Are too many of your employees falling down on the job?

 

And yes, we mean that literally. Do you know how much businesses spend a year on costs associated with occupational injuries and illnesses? One estimate is about $170 billion. That’s billion with a “b.” And every dollar of those expenditures is directly related to the bottom line of a company’s profitability – or lack thereof.

 

It’s no secret that job related injuries increase operational expenses (think absenteeism, re-training and defective parts for starters). Employee morale also suffers, as well as productivity.

 

Safe work environments attract better talent. Better talent produces better products. Better products produce more sales. And more sales produce . . . well, you get the picture.

 

Strong safety and health programs are proven profit boosters. A Fortune Five company increased productivity by 13%, while a small, 50-person plant decreased defective parts and saved more than $265,000.* Those are real, tangible savings for very little investment.

 

Don’t just tell your employees safety is key, show them. Let them know you recognize they are the best assets your company has. A safe workplace is a better workplace for everyone. We can help you spread the word with a professionally produced custom safety video that expressly addresses your company’s unique situation.

 

*data from OSHA

Finally a new video... Our new card signing video Signing Your Rights Away continues to work well for our clients. Some have an urgent use for it, while others are using it as part of their orientation process. And freshness creates awareness. We just had a new client run Signing Your Rights Away in a facility that has had previous issues. The employees were excited that the company had invested in a new card signing video so they didn’t have to watch “that old one” (which we didn’t produce, by the way) that had been used for years. (Proving again that employees do indeed pay attention and like open communications.)   We believe it is important to explain to your associates the risk involved with signing a union card, not only to the associate, but to the long time survival of the company as well.

Are Your Employees Engaging?

Are Your Employees Engaging? More to the point, are you engaging your employees? How often do you ask your employees for their input? We’re not talking about just a suggestion box outside the HR office (although there’s nothing wrong with that). We mean how often do you ask them face to face for their thoughts, ideas, observations . . . anything that might improve the workplace as well as the products you produce? Do you know where the next big idea for your business is coming from? Research and development? Well, maybe. But more and more, traditional sources are being usurped by – you guessed it – employees, as well as customers and suppliers and everybody else in the company food chain. It really just stands to reason. Engaged employees like what they do, like the company they work for, and want to see it succeed. Moving the organization forward moves them forward too. Those employees who aren't engaged are either just putting in the time or plain just flat out don’t care. Unfortunately, the unhappy ones can poison the well for even the best ones. And that’s a recipe for disaster. What label would you assign to your employees? It doesn't take great brainpower to determine that engaged employees are going to be the happiest and the most productive. Not only that, they would certainly be the least likely to entertain the thought of a third-party coming in and upsetting the situation. Creating an atmosphere of involvement means making sure employees know where to go with their ideas. Telling a friend at work is one thing – and a good thing – but knowing exactly where to go to share their insight in the management hierarchy is even more important. Eliminating barriers, whether physical or mental, opens the door to conversation, discussion and inventiveness. Recognizing input is also key. It can be monetary, but it doesn’t have to be. Internally communicating the suggestions and results made by employees not only has an extremely positive effect on those making the suggestions, but can spur others on to speak up and keep the ideas coming. Every company welcomes new ideas. But have you created an atmosphere where those ideas are encouraged and acted upon? Engaged employees are generally happy employees. And happy employees can have a ripple effect throughout your workplace. Want some suggestions? Talk to us. We’ve seen the good, and the not-so-good. Take advantage of our perspective.

Three union campaigns in 30 days stopped COLD. That’s a sampling of the track record for 2013. In the space of just 30 days, our new card-signing video Signing Your Rights Away stopped three union campaigns in their tracks. Some companies are using it for prevention in orientation meetings; others when the rumblings begin. Could you use some of that firepower?

Is Your Company The Next Target?

January 2013 In this Issue The next target for the union is... New Videos! First Cut produced 8 new generic videos for our sister company AGTS. The instant best seller is our card signing video named Signing Your Rights Away (it is now available in union specific version), Contract Negotiations and Conversation Starters, six short videos designed to get people talking in group meetings during a campaign. Plus we just started working on several new interactive courses. If you have a request for an interactive course or a new DVD title please email me. We are always looking to produce new videos! We look forward to being of service!

