Once upon a time, lunch coolers were considered some of the most unfashionable items to carry to work or any other place where lunch was being served. Only those who were considered the odd crowd brought lunch coolers to work and it was often at the expense of being ostracized by co-workers and friends for carrying an unsightly box that contained a lunch made a home.

Today, lunch coolers have taken on a life of their own and are a far reaching status symbol as contrasted to the old ones back in the day. With such a challenging scenario facing many people due to the American economy lunging into a recession, bringing lunch from home is not only a reality but a necessity to adapt to the increased costs for food, gas and other expenses.

Employers who respond with employee incentives like imprinted lunch coolers are certain to win some cool points from their employees. Not only will employees realize that their employer is sensitive to the financial hardships that most people are facing, but employees will appreciate the opportunity to earn an item that serves a functional purpose such as carrying their lunch to work every day.

Modern lunch coolers are a great item to use in company safety programs and can be embossed with your company's logo and contact information and provided to employees who successfully complete required safety programs. Employees will be honored and pleased to receive a gift for their efforts and with today's high prices, having a new lunch cooler to bring lunch from home can be the perfect ticket to keeping food costs down for the lunch meals during the week.

Another way to make great use of lunch coolers is to offer them as prizes at a company picnic or other company-sponsored event. Many employees consider these events as a wonderful way to enjoy time with supervisors and co-workers outside of the workplace. Employees also tend to expect the company to provide various types of prices and gifts to employees as a way of saying thank you for all of the hard work and services that employees have provided throughout the year. This is particularly true when the year has been a very profitable one for the company.

Imprinted coolers are functional, fashionable and make bringing lunch from home a delight. Some of the more modern coolers have several compartments that allow for foods to be packaged separately and kept safe from heat and other elements. Some of the best modern lunch coolers also have a zippered compartment along the bottom designated for a sandwich or salad to be stored and kept cooled by and insulated outer covering.

No matter what type of company event that is scheduled, items which are customized with company information are great ways to provide employees with things like imprinted lunch coolers that will remind employees regularly of their service to the company, the company's gratitude and the importance of hard work to achieve company objectives and goals.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_I_Martin

The Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act (ADAAA) went into effect on January 1, 2009. In changing the way that disability is defined, the number of people who will qualify as being disabled in the workplace greatly increases. Further, it shifts the focus from whether the employee is disabled to whether an employer meets its obligation to reasonably accommodate a disabled individual.

It is important that human resources and hiring managers be aware of two hidden disabilities that often look like attitude or behavior problems. Asperger's Syndrome and Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD) affect, in varying degrees, an individual's communication skills and ability to organize information. The prevalence of Asperger's Syndrome alone is estimated to be as high as 1 in every 250 people in the United States.

It is easy to miss that you are dealing with someone who has a disability. People with Asperger's and NLD are typically college educated and very bright. They often possess above-average technical ability in their chosen field and produce work that is thorough and accurate. Although these individuals are represented in all kinds of careers, the areas of high technology, technical writing, scientific research, engineering, and academia make particularly good use of their logic and analytical skills, excellent memory for facts, vast knowledge of specialized fields, and tolerance of routine.

Yet due to differences in how their brains process information, people with Asperger's and NLD appear to behave in ways that seem willfully rude or insubordinate. For example, the characteristic literal interpretation of language can lead to serious and sometimes comical misunderstandings: "How come you're not using the new scheduling software?" asks Tim's manager, "I told you to take a look at it two weeks ago." "I did look at it," replies Tim, "and didn't think it was useful so I deleted it off my system."

Another hallmark of Asperger's Syndrome and NLD is trouble understanding non-verbal communication (body language, facial expression, tone and volume of voice, etc.). The individual may not know if others are upset with him, or recognize an implied request from a supervisor. A propensity for making blunt (yet honest) remarks along with a lack of awareness of office politics frequently alienate these individuals from their colleagues.

