Commercial Laundry: Rick Rone, Laundry Plus, Bradenton, Fla.
In my opinion, one of the major factors in this presidential election is immigration.
Many laundries rely heavily on co-workers from various parts of the world outside the United States. Possibly most of the workers are from outside the United States.
As I have stated before, labor is traditionally the largest line item of the budget for most commercial laundries. The availability and the associated costs with both finding and keeping (employee retention) good-quality people is continuously on the rise.
I believe that most voting Americans think something needs to be done to straighten out and streamline the current policies and procedures. What appears to be the current policy of just burying one’s head in the ground and hoping the challenge will just get passed on to the next president is quite shortsighted.
I would hope that whichever candidate wins the election, immigration will be quite high on his or her list of issues that need to be addressed quickly.
Long-Term Care Laundry, Kathrine Flitsch, Wheaton Francsican Healthcare, Brookfield, Wis.
Our country is facing many issues at this time. The news is full of stories regarding many topics, but one we often deal with in the laundry industry is diversity.
We work with a very diverse group of associates. Working with people from different cultures or generations, you are able to gain knowledge through their experiences.
By having a more diverse workforce, organizations may face additional challenges. Some of these challenges may result in additional training or in-services. Some training may include things such as how to work well together within a diverse group.
Recognizing that people have different work styles that others may not understand may also arise. When working with one another, we need to be able to realize what might be a weakness to one may be a strength for another.
Tapping into those resources and being able to maximize those contributions that person can bring to the team will help the department run better overall. Knowing this helps balance things out to make it work better for all.
Communicating effectively with one another is important in keeping things running smoothly. Within a diverse group, communication can be difficult at times.
Work closely with individuals to make sure they understand what is being asked of them and what they need can make it easier on all. When we take the time to listen and respect one another, we can limit conflict within the workplace.
Respecting what makes people different can be hard at times for others. By realizing that we are all not going to get along, but that we are here for the common goal of the organization and reflecting on our mission and vision will keep us on the right path to get the job done.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].