Author: Angela Crangle

Support Employees During National Disability Employment Awareness Month

A good indicator of a strong workplace culture is its commitment to diversity and inclusion, where your employees feel comfortable coming to you to voice their opinions and concerns. When employees work in an environment where they feel valued, productivity increases.

Employees with disabilities contribute to the workplace in many ways, and National Disability Employment Awareness Month recognizes this.

What is National Disability Employment Awareness Month?

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) was established in 1988 by the United States Congress to take place during October of every year. It commemorates the contributions of people with disabilities to the US economy and workplaces and reaffirms their commitment to providing equal opportunities for all citizens.

Disability statistics to keep in mind

To create a clear understanding of the relevant challenges people with disabilities in the workplace face daily, here are some vital statistics to keep in mind:

Use NDEAM as a catalyst to support employees with disabilities all year

Review your company policies

NDEAM is an excellent time to review company policies to make sure they display a commitment to having an inclusive company culture.

Establish an employee resource group (ERG)

You can launch a disability Employee Resource Group, or ERG. ERGs offer employees an opportunity to connect and receive support from others with similar backgrounds or interests. If your company has an established ERG, use NDEAM to remind employees of the resource.

Create a display

Make a display on your breakroom bulletin boards or in other places that employees frequently visit. Post positive messages about how your company provides an inclusive workforce on all levels.

Train supervisors and educate employees

Both supervisors and employees have an impact on company culture and inclusion. During NDEAM, conduct training such as:

Publish content

You can publish content such as blogs, videos, or a website page that is related to topics like:

  • Your company’s commitment to inclusivity
  • The process to request reasonable accommodations
  • Recognizing the contributions of important leaders in the disability rights movement

Drive a social media campaign

NDEAM provides resources, such as posts and images, to use on your company’s preferred social media platforms. Use the provided posts and tweets with the suggested hashtag #NDEAM to spread awareness.

Issue a press release

Employers can issue a press release to announce their involvement in NDEAM. A “fill-in-the-blank” template is available for your marketing team to use, courtesy of the Department of Labor.

Volunteer to participate in Disability Mentoring Day

Disability Mentoring Day promotes career development for youth with disabilities through:

  • Hands-on programs
  • Job shadowing
  • Ongoing mentoring

Disability Mentoring Day is observed on the third Wednesday of each October, but you can host your own event any day of October or during any month of the year.

 

Strive toward an inclusive workplace

 

Even though NDEAM takes place during the month of October, inclusivity and recognizing the contributions of your employees with disabilities is important every month and every day of the year. A workplace where everyone feels like a valued team member contributes to a strong, healthy company culture and empowers employees to go above and beyond for you, their team members, and the company.

 

And a workplace where all employees feel valued and empowered is something every employer should strive toward!

 

Content provided by Q4iNetwork and partners

 

A Positive Company Culture Offers Far More than Just the Soft Stuff

Company culture is often labeled as the “soft stuff” in business, yet companies that take their cultures seriously see it as an investment.

The hard truth is that cultivating culture pays off. For example, in a 2018 report, Forbes found that companies with strong cultures saw a 4x increase in revenue growth. And job turnover was a mere 13.9 percent, compared to their counterparts at 48.4 percent turnover.

Why is this, though? A positive company culture impacts company success and client experience because it encourages and fosters employee motivation, engagement, commitment, and ultimately, productivity.

Employee motivation

Many people choose the companies they want to work for based on culture. Perhaps they identify with the company values and see a good fit for themselves in that environment. That can be a strong motivating factor for taking the role and wanting to continue being a part of the team.

Motivation only goes upward from there!

When a company culture is truly embedded into the organization, employees will identify with it. Culture-focused organizations will help their employees see the impact their individual work has on the larger purpose of the organization. And when people have a sense of purpose in their work, they are more driven than their zero culture counterparts.

Employee engagement

Engaged workplaces are 21% more profitable. And who doesn’t want that?! Employee engagement stems from culture, and when culture is strong and people feel a sense of belonging, they are more collaborative and productive. When a culture encourages people to express themselves, voice their ideas, and actively listen, they can help but feel more engaged and comfortable.

And if that wasn’t enough, a company culture that values employees naturally produces employees who value their clients. They care about the company and its clients because engagement translates into an employee’s emotional commitment. They will engage authentically and go above and beyond to deliver a better client experience when they are emotionally invested in their roles.

Employee Commitment

A strong company culture leads to employee commitment and retention. If a company fosters a culture of continuous learning and personal growth, employees are able to view their career as a long-term investment and take pride in it. When the culture encourages and practices personal development, employees are much less likely to be out looking for other job opportunities.

On the other hand, when companies have a poor culture, 48% of employees will start looking for a job. And while job hunting, they’re not thinking about your company or your clients as their top priority. So not only do you lose the productivity when the job-hunting employee leaves, but you’ve started losing productivity from them long before they walk out the door for that next job.

The ultimate impact

Once a positive company culture achieves employee motivation, engagement, and commitment, the culture can then begin fostering high-performance teams and productivity. Motivated employees are committed to the organization’s goals and perform their tasks full-heartedly.