Both Asperger's Syndrome and NLD are characterized by difficulties with executive functioning, which encompasses planning and time management activities. At work, the individual may need assistance with prioritizing information, scheduling tasks, and allocating resources. Since these individuals are talented and skilled, appeals for help may be brushed aside with comments like, "You should know what to do; it's obvious!" or, "At your level you should know what the priorities are." Legitimate accommodation requests may be misunderstood as persnickety bids for special treatment ("Everyone wants a quiet cubicle").

There are many low- and no-cost accommodations which, combined with some patience and understanding, can have a profoundly positive impact on performance of employees with Asperger's or NLD. Examples of accommodations include the use of check lists, electronic reminders, color-coded filing systems, and quiet work spaces. Replacing vague directives to "make the product sing" or "give the customer a religious experience" with precise, detailed instructions can work wonders for productivity. Adam, for example, was about to be fired when he disclosed his Asperger's Syndrome and explained his trouble understanding the nuances of language. Thanks to written communication and precise specifications, today Adam is exceeding his manager's expectations.

Relaxed standards for "teamwork" can be an effective, zero-cost accommodation for people who struggle with social interaction. Communication via emails, telecommuting, written participation in meetings, and set periods of uninterrupted work time are possible in many different jobs.

Despite the exploding diagnoses of Asperger's Syndrome and NLD in recent years the business community remains largely unaware of these disabilities, perhaps to its peril under the ADAAA. If nothing else, the Amendments Act underscores the need for training so that employers can respond appropriately to individuals who are disabled but don't look it. Legislation notwithstanding, the real benefit to employers is the tremendous cost-savings in retaining and increasing the productivity of these talented, skilled workers.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barbara_Bissonnette

Restaurants and commercial kitchens have always been relatively high turnover work environments, making new employee recruiting and training a constant chore for management. A few basic procedures can help you maximize employee retention and reduce turnover, which in turn reduces costs and increases efficiency.

Cast a wide net. When you have a job opening, get the word out so that you get a maximum number of candidates. The more people you get to apply, the more likely you are to find the ideal candidate.

Use multiple media:

Word-of-mouth by existing employees
Paper classifieds
Internet postings (some useful sites include craigslist.org and careerbuilder.com)

Screen carefully. Reading every resume and interviewing many candidates takes time, but it's definitely worth it in the end. A little careful screening will save you time and most importantly money later on down the line.

Things to look for during the screening process:

Relevant job experience. The more time a candidate has spent performing a similar job, the faster they can plug in to your operation. This can be a double edged sword however. A candidate with many recent jobs may have problems you can't see up front, or a candidate with a long list of experience may want too much compensation and be hard to train.

References. At least three references can provide a window into a candidate's background and personality.

Salary requirements. Perhaps the easiest way to rule out a candidate is to ask what their minimum salary requirements are.

Interview. Ask questions that require more than a one word answer. Get a feel for how the candidate views their prospective job and where they are in their life. Depending on the position, pare candidates down after the first interview and then conduct a second interview.

Structure the screening process so that everybody who will be working with the new employee is involved in some way, no matter how small. This will help cohesion when you bring a new person in.

Use your best resource for training: your employees. Once you have selected the right candidate, make sure they have all the tools they need to succeed in their new position by taking the time to train them well. One of the best resources you have at your disposal to accomplish this is your existing employees. Have the new person shadow one of your top performing staff members for a few days to start. This will not only help them start to learn the details of their new job, but will also give them your restaurant's best example of a good employee.

Create clear expectations. Nothing is more confusing to a new employee than contradictory or constantly changing expectations. This is an easy trap to fall into, since everybody in your company will have expectations for the new guy. Make clear not only to the new employee but also to the rest of your staff what your expectations are for him or her so that you avoid crossed signals.

Set a positive example. Ultimately, your employees look to you for cues on how they are performing and what their expectations are. The best way to improve new employee and overall staff retention is to set a positive example for all employees to follow. Create a positive work environment that values constructive criticism and mutual support. Such an environment will not only keep morale high, but will reduce turnover and improve customer service.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregory_Scott_McGuire