How Companies Are Staying Ahead of the Flu Season

Some people associate fall with pumpkin spice lattes and brilliant colors as leaves turn red, orange, and gold. For others, it’s football games on weekend nights underneath the bright lights. And there are also those who cannot wait to decorate and find the perfect costume to celebrate Halloween.?

Of course, there’s something else fall is known for – the start of flu season.

Obviously, that isn’t one of those things that anyone looks forward to, but it still is a fact during this time of year. And it’s important for companies to navigate the unique challenges that go with it. In particular, being proactive and implementing measures to support employee health are wise approaches to take.

Some ways you can prepare for seasonal health risks and plan for staffing challenges include:

• Consider offering onsite flu shots or Covid vaccination clinics.
• Remind employees about health benefits and sick leave policies.
• Prepare for staffing shortages due to illness by cross-training team members.
• Develop contingency plans for operating with reduced staff.
• Support employee well-being by encouraging them to use accrued vacation time before the end of the year.

Taking the right steps now will pay dividends for your team as we head into the fall and winter seasons!

What to expect in this month's newsletter:

• Featured Blog: Temp-to-hire has become a popular approach for bringing in and retaining new talent.
• Industry News: A survey by leading research firm McKinsey finds that more CEOs are placing greater emphasis on organizational culture.
• Safety: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health put the spotlight on an important topic during Respiratory Protection Week.?
• Social Impact: Workbox Staffing is hosting a couple of upcoming blood drives and a Trunk-or-Treat event in October.

The temp-to-hire approach for bringing on new team members has been gaining popularity as companies and employees alike realize its many benefits. Employers reduce hiring risk and costs, while at the same time gaining valuable workforce flexibility. And new workers hit the ground running as they demonstrate their skills, work ethic, and ability to integrate with the team before permanent employment.?

This can be a real win-win situation but it gets even better when you add a staffing agency to the mix. See, this streamlines the process for employers and gives additional support for workers. It also frees up HR professionals to focus on other activities that can greatly impact the organization.

To learn more about temp-to-hire, its benefits, and how responsibilities can be divvied up, check out this blog post:

Visit Our Blog

The Impact Culture Makes for Companies

?There has been some interesting research lately regarding organizational culture in industrial settings. In particular, a 2023 McKinsey survey of CEOs found strong links between workplace culture and financial performance.

Amongst the various trends and findings, some of the key takeaways from the McKinsey survey include:

• Companies that align culture with strategy and prioritize people tend to see double the revenue growth of others.
• 82% of CEOs focused on organizational culture as a key priority in the past 3 years.
• 59% of those CEOs met or exceeded their culture-related goals.

Prioritizing employee well-being and taking a strategic, holistic approach to organizational culture can give your company a competitive advantage. And there’s no better time than the present to start developing your own strategy!

Want to check out the full McKinsey report for yourself? You can find it here:

Read the Report

Respiratory Protection Week Recap

Last month, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) highlighted an important workplace safety consideration during Respiratory Protection Week (Sept. 3-6).

During this week, the NIOSH provided resources to help teams make educated decisions for selecting and wearing respiratory protection. This is important because millions of U.S. employees – in industries as diverse as manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and emergency response – depend on this kind of PPE to stay safe at work.?

For more information about Respiratory Protection Week, or to find links to recent resources supporting NIOSH’s strategic direction for respiratory protection, visit this page.

Upcoming Blood Drives

We’re thrilled to announce two spooktacular October blood drives! Join us under the full moon on October 24 at our Muskegon lair or on October 25 at our Grand Rapids haunt. Your participation will be a treat for those in need -- come give the gift of life and help us conjure up some magic for these events!

Muskegon Blood Drive

Date:? ? ? Thursday, October 24

Time:? ? ? 11:00 AM - 3:30 PM

Where:? ? Workbox Staffing Muskegon

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 1930 E. Apple Avenue

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Muskegon, MI? 49442

Schedule your appointment:

https://donate.michigan.versiti.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/161371

GR Blood Drive

Date:? ? ? Friday, October 25

Time:? ? ? 10:00 AM - 2:30 PM

Where:? ? Workbox Staffing GR

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 1350 Scribner Avenue NW

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Grand Rapids, MI? 49504

Schedule your appointment:

https://donate.michigan.versiti.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/158184?

?? Trunk-or-Treat!???

To celebrate the Halloween holiday – while also providing a safe and fun experience for children – Workbox Staffing is planning local Trunk-or-Treat events for the end of October. Area families and community members will gather their cars at a central location to pass out treats. And children will walk from car to car and collect candy, just as they typically would while trick-or-treating.

Workbox will give the children bags to collect candy and, of course, a good amount of treats to put in them! Connect with your local office for details!

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