October 2016 – Trillium Staffing

Halloween: The Perfect Morale Booster!

Carmen Hoover — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 18:41:57 +0000

There is a long running idea that Halloween is just for kids. That unless you are under the age of 13 or in college, that dressing up and getting into the spirit of the holiday isn’t for adults and definitely doesn’t have a place in the office. That is just nonsense! Halloween could be the perfect way to boost your employees’ morale and keep your office motivated.

While more and more adults are getting into the Halloween spirit this time of year, it can make for a less motivated office environment. Less motivation results in less productivity. Here are a few tips to ensure that your office stays motivated during this spooktacular time of year.

Allow your employees to dress up for Halloween. While ensuring that any costume ideas are appropriate for the workplace, allow your employees to express their creativity this one day a year. You will be surprised how this simple gesture will show your employees just how much you care about their well-being.
Get out of the office and volunteer. Dressing up not your thing? No problem! Plan a day for your employees to get out and volunteer in the community. This could involve volunteering at a local soup kitchen or animal shelter. Regardless of the avenue, it always feels good to get out and give back.
Plan games or activities for the office to all participate in. There are a number of games and ideas to keep the festive feeling in the air. Guess how many pieces of candy are in a jar, costume contests, office or cubical decorating contests are all engaging and exciting ways to get your employees involved and motivated.
Throw a Halloween themed office party! Plan a party at the end of the day or even plan one after hours to allow your employees to let loose and have some fun with their coworkers. Short on money? Plan the party at the office and turn it into a potluck, bring a dish to pass event.

Giving your employees an avenue to enjoy themselves and let loose around this time of year is an excellent way to help focus their motivation not only through the end of the day but it is a great way to jumpstart the holiday season.

Are you a stand out professional, technical professional, driver, or skilled worker seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities? Visit our job board for more information! Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 22,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

ASA Turns 50 and Trillium Has Joined the Celebration!

Carmen Hoover — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 15:17:51 +0000

The American Staffing Association (ASA) is holding its annual Staffing World 2016 Convention in San Diego and boy, do they have something to celebrate!

ASA is turning 50 and it is time to celebrate! ASA has been gathering business pioneers, thought leaders and trailblazers in the staffing and recruiting industry together for the last 50 years in the largest and most comprehensive convention and expo in the country! This year is no different. The Staffing World Expo 2016, brought to you by ASA, is occurring this week, October 25-27th in San Diego, CA.

With more than 20 different session topics throughout the 3 day conference, ASA has achieved one of the most diverse and all-encompassing Staffing and Recruiting conventions. Trillium is among hundreds of companies in attendance this year, all looking to see what is up and coming in a vast assortment of industries. Whether your company focuses on IT, Engineering, Health Care, Industrial, Office/Administrative or even Management, this convention has it all!

Congratulations to the American Staffing Association for the last 50 Years of delivering cutting-edge and diverse learning opportunities to the staffing and recruiting industry. Here’s to the next 50 years!

For more information regarding ASA, please visit www.americanstaffing.net.

Are you a stand out professional, technical professional, driver, or skilled worker seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities? Visit our job board for more information! Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 22,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

Lack of Sleep? Wake Up America!

Carmen Hoover — Tue, 25 Oct 2016 19:57:00 +0000

I’m sure all of you have felt the effects of sleep deprivation at some point during your work day. But how widespread is lack of sleep in America?

According to OSHA (Occupational Health & Safety), today Americans are sleeping only 6 hours per night, that is 1-2 hours less than Americans just 60 years ago! So what is the difference between how we sleep today and how our grandparents or even great grandparents got their beauty rest?

The problem is due to a wide array of causes:

Americans today literally have access to technology 24/7. Whether they are checking emails, watching TV, or scrolling through social media, people have an endless supply of mental stimulation available at their fingertips. While this seems wonderful and might possibly may make you feel more engaged, the advancements in technology can cause sleep issues.
- Studies have shown that viewing screens (whether from TV, Mobile device, laptop etc) within the last hour before bed can keep your brain from shutting down properly, not allowing for a restful night’s sleep.
Sleep disorders have continued to grow amongst Americans, currently affecting 50-70 million Americans.
- In fact, insomnia-related workplace accidents cost employers between $15 billion to $92 billion annually.
Working odd shifts has also proved to be a major issue. In fact, the 22 million American shift workers average 2-4 hours less than the average working individual.

To learn more about sleep deprivation can lead to workplace injuries, please check out safetymanagement.eku.edu.

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 22,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

2016 FLSA Changes: Are You Prepared?

Jenna Mathieu — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 20:14:38 +0000

On May 18, 2016 President Obama and Secretary Perez announced the publication of the Department of Labor’s final rule updating the current overtime regulations, which will automatically extend overtime pay protections to approximately 4 million workers. While many employers had awaited this final ruling after President Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum back in 2014 directing the DOL to update the existing regulations, many are still scrambling to make sense of what the final rule means for their employees and their business.

