduced staff and shares the vision for the company’s future with them. She encourages their comments and suggestions as they discuss the next steps in moving the company forward.
Jennifer had no choice about letting go of her staff. However, she made the process as painless as possible and reconnected with her remaining team to help them move toward the future. As a result, her remaining employees felt secure and invested in the future of the company.
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