Do you know who the new Steelworkers are? The Union does. A recent report showed that, in 2012, the most frequently targeted industries were “Business Services, Health Services, Passenger Transportation, Construction and Electric, and Gas & Sanitary Services.• Not a Steelworker among them. Nor an Autoworker, nor any other representative in the manufacturing sector.” Of the approximately 2000 NLRB petitions filed in 2012, 335 were from Business services alone. Health services accounted for 265, and Local and suburban transit & interurban passenger transportation had 149. Virtually every state was hit. In the words of Bob Dylan, “The times they are a’changing.”  Actually, the times have been changing for quite awhile now, but sometimes it takes cold hard facts for all of us to realize that. The move toward service sector jobs and away from manufacturing started slowly but is now at full throttle. What’s that mean to you? Basically, everyone is a target. The Teamsters, the SEIU and all unions have a lot of Administrative salaries and perks to pay. Dwindling manufacturing membership has forced them to try and organize anybody and everybody they can. Often, employees in the service industries have little perception, positive or negative, of what it means to have a union in their workplace. The unions are more than happy to provide their version of utopia. We suggest you counter such activity before it starts. That doesn't mean union bashing. It means union education. The basics, like union rules, lack of flexibility, dues, negotiations, etc. Couple that information with the positive aspects of current company wages, benefits and other policies. That way, if and when the union comes calling, employees are prepared to make legitimate comparisons. Who’s next on the “hit” list? Who’s got a target painted on their back? You might as well open a Business Directory and just point to a random name. Hunting season is open and everything is fair game. Don’t wait until a union has you in their sites. Take preventive action now, communicate to your employees. *Information Source Susan Connelly, PTI Labor Research 1/16/13

How much do Your Employees know about Unions?

How much do Your Employees know about Unions?

Thirty or forty years ago, that would have been an easy question to answer. Union membership was high, and even if people weren't personally union members, they probably knew friends or relatives that were.

Since then, though, union membership has declined by two/thirds or more, most prominently in the private sector. Firsthand union knowledge has not been passed down. Many in today’s workforce don’t really have any idea of what it means to pay dues, abide by union rules, have someone negotiate a contract for them, or what happens during a strike.

Education is vitally important.

As you are no doubt aware, labor laws are likely to change. And they’re only helping unions. Things like Shortened election cycles, Micro units and Persuader rule making are simply the tip of the iceberg. Unions were huge participants in the November election. They have a friendly Administration, and it knows there’s a big debt owed. Organizing is going to become easier and easier. And your company just might be a target.

Now is the time to talk with your employees.

So what can you do to prepare? Well, lots. But the bare minimum is this: Communicate with your employees. Educate them. You don’t have to be the big, bad union basher. Start slowly. Here’s what we mean:

Sign on the Dotted Line. A simple but effective card-signing video.

In a routine meeting, start the process of educating your employees by showing them what might happen. First Cut Communications can create a custom card-signing video just for your company. Or, our sister company, AGTS, offers a proven entry into the fray called “Signing Your Rights Away.” This new video has already stopped numerous campaigns in their tracks and bought valuable time for management to work on the issues. It is also being used in orientations of new employees in several major corporations. They want their employees to know and understand the company’s position on unions.

An Ounce of Prevention . . .

Yes, it’s a cliché. But it’s never been more appropriate than right now. The unions have been quiet for way too long. They need dues money to survive and they really don’t care where they get it. Don’t let a union tell your employees its side of the story first. Campaigns cost big money. Our videos don’t. Start now. Don’t wait to communicate.

Here’s where to find a preview. Every one of your employees should see this message. Call us. Or write us. At the very least, we should be communicating.

First Cut Communications Introduces A New Website

September Newsletter

Successfully communicating company messages
through video for more than 40 years 

 NEW WEBSITE!

First Cut Communications is excited to share our NEW WEBSITE with you! For the first time in our 43-year history, we have a comprehensive list of our services all in one place. Please take a look and give us your feedback.

NEW TITLES!

In addition to creating our website, it’s been a very busy year for us. Of course, we’ve had our regular campaign battles, new employee orientations and we’ve produced 8 new generic videos for our sister company AGTS. The instant best seller is called Signing Your Rights Away, our generic card signing video. (It’s now available in union-specific versions.) Other new titles include Contract Negotiations and Conversation Starters, six short videos designed to get people talking in group meetings during a campaign.

The Vital Role of Human Resources.

Brutal honesty mixed with a little cheerleading … and knowing when to provide both. That’s the fine line Human Resource professionals tread every day. It’s a given that you always have to be honest with employees about how they’re doing their daily job duties. Your constructive feedback to them and their equally honest responses to you will help employees grow. Just as importantly, frank and honest discussions will help prevent issues from arising if you ever have to discharge them. Every employee needs to have a clear understanding as to what they’re doing right and what needs improvement.

Make your employees engaged employees.

You don’t want someone who shows up just to collect a pay check. They’ll simply do the basics, and are the most susceptible to outside influence. An engaged employee will help you fix issues that will save the company money. They’ll give you ideas on what needs to be addressed on the frontline to improve quality and output, as well as provide information on other things of interest (like, is a third party nosing around).

We’ll explore that issue and more in the months to come. Your suggestions for newsletter topics are always welcome and encouraged. 

Contact AGTS
800-814-9792
customerservice@agts-web.com 

Contact First Cut Communications
706-882-5581
info@firstcutcommunications.com