Improvement of Worker Safety Since OSHA

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Trend Watch – November

According to the Minnesota Business Magazine, these are the three big industry trends to keep your eyes on:

IT Support-

Many companies are embracing technology at new levels with the cloud-based software and advanced automation, in some cases causing the replacement of workers to grow at an exponential rate. But even as many of the more mundane positions vanish, the need for IT support is steadily increasing. Some of the personnel monitoring the production and equipment on the floor can now work remotely, addressing technical difficulties while off-site.

Cyber Security-

More use of the technology means more fears about cyber security. After the discovery of viruses that target software, cyber security is one of the fastest-growing business areas for automation vendors. Being aware of new liabilities and adjustments that companies have ranks high in importance for today’s businesses. This is a trend worth watching.

Smarter Energy-

Reduction of factories’ carbon emissions has been an effort for quite some time. Now the goal of better energy management is gaining celebrity. Companies are looking for new ways to analyze energy data from their plant floors and lower the consumption needed for equipment. This growing trend will create more sustainable industries. Of course there are risks in implementing and publicizing green or environmentally friendly, policies. A company should do its homework before rushing into anything.

Megan Skendaj – Accounting – Vision Staffing Solutions

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October Employment Situation

The employment data, was better than economists expected, offering decent news for the economy. But the numbers were still well below what one would expect to see in a truly healthy economy, and some troubling details suggest the job market is still a long way from a full recovery.

First, the good news: Non-farm payrolls grew by 171,000, better than the 125,000 expected by economists. Revisions to prior months added another 84,000 jobs to payrolls. The unemployment rate ticked higher, to 7.9 percent from 7.8 percent, but that was mainly because more workers entered the labor force looking for work — an encouraging sign.

The economy has added nearly 5 million private-sector jobs since February 2010, and job gains have been accelerating recently from a brief summer lull. The average monthly job growth this year of 157,000 jobs has been just a bit stronger than it was in 2011 and nearly twice as strong as it was in 2010.

However…

Only 4.3 Million More To Go: Once you factor in big job cuts in the government sector in recent years, the economy has created about 4.5 million new non-farm payroll jobs since the job market bottomed out in February 2010. But there are still nearly 4.3 million jobs fewer than there were at the job market’s peak in January 2008. This is the worst jobs recession and recovery since World War II. This is actually not at all inconsistent with how other job markets have fared after past financial crisis. In fact, it has performed better than some other post-crisis job markets, notes Josh Lehner at the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis. That doesn’t mean we have to throw a parade for it.

Not Nearly Enough: Adding 157,000 jobs a month is better than losing 157,000 jobs a month, but it is not strong enough to drive unemployment lower. Depending on who you ask, the economy needs roughly 150,000 jobs per month just to keep up with population growth and keep unemployment from rising, much less get 12 million unemployed people back to work. We’re just barely getting that, which is one reason unemployment has been so slow to fall. At the current pace of job growth, it will take 27 more months just to recover those 4.3 million jobs that went missing during the recession. It has been accelerating, but needs to do more.

Flat Wages: Average hourly earnings in the private sector ticked down by a penny in October and are now up just 1.6 percent from a year ago, not enough to keep up with inflation. This is a sign that the jobs being created aren’t exactly lucrative. It also suggests that the recent rebound in consumer confidence and spending may not be sustainable. “In the absence of meaningful earnings growth, consumers have been dipping into savings to fuel current consumption,” writes Greenhaus.

Too Many On The Sidelines: The employment-to-population ratio, a measure of how many working-age Americans are actually working, ticked up a bit to 58.8 percent, the highest since August 2009. But that ratio is still far below the 63 percent before the recession began. That means millions of people are sitting out the job market, either because they’ve just given up on finding work or because they’ve decided to retire, possibly earlier than they wanted to or should have. Some of this labor-force desertion is due to purely demographic factors — a lot of Baby Boomers are clearing retirement age. But some of it reflects a lack of decent work.