Spend a few minutes reflecting on your company culture. How healthy is it? How engaged are your employees? How committed are they to the work your company does and the clients you serve?

If you’re feeling at all uncomfortable with your answers or you simply don’t know the answers, then spend some time planning.

  • Get started by writing a description of your culture today – being completely honest about the ups and downs.
  • And then write a description of your ideal culture and how you would like it to be.
  • Bring your team together and get honest with them about what you see today and what you’d like to see the culture move to.

When people see and feel your vision, they are much more likely to participate in making it a reality. As a team, start looking for ways to turn it around. Don’t try to tackle it all at once. Make small changes and let them become “normal.” Then make more small changes. Then a few more.

Soon, you’ll find yourself with a strong culture where people want to come to work and want to refer their friends to come and join them – the ultimate compliment to a strong company culture!

Companies who make the investment into a culture-first work environment have seen a staggering 682% increase in revenue growth! How would you like to see that added to your bottom line?

 

Content provided by Q4iNetwork and partners

Photo by nd3000

Pet-Friendly Workplace: The Benefits and Pitfalls

Pets are a person’s best friend and an important part of people’s lives—67% of American households, or about 85 million families, own a pet of some kind, whether it’s feathery, furry, or has scales. Besides offering a pet insurance benefit, being in a pet-friendly workplace can improve team morale and company culture, along with other benefits.

What is a pet-friendly workplace?
A pet-friendly workplace means pets are allowed to join your employees at the office. Pet-friendly workplaces usually have policies to include dogs or cats only. Regardless of whether your workplace is pet-friendly or not, some employees may require a service animal. A service animal is defined as an animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Service animals are seen as providing a “reasonable accommodation” to your employees and is compliant with the ADA.

What are the benefits of a pet-friendly workplace?

  • Reduces stress: Studies show pets help lower cortisol (a stress hormone), lower blood pressure, increase feelings and improve overall job satisfaction. Dogs and cats are cute, cuddly, and fluffy, so it only makes sense that having them around would be a mood booster.
  • Boosts office morale and promotes productivity: An office with happy, stress-free employees increases productivity. While it might be distracting to have an office full of dogs and cats, the benefits of being able to take short breaks to pet your dog or cat are worth it.
  • Improves workplace communication: Poor communication between employees blocks productivity. Pets help create bonds and connections between employees and facilitate conversation, which are great for enhancing communication.
  • Improves work-life balance: Employees’ pets get socialized with other pets, and instead of your employees paying for expensive pet sitters or worrying about leaving their pets at home, they can bring their pets to work and lavish them with affection—a win-win for everyone.
  • Improves employee retention and company loyalty: Because pets help improve work-life balance, employees will have fewer stress issues and fewer health issues, leading to higher job satisfaction and fewer work-related absences.
  • Makes your workplace appear more attractive to prospective employees: When your workplace is pet-friendly, it is an incentive that might encourage like-minded employees to apply for positions at your business. 

What are the pitfalls of a pet-friendly workplace?

  • Compliance considerations: You will need to understand your local and industry rules and regulations when it comes to a pet-friendly workplace. Also, you will want to have insurance coverage before launching your pet-friendly workplace program to cover issues like:
    • Pets damaging something at your workplace
    • Pets being injured from something at your workplace
    • Pets potentially hurting other employees/pets
    • Pets potentially hurting visitors to your workplace
  • Potential source of distraction: Yes, pets are cute. But they can have the potential to be a little too distracting to employees that need to focus on work.
  • Potential tension: If you allow pets to roam around freely, there’s the potential of causing tension in employee relations if someone’s pet bothers another employee or pet.
  • Allergies and phobias: Some employees may have allergies to pet dander, which will lead you to have to install a new HVAC system at your workplace to filter this dander. Some employees may also have phobias of dogs or cats, and in this instance, pet-free zones will need to be established.
  • Cleanliness issues: Pets can, and do, have accidents. It’s unavoidable. Pet-friendly cleaning supplies and poop bags need to be made available to employees to clean up after their pets.

Make pet-friendly workplaces work for all employees

Even with the pitfalls, the benefits of a pet-friendly workplace will make a happy and healthy working environment for all. Create a policy that protects your workplace and enables safe, work-appropriate pet fun. Carefully review both the benefits and the pitfalls, and talk to your leadership board, advisors, and legal counsel for help in implementing your pet-friendly workplace.

 

Content provided by Q4iNetwork and partners

Photo by fabianponceg

Message Over Madness

We’ve all heard the term “cleanliness is next to godliness” at some point in our lives. Its wisdom has followed us from our teenage bedrooms to our homes and our offices. Nothing says focus like a well-organized desk or ‘delicious meal’ like a sparkling kitchen.

There’s a reason this sentiment is so powerful. Science tells us that disorder makes it difficult for our brains to focus on a task and that cleanliness in one’s home is directly related to stress levels and mental wellbeing.

So, what does this have to do with your business? Consider how often people interact with your company. Now think about how often they come across your website, your sell sheet, or through our office doors. Every time they do that, they interact with your brand, messaging, and organizational personality.

