Companies in the United States do well in handling problems of discrimination in the workplace, but they don’t rate quite as well in aiding employees’ family life.

That was the result of a recent study that compared U.S. companies with other firms in 173 countries on their guidelines for working families.  The study used information from a range of sources – government, private, and academic.

The U.S. came out well when compared to other countries in right-to-work policies, and in programs that reduced poverty in the elderly.

However, the U.S. did not fare as well in comparisons of business support for employees’ personal lives.  Almost 200 countries offered paid leave to women who were pregnant.  But the United States is one of only five nations that do not offer paid leave – the other four being Lesotho, Liberia, Papua New Guinea, and Swaziland.  According to the study, more than 100 countries allow women to breastfeed and almost 100 give them paid breaks to do it.  Some 65 countries ensure paid paternity leave.  However, the United States offers none of these options.

More than 130 countries require a paid yearly leave, and of those, more than 120 require a minimum of two weeks leave.  More than 130 countries have regulations that cover the number of hours a person can work, and 50 have government required wage differentials for evening and night work.  But there are no regulations on any of these areas in the United States.

Almost 50 countries have regulations that allow workers to take a leave of absence for marriage or funerals.  And an additional 145 countries have laws which allow employees to take paid sick leave.  Almost 80 countries give benefits for a minimum of 26 weeks for illness.  The United States allows only unpaid leave for severe illness through the Family Medical Leave Act, but the Act does not apply to all workers.

The results of the study are important, according to the researchers, because of the impact these programs have on children.  When companies offer paid leave for employees to have babies or to raise their children, it helps to improve the children’s health because parents are there to bond with the children and care for them.  With paid leave, the family’s financial situation is also better.  This has an advantage for employers as well, resulting in less turnover and greater productivity and job satisfaction, researchers said.

Are you looking for help in coming up with strategies on how to help your employees better meld their home and work lives for your Washington-area construction, engineering or architecture firm? If so, RealStreet Staffing can help. Contact us today!

On-the-job perks can be very powerful when it comes to recruiting and even retaining employees. Let us count the ways:

1) When employees feel they are being “taken care of by their employers” (more on this in a moment)  the more likely they are to recommend your company to their friends, neighbors and former colleagues. Word-of-mouth recruiting can be a great way to get the best candidates (terrific employees tend to refer/recommend terrific candidates).

2) Perks often can cost you relatively little in cash. Flexible work arrangements, mentoring programs, free or company-subsidized snacks and beverages in break rooms, etc. can go a long way to helping your employees feel “cared for.”

3) Feeling that their employer cares for them also can be extended to opportunities for career and professional growth. Subsidized training shows you care about an employee’s future.

4) Perks can go quite a long way in improving morale. Many workers — survivors of cutbacks, doing the job of one, two, or more people — are reaching capacity regarding how much more they can give. It’s time for a little appreciation! Offering a bit more flexibility in scheduling or Free-Muffin-Fridays can make a big difference in how an employer is perceived. Such small, but effective, tokens of appreciation, if done regularly, can help keep employees motivated to continue giving you their best.

5) Finally, perks can increase innovation. Offer your employees the chance to learn new skills or fine tune existing ones via mentoring or employer-paid training programs and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how quickly they’ll be implementing new ideas or increasing their productivity.

Speaking of increasing productivity, contact RealStreet Staffing today to learn more about how our flexible staffing options can help your Washington Metro construction, engineering or architecture firm become as efficient and profitable as possible.

When budgets are tight and employee morale is low, what can a cash-strapped business do to motivate its hard working workers without crying “raises for all!”?

Plenty.

Money is a major factor in employee motivation — people need to feel they’re being compensated for their skills, effort, and time. But it’s not the only motivator.

Human beings are motivated by many things. Important things such as:

• Appreciation
• A sense of purpose
• A sense of belonging
• Being a part of something important and/or “bigger” than themselves
• Opportunity (to learn, for advancement, for new experiences
• Explicit goals with the chance to reach tangible outcomes
• Feeling that what they do matters
• New challenges

And none of these need cost a company much, if anything.

As you work to motivate your employees, be sure you’re not doing the following:

• taking away current benefits;
• fostering a culture of unfairness and petty politics;
• pitting employees against each other in a sad game of “if you lose than I win;” and
• a culture of “you’re lucky to have a job in this economy, so put up and shut up.”

Instead, try these motivators:

• Show appreciation. If you can’t raise salaries, what about taking your department’s team members out to a nice dinner when they get a major project done early?
• Get employee input. Ask for their advice on how to do their jobs better, how to create better process or even create new services.
• Make sure your employees are challenged. Give them opportunities to go to conferences and seminars to learn new skills.
• Create a culture of service, hard work and trust. Reward those who exemplify these values with a small trophy, certificate or lunch on the department.
• Praise often and keep praising. Don’t hold back. Find something praiseworthy each day and acknowledge it.

If your company is located in the Washington Metro and you’ve a need for highly skilled construction, engineering, architecture and technical personnel, contact RealStreet Staffing. We can find skilled workers for you quickly and easily. Contact us today.