Bad Jobs vs. No Jobs: The U-6 unemployment rate, the broader measure of unemployment, ticked down to 14.6 percent in October, and it’s down from a high of more than 17 percent in 2009. But this rate, which measures unemployed people and discouraged workers and people working part-time against their preference, is still higher than roughly 8 percent before the recession. It’s another sign that good work is hard to find.

Long Time, No Job: People who are unemployed are unemployed for a long time. The median duration of unemployment jumped to 19.6 months in October from 18.5 months in September. Though the duration of unemployment is lower than it was at the worst of the crisis, it has risen for three months in a row, and it is far higher than the roughly 9 months’ median duration before the recession. The longer people stay out of work, the harder it will be for them to get back to work, as their skills deteriorate.

Again, the numbers have mostly been moving in the right direction, which is encouraging. If the recent acceleration continues, the job market could look a lot better a year from now. But there are still plenty of risks and uncertainties ahead, including the fiscal cliff, the effects of superstorm Sandy and the European debt crisis, to name just a few.

Megan Skendaj – Accounting – Vision Staffing Solutions

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State Parental Leave Act & Federal FMLA

State Parental Leave Act, federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

There is both a Minnesota Parental Leave Act and a federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The federal FMLA became effective in August 1993. This act does not pre-empt or preclude state or local laws that provide greater leave rights, nor does it interfere with state or federal laws prohibiting discrimination.

What situations give rise to a request for leave?  For the state of Minnesota, it includes birth and adoption, but not foster care placement.  Minnesota does not have any medical leave (paid or unpaid) available other than the use of the employee’s sick leave for themselves or their sick child.  However, an employer is not mandated to offer sick leave for its employees.

To learn which employees qualify for leave and more information regarding FMLA, go to www.doli.state.mn.us

For more help on HR issues you can contact Jean Haven - Director of Human Resources – Vision Staffing Solutions

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November Featured Client – LAI International

LAI International is a leading contract manufacturer of make-complete precision-engineered components and assemblies for aerospace, power generation, defense, medical and other advanced technology industries. The company’s technology, engineering and manufacturing solutions are used to build components for airframes, aircraft engines, power generators, defense systems, medical devices and other industrial applications.
LAI has developed strategic relationships with leading global OEMs and operates four U.S. manufacturing facilities, with locations in Minneapolis, Tempe, Ariz., Westminster, Md., and Scarborough, Maine—all of which are IS0 9001:2008 and AS9100 certified. The company also offers Nadcap-certified conventional and non-conventional machining processes.
LAI has developed innovative applications in advanced machining processes, including waterjet cutting and drilling, laser cutting, drilling, welding and heat-treating, EDM drilling, CNC EDM, high-speed EDM, conventional CNC machining, five-axis CNC machining and precision five-axis grinding. The company also provides gage calibration, tooling production, air-flow inspection and additional manufacturing services.
LAI International is certified as a Minority Business Enterprise.

For more information, see www.LAIco.com.

Posted by Natalie Swanson – Marketing/Staffing Specialist – Vision Staffing Solutions

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Economic Update

The unemployment rate decreased to 7.8% during the month of September, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. This is the lowest unemployment rate since February 2009.

In September, nonfarm payroll increased by 114,000 with employment increasing in health care transportation and warehousing. Manufacturing employment decreased by 16,000 jobs in September with losses occurring in computer and electronic products and printing and related activities.

The number of individual’s unemployed nationally in September was 12.1 million compared to 12.5 million in August. The number of people employed part time for economic reasons rose from 8 million in August to 8.6 million in September. On the contrary, the number of people who lost their jobs or individuals who finished temporary jobs fell to 6.5 million which is 468,000 less than August. The percentage of the long-term unemployed (27 weeks or longer) rose slightly to 40.1 percent in September.

2012 now has an average of 146,000 jobs added per month, still less than the average of 153,000 jobs added in 2011; that being said, the economy has consecutively added jobs each month since September 2010, which is now 31 straight months.