The key provisions of the final rule are as follows:

Determines the standard salary level at the 40th percentile of earnings of full-time salaried workers in the lowest-wage Census Region at $913 per week or $47,476 annually for an employee who works all year.
Sets the total annual compensation requirement for highly compensated employees (referred to as HCE) subject to a minimal duties test and to the annual equivalent of the 90th percentile of full time salaried workers nationally at $134,004.
Establishes a mechanism for automatically updating the salary and compensation levels every 3 years to maintain the levels at the above percentiles and to ensure that they continue to provide useful and effective tests for exemption.

The final rule also amends the salary basis test to allow employers to use discretionary bonuses and incentives to satisfy up to 10 percent of the new standard salary level. These changes take effect on December 1, 2016, leaving many employers to make determinations on how to handle their current staff who may be effected by the changes in standard salary level which previously was set at $23,660 annually.

Employers are building plans to accommodate the potential increases in overtime costs and base salaries, the re-classification of employees, changes in timekeeping, and any additional business ramifications. If you have not addressed these changes for your organization, The Department of Labor offers additional information at www.wagehour.dol.gov or by calling 1-866-4-USWAGE.

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 22,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

Trillium Kicks Off Annual Community Involvement Event

Jenna Mathieu — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 17:58:51 +0000

Trillium is excited to kick off their third annual Trillium Takes on the Town community involvement event! Each October, our branches take on the challenge of supporting their communities by contributing to a cause that is important to their local staff. We’re excited to see their accomplishments this year!

To view last year’s results, please click here.

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 22,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

Disaster Management for the Workplace

Jenna Mathieu — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 19:26:18 +0000

As Hurricane Matthew gains in strength, the Southeastern portion of the country is in crisis mode. While state and local authorities are busy issuing evacuation orders, employers should be activating their own response efforts. Employers must juggle everything from employee safety to client relations and data recovery. While most employers in the affected areas are experienced in handling natural disasters, many still do not have formal procedures for handling such events.

The key to any successful disaster plan is to have a team identified and trained ahead of time to carry out the plans when the need arises. These team should be identified ahead of time by Human Resources and provided with training and documentation that helps them each carry out their delegated responsibilities for the organization. This team should meet regularly to review procedures and make any adjustments necessary to ensure plans are fresh in their mind and still make sense to accomplish all goals for the organization. Including department leaders can help in the delegation of duties as listed below:

Human Resources- Employee safety, employee communications, scheduling, record keeping and benefits.
Accounting- Payroll, record keeping, insurance, and budget concerns.
Marketing- Mass communication and alerts to clients, vendors, and the general public.
IT- Power back up, remote access, data recovery, and systems maintenance.

The first and foremost priority of this team, must be employee safety. For businesses who are located in areas that are prone to natural disasters, instructions should be listed in employee handbooks, described during new hire orientation, and refreshed regularly to ensure any evacuations go smoothly. Once safety is established, employees will need communication on scheduling, payroll, plans for resuming operations, and emergency contact procedures. If you have an employee assistance program (EAP), this information should also be re-communicated as employees may experience tremendous loss and grief during these types of events. If you have access to automated communication systems such as text alerts, email alerts, or automated call messages, employees should confirm their current contact information so they are able to receive communication through these functions. Social media and your website are also a great tool for communicating updates to your staff on non-confidential matters. Please keep in mind that all decisions made regarding employees should take into consideration sanctions by FMLA, WARN, COBRA, and FLSA.

Once employee communication has been handled, communication should be made available to clients, vendors, and the public as needed. Again, mass communication tools can be ideal to communicate changes and updates on hours, operations, contact information, and services available. Online announcements via your website and social media channels are great for updates in real time as things may change at a moment’s notice due to loss of power, building damage, road closures, etc.

Keep in mind that employees and operations may see long term affects following a crisis. Be sure to consult with your legal and risk management teams to ensure that you are prepared for such events both during and after the immediate crisis has ended.

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 22,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.

Dealing With Death In The Workplace

Jenna Mathieu — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 18:46:43 +0000

One of the more difficult issues you may face as a manager or employee is the loss of a co-worker. While these occurrences may seem rare and there is little training on the topic, a 2003 report by The Grief Recovery Institute found that deaths of co-workers, friends, and extended family members cost U.S. businesses $7 billion annually in loss productivity.

Whether the loss of your team member is due to natural causes, an accident, or a workplace accident; there is likely to be a large impact in the workplace. Here are a few ways to assist yourself and your staff progress:

Acknowledge the loss. Ignoring the loss will not make it go away and can lead to additional emotions from your staff. Be respectful of their emotions and understand that many things will serve as constant reminders of their loss. An unfinished project, an empty office, and a quiet break room will all serve as reminders that someone is missing and can bring up emotions.
Make resources available. Does your organization offer an EAP or other benefits that are designed to assist with grief or depression? Now may be an appropriate time to remind your employees of those resources. Consider offering a break room or private area for staff to talk or grieve. Work with department managers to make arrangements for those staff members who wish to attend memorial services available to do so.
Remain vigilant. Do you notice a particular person who is struggling long term or more so than others? Have a member of HR meet with them to discuss their options and resources independently.

Supervisors and HR personnel should establish protocol for such unfortunate events ahead of time. Having a protocol in place can assist department managers with executing resources quickly and efficiently.

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 22,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.