Now think about your value proposition. Can you concisely tell someone what you do? In less than three sentences? How about just one sentence?

Getting back on message

It may come as a surprise, but many business owners struggle to explain to other people what they do. This is often because business leaders think of their organization as a series of reasons, actions, and results, each as important as the next. While this may be true when defining everything a business does, it can become extremely messy when trying to communicate your value to someone else.

This leads to misleading, messy, misaligned messaging (excuse the alliteration). The triple Ms can result in:

  • Website pages with way too much information, overwhelming visitors
  • Sell sheets that confuse instead of educating
  • Sales conversations that lead to headaches
  • Employees who struggle to stay aligned with organizational goals

Begin by asking the question: when people visit your website, how quickly will they be able to tell what you do? How easily will they be able to identify if your solution is right for them?

Our daily lives are filled with clutter, no matter how clean our home is. We have junk mail to sort through, advertisements interrupting our shows, traffic to navigate, and unnecessary meetings to get through. When it comes to finding solutions to our problems, we don’t have a ton of extra space in our brain to give to finding that solution.

The bottom line?

People won’t stick around to try and sus through your confusing website. They’ll leave for an easier one to understand. And they’ll make the decision in less than 20 seconds.

Every business offers a solution, whether you’re selling sweaters or software, which means that every business, everywhere, needs a clear value proposition. The clearer the value proposition, the more effective your messaging efforts will be. And the clearer your messaging, the easier it is to attract and retain customers and even employees.

A great value proposition should:

  • be easily remembered by every one of your employees,
  • be written in less than three sentences, and
  • be clear to any layperson who comes across it.

If you’re looking for some inspiration, check out these three books that can help you write a value proposition and clarify your message:

  1. Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller
  2. Start with Why by Simon Sinek
  3. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

A clear value proposition isn’t just good for your messaging. It’s good for your clients, prospects, and even your employees. The clarity it provides sifts down through every conversation, interaction, and decision made around your business. It creates trust and dependability, and it removes friction. If you’re truly interested in helping your organization remove the clutter, start by developing a powerful value proposition.

 

Content provided by Q4iNetwork and partners

Photo by Pixel-Shot

Pet Insurance – A Pet Owner's Best Friend

Animal healthcare costs are rising, with $31.4 billion spent on veterinary visits and care in 2020. Because of this, pet owners tend to go into credit card debt and miss a payment on bills to pay for their pet’s care. In fact, a survey of 1,000 pet owners found that 45% of pet owners spend the same amount, or more, on their pet’s healthcare than they do on their own. 

If your employees have pets, chances are they consider them to be well-loved and beloved family members. Pet insurance may be a benefit you want to offer to your employees.

What is pet insurance, and what does it cover?

Pet insurance pays—in part or total—for veterinary treatment of a person’s ill or injured pet. It covers things like:

  • General wellness exams
  • Booster shots and vaccinations
  • Flea prevention
  • Medical costs for emergency care
  • Chronic conditions (e.g., arthritis)
  • Acute illnesses (e.g., allergic reactions)
  • Acute injuries (e.g., a bone fracture)

What is the main benefit of pet insurance?

Having pet insurance ensures that cost will be less of a factor when it comes to providing pets the best possible care. With the average veterinary visit being between $50 to $400 on average, and the average emergency vet visit costing between $800 to $1500, employees will not have to choose between paying a bill or going into debt to give their pet the care they need.

What are the other benefits of pet insurance?

1. Delivers peace of mind

Not having pet insurance can make employees who own pets more stressed if they don’t know how to pay for their pet’s care, either preventatively or during an emergency. By offering this benefit, employees may be less stressed by this financial burden—and when employees are less stressed, they are more healthy, focused, and productive. Also, research shows owning a pet helps soothe anxiety and reduce blood pressure.

2.  Encourages employees to own pets

Pets are a significant emotional investment and a significant financial investment as well—pets require not only health care but also:

  • Food and treats
  • Dishes for their meals
  • Collars and leashes (for dogs and/or cats)
  • Grooming and nail trimming
  • Over the counter medications
  • Items for mental stimulation (e.g., toys)

For your employees who don’t have a pet but are considering purchasing or adopting one, a pet insurance benefit makes the choice of buying or adopting a pet easier since employees know their pets’ health needs will be a bit easier to manage.

3. Demonstrates to employees that you care

There are pet-friendly hotels, apartments, and restaurants, and by offering pet insurance, you send the message to your employees that your workplace, in this regard, is pet-friendly. You also demonstrate and support the idea that pets are important family members and deserve to be loved and taken care of. That is a genuine, loving, and caring message, which can also positively impact hiring and retention.

Pet insurance—protection for a pet’s wellbeing

By offering pet insurance, you will create a positive relationship with your employees, and they, in turn, will know that their pets can get the best care possible. If you are interested in providing this supplemental benefit to your employees and want to learn more about how it works, talk to a trusted consultant or advisor.

 

Content provided by Q4iNetwork and partners

Photo by damedeeso