Tiffany Farr – Operations Manager – Vision Staffing Solutions

Employment Situation Summary (2012, October 5). In Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved October 5, 2012, from http://ow.ly/efCYa

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The Future of Manufacturing

Tags

Assembly Lines, Future in Manufacturing, Manufacturing, Robotic Assembly, Robotic Technology, Robots, Vision Staffing Solutions

Sources suggest that advances in robotic technology will bring manufacturing back to the USA. The upcoming generation of robots is more cost effective than human labor in China. For example, Baxter, a manufacturing robot that can recognize objects and react logically to force, costs only $22,000. It’s easy to assume more robots will be on assembly lines in the US in the near future.

Worry of higher unemployment comes with the suggestions of increased usage of robots. Rodney Brooks, co-founder of Rethink Robots, a robot manufacturer in Boston, explains that robots such as Baxter can take away routine jobs for workers so they are unrestricted to complete more complex tasks.

According to Wanted Analytics, the most in-demand job openings for robotics skill in manufacturing in September 2012 were the following:

1. Maintenance Technician
2. Manufacturing Engineer
3. Controls Engineer
4. Electrical Engineer
5. Welder
6. Mechanical Engineer
7. Weld Engineer
8. Automation Technician

“Based on these titles, it doesn’t look like robots will be taking over. Robots need caretakers for installation, handling, maintenance, troubleshooting, management, programming, and operation,” stated Ashley Row of Wanted Analytics. Below you can see how vastly the hiring demand for robotics workers in manufacturing exceeds pre-recession demand.

Enhancement in United States manufacturing is positively affecting MN exporters. Between 2010 and 2011, Twin Cities metro area’s exports increased by $3 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA). The ITA calculates the amount of goods manufactured outside of MN that are exported from the MN metro area. MSP area’s exports totaled $26.2 billion worth of goods during 2011. This amount made the Twin Cities the 10th largest export market in the nation.

The export of MN manufactured products hit a record high in 2011 as well, according to the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). MN made exports totaled $20.3 billion which was 7.3 percent higher than in 2010.

What is your opinion on the usage of robotics in US manufacturing? Please comment below.

Natalie Swanson – Marketing/PR – Vision Staffing Solutions

October 03, 2012

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Sources:

Boss, N. (2012, September 18). Twin Cities 10th-Largest Export Market in 2011. In Twin Cities Business. Retrieved October 2, 2012, from http://ow.ly/ecnJM

Matthews, C. (2012, September 27). Can Robots Bring Manufacturing Jobs Back to the U.S.?. In TIME Business. Retrieved October 3, 2012, from http://ow.ly/ecorv

Rowe, A. (2012, September 13). Will Robotics Bring Manufacturing Jobs Back to the US?. In Wanted Analytics. Retrieved October 1, 2012, from http://ow.ly/eco0r

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Diminish Employee Turnover

Tags

Employee Retention, Employee Turnover, Employee Values, Retention Rate, Turnover Rate, Vision Staffing Solutions

Recent studies completed by Deloitte Consulting Firm and Corporate Responsibility magazine have determined two reasons behind employee turnover that you might not have realized.

Employees value meaningful work over other retention initiatives

42% of Deloitte’s respondents are seeking new employment because their job does not make good use of their skills and abilities. Remember top performers at your workplace are the ones with the most employment opportunities. Determine your top employees and challenge them in the workplace to keep them intrigued. Deloitte consulting co-leaders stated, “Companies must adjust their talent management initiatives to focus on retaining employees with the critical skills required to advance their business in today’s turbulent marketplace, as they pose the biggest flight risk.”

Employees highly value corporate reputation and trusted leadership

Great leadership is essential to a long-term staff. 62% of Deloitte survey respondents said they would stay with their employer if offered a new opportunity due to trust in their current supervisors.  In agreement, 87% of Corporate Responsibility respondents stated they would leave their job if offered a position with a company that has an excellent corporate reputation compared to their current employer.

