Litigation Value: $0
Potential Savings: $10,000 per retained employee
Last night’s rerun didn’t offer much new, so we’ll fulfill our promise to revisit the second “Michael Scott Paper Company” episode.
Michael crafted a deal to house his new company’s headquarters in a Dunder Mifflin closet. The dream team’s starry-eyed optimism soon wore off after Michael, Pam, and Ryan moved into their new digs. The makeshift office was cramped and uncomfortable, affording no one the illusion of a personal workspace. In fact, between the shared laptop, Ryan’s loud phone calls, and the sound of rushing water every time a toilet flushed, morale dipped dangerously low. In short order, Pam was disillusioned and more than ready to abandon her new position in the hopes of returning to Dunder Mifflin.
It didn’t take long for the enthusiasm to die — and that’s what happens in real life, too. An employee’s first few weeks on the job can set the tone for the rest of the employment relationship. Giving employees the tools, training, and environment in which they can succeed right away can make the difference between having productive, loyal workers and employees just doing the minimum to get by.
In today’s economic environment, it is particularly important to pay to attention to employee morale. Every employee needs to be as productive and loyal as possible. Even though great employees probably won’t leave you high and dry right now, they may be just biding their time until jobs become more plentiful. Today, employees struggle daily with economic uncertainty and fewer benefits than in recent years, so it is more important than ever to provide a good work environment. They’ll remember it and pay you back with loyalty when the economy turns around. That will result in huge savings for you!
