Today is Labor Day, so a heartfelt shout-out to all working Americans.
By coincidence or not, today also marks the end of the $300 federal unemployment supplement program.
And now more than ever, this is an employees’ job market.
Look at the number of unfilled jobs in any city of any size, including San Diego. It’s not because of a numerical lack of eligible workers, but a lack of workers who either are able to work or are willing to go back to work.
Research indicates that for many entry-level and blue-collar workers, they’ve been able to avoid going back to work.
Proof comes from a recent JPMorgan Research report, which declared that 48% lower-income workers earned as much or more income from unemployment benefits than when they were employed.
Plus, by staying home, they avoided childcare issues and a daily commute to the office or workplace.
But the times, they are a-changin’, and the impact of the end of the employment supplement and extended unemployment benefits on both employees and employers remains largely unknown.
Twice the number of hires were made
According to The Wall Street Journal, when Arkansas opted to end the $300 supplemental federal benefits in late June, twice the number of hires were made as compared to previous months.
In most states, however, that wasn’t the case as many re-imposed a requirement to look for work as a condition of getting continued unemployment benefits.
What employers here and throughout California should expect tomorrow and coming weeks is anyone’s guess.
Let’s hope that the few million jobs that remain unfilled in California are once again filled, either with a slow dribble of workers or a tsunami or somewhere in-between — resulting in a boon to our economy.
For employers, now would be the ideal time to rethink your compensation package. Do your best to attract more workers — and returning workers — who want to earn a regular paycheck. Treat qualified applicants with respect and they’ll likely grow into loyal, productive employees.
Gratefully welcome those returning employees and new employees who have chosen to work for you and your company.
Let bygones be bygones. Don’t focus on when these employees should’ve returned to work, but didn’t. Put that beyond you.
In a perfect world, you will soon have all of your shifts filled, your admin team will be complete, and you’ll be able to fully open your restaurants for lunch again and fill your hotels in response to the demand.
We’ve all learned some hard lessons during the COVID shutdown, led by the fact that work-life balance is very important to all of us. That includes top management all the way down to the production floor.
Your work policies should not be the same ones you entered COVID with, nor should your job descriptions be the same. And your managers’ interaction with our employees shouldn’t be the same.
Clearly, most employees are much more concerned about how they’re treated at work. They want to feel valued and appreciated.
Better employees will always have an option
Due to the increase in retirements of older workers, stringent immigration policies, and a stay-at-home parent surge, your better employees will always have an option to go to better-paying jobs.
Compensate fairly, not just in salary, but in benefits, as well. Allow flexibility of hybrid working arrangements, and offer great training programs so employees feel they are personally growing within your company.
These days, it’s not enough to offer pingpong, foosball, a free beer fridge and happy hours. That’s so pre-COVID.
Better to make sure your employees feel respected, that their input matters, and that their opinion matters.
Make sure that your company places a high value on employees’ work-home life balance. Make sure they’re proud of where they work and that their job is as fulfilling as possible, with upward mobility.
If they work hard, learn new skills, and take on more responsibilities, they can play a significant role in closing wealth and socioeconomic gaps. They can, by working at your company, literally transform their future.
Now the ball is in your court to make sure your company meets these new and returning workers’ needs — for the short term and beyond.
Blair is co-founder of Manpower Staffing and author of “Job Won.” pblair@manpowersd.com
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September 06, 2021 at 08:00PM
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This time, just offering pingpong to employees won’t work - The San Diego Union-Tribune
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