Additionally, watch the millennial generation closely. According to both surveys, the age group with the highest rate of turnover are those 31 and under. This generation is the most active in the talent market and is advancing through careers quickly.

Solve your problems:

Conduct employee satisfaction surveys regularly and host a suggestion box. If you do quarterly surveys, you can catch issues before they become a trend. Keeping a suggestion box allows employees to voice their opinion immediately and anonymously if preferred. Listen to suggestions and act upon them immediately.

Gain trust through frequent communication. Go throughout your workplace and talk to employees; if you staff more than one shift, make shift visits multiple times a month. During these visits, use the employees’ names, thank them, encourage them, and/or congratulate them on their performance.

Keep employees engaged by hosting challenges in the workplace and rewarding great performance. A survey by Kenexa of 29,338 employees in the U.S. found that a 25% increase in employee engagement levels correlates with a 42% increase in total shareholder return and a 46 percent higher return on assets.

Re-recruit your top employees. By advancing your top employees you will display to others that there is room for growth and additional rewards within the company; this is motivating for most employees.

Tiffany Farr – Operations Manager - Vision Staffing Solutions 

October 02, 2012

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Sources

Bad Reputation: 75% Would Refuse Job Offers (2012, September 18). In Staffing Industry Analysts. Retrieved October 4, 2012, from http://ow.ly/edMNa

Employees Staying Put Even If Unhappy: Talent Survey (2012, September 17). In Insurance Journal. Retrieved October 1, 2012, from http://ow.ly/edN14

Lytle, T. (2012, August 1). When the Honeymoon’s Over. In Society for Human Resource Management. Retrieved September 19, 2012, from http://ow.ly/edNcz

Prohibited Employment Policies/Practices

Pre-Employment Inquiries (General)

As a general rule, the information obtained and requested through the pre-employment process should be limited to those essential for determining if a person is qualified for the job; whereas, information regarding race, sex, national origin, age, and religion are irrelevant in such determinations.

Employers are explicitly prohibited from making pre-employment inquiries about disability.

Although state and federal equal opportunity laws do not clearly forbid employers from making pre-employment inquiries that relate to, or disproportionately screen out members based on race, color, sex, national origin, religion, or age, such inquiries may be used as evidence of an employer’s intent to discriminate unless the questions asked can be justified by some business purpose.

Therefore, inquiries about organizations, clubs, societies, and lodges of which an applicant may be a member or any other questions, which may indicate the applicant’s race, sex, national origin, disability status, age, religion, color or ancestry if answered, should generally be avoided.

Similarly, employers should not ask for a photograph of an applicant. If needed for identification purposes, a photograph may be obtained after an offer of employment is made and accepted. Read more…

Information taken verbatim from EEOC.gov. Retrieved on October 04, 2012.

Sign of a Good Networker

Tags

chamber of commerce, Great networking, Networking, Tips for networking, Vision Staffing Solutions

Improve your networking and increase your sales! Below are signs of a good networker, do you show these signs?

A good networker:

• Has a firm handshake and makes eye contact upon introduction.
• Remembers names and businesses, or at least tries hard to remember!
• Has great attendance and is punctual – late people get noticed, but not in a good way.
• Hangs out with everyone in the group – no clicks.
• Is confident and social.
• Has high energy and enjoys networking events.
• Listens more than talks – doesn’t just talk about themselves, but asks questions and is interested to learn more about others’ businesses.
• Has a clear, consistent message and a designated target market.
• Tells stories instead of lists services – engages the audiences rather than bores them!
• Strategically hands out contact information – doesn’t give business card to everyone that breaths.
• Is as diligent about giving help to other businesses as he/she is diligent about receiving help.

Are you a good networker? Point out your faults and fix them one at a time, each networking event you will improve and so will your business results.

Natalie Swanson - Marketing/Client Relations – Vision Staffing Solutions

Sept. 21, 2012