Morale of those with jobs a big issue amid cutbacks

Monday, Nov. 2, 2009 | 2 a.m.

More business and economy coverage

Nevada’s jobless rate second in nation after Michigan (10-21-2009)
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Recession may be over for U.S., but not Las Vegas (10-16-2009)

The bad economic news in Las Vegas has become like winter rain in the Pacific Northwest — sometimes it comes in a torrent, other times a mist, but always there.

The latest: Unemployment nearing 14 percent; foreclosure filings up 5 percent during the third quarter; US Airways cancels nearly half its Las Vegas flights. Throw in a spate of murder-suicides, and it can all seem overwhelming.

The relentless barrage raises an important issue for managers: How to maintain morale in an environment of layoffs, fewer hours and smaller tips, especially as the holiday season nears and family and financial pressures worsen.

The Sun consulted a group of experts, as well as some of the city’s most prominent businesses, to learn how to keep workers happy and productive.

The Truth

“It begins with telling them what you know,” says Peter Cappelli, director of the Center for Human Resources at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

“If you don’t tell them what you know, employees make up a story, and that story is always worse than reality,” Cappelli adds.

Keep workers in the dark, and destructive rumor-mongering begins in the lunchroom, Cappelli says.

Bruce Hillier, executive vice president of Nevada State Bank, says the company has decided that honesty about the challenges of the current economic climate is the best policy, with CEO Dallas E. Haun sending a letter to employees every three or four weeks with an update.

Danny Thompson, who heads the Nevada AFL-CIO and has seen his members take a beating the past few years, says he hopes companies can help his members prepare: “If people know there are problems, they can take necessary actions.”

Listen

Several companies say giving employees a chance to offer feedback can be cathartic. “Employees want immediate and constant communication,” says Jacque Petroulakis, a spokeswoman for Pulte Homes. The company has set up a Web site for that purpose.

At St. Rose Dominican Hospitals, administrators conduct open forums department by department, says Andy North, a spokesman. The hospital company also conducts a semiannual survey of employees.

Nevada State Bank has set up a blog, allowing employees to voice comments and concerns. There have been 450 blog posts since January, and executives respond to all the reasonable ones. The bank is also in the process of hosting employee town hall meetings, before which employees can submit anonymous questions and comments that executives respond to.

Make money

Tom Mikovits, director of marketing at South Point, says that gaming company has an uncomplicated solution to the morale issue: Do well. “We’ve been pretty busy. When the property is full, customers are happy and that energizes our staff,” Mikovits says.

This may be harder than it sounds in the current economic climate, but Cappelli says businesses need to lay out a vision for what success will look like.

“Give them a story about the upside. What’s the picture look like?” he says.

In a similar vein, the most productive employees need to be rewarded, even in tough times, experts say.

Serve others

Pulte Homes offers employees two paid days off a year to do community service. The company also offers group service projects, most recently on behalf of Special Olympics.

“We want to recognize people’s passions outside the workplace,” Petroulakis says.

At St. Rose, when a manager sees an employee doing a good deed for a co-worker, the Samaritan gets a “Rose Token,” which he can cash in for a gift certificate to a local retailer such as Starbucks.

The hospitals also have the “Echo Fund” — essentially collection plates around the campuses. Employees experiencing hardships can apply for help from the fund or nominate a co-worker to receive Echo Fund money.

Have fun

Pulte Homes tries to make work fun for the whole family, as with a pool party this summer that featured a disc jockey, raffles, games, barbecue, “the works,” as Petroulakis says.

St. Rose has barbecues, service award dinners and other special events.

A study in the British Leadership and Organization Development Journal declares that cussing is good for morale, though of course not around customers.

Swearing is good for group solidarity and stress relief, according to the study.

In the “make work fun” category, there’s always a dangerous flirtation with Michael Scott territory from TV’s “The Office” — his zany antics are more likely to be offensive than fun and often put the lie to the whole idea that work can be fun.

The Las Vegas company that has become famous for its zesty workplace is Zappos.com, where all the fun is said to help keep spirits up at a company obsessed with customer service.

A public relations company that represents Zappos said the online shoe retailer would love to participate, but had to postpone an interview last week.

Too busy with a Halloween party.

Discussion: 15 comments so far…

By OG

11/2/09 at 4:45 a.m.

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This is silly.
By davidwayneosedach

11/2/09 at 7:51 a.m.

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All of us who have jobs are pretty clear exactly where we stand. Whether business for our company is booming or is just barely hanging on.
By vegasmama

11/2/09 at 10:26 a.m.

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This is just the Sun pretending all is well here, but not at their boss's hotels.
By unclegig

11/2/09 at 10:30 a.m.

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The easiest way to raise their morale is to remind them that they better perform or they will be gone. No more guaranteed life time employment regardless of their performance like the good old days. This should give them a wake up call and start doing what they are being paid for.
By Det__Munch

11/2/09 at 12:16 p.m.

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unclegig

I agree. Since I've been back home, I have run into not only rude employees, but stupid ones. I was in Menards one day and needed a few questions answered. The 60+ year old man was so rude to me I actually said to him that if he doesn't like his job, I'll take it!!! He got all huffy with me and finally answered my questions.

No one's job is permanent any longer. And some people just don't understand that. I am tired of hearing how impressed possible employers are with my resume, that I've had only 3 jobs in the last 30 years. I have to bite my tongue and not just say "THEN HIRE ME, DAMN IT!!!"
By moatsad

11/2/09 at 12:58 p.m.

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at least you wont have to worry about any pretension about companies caring about families or any of that anymore. with threats they will be able to drive the worker as hard as they can, throw them away and will always have an endless supply
By gmag39

11/2/09 at 1:21 p.m.

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unglegig,
Yeah! You tell em. THAT will get morale up and good service going! Let them know that they are basically a SLAVE to the MAN and that they are EXPENDABLE & DISPOSABLE! That will learn em! Corporate throw-a-ways, am I right? LOSERS! They'll have a job tomorrow if I SAY THEY HAVE A JOB TOMMORROW, am I right? You tell em bro!
Just who the heck do they think they are, important cogs in a well-run machine? Heck no!
There's a hundred, or hundreds more just waiting in line to be treated like trash! Is this a great country, or WHAT?
By Planetearthcalling

11/2/09 at 5:37 p.m.

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Don't you folks worry yourselves none. Thanks to rory reid all those highly paid government employees are living life large on your dime.
By info4you2see

11/2/09 at 10:10 p.m.

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So right you are Planetearthcalling!

Everyone take a look at the salaries for Clark County alone.....

http://transparentnevada.com/salaries/20...

Now you understand where the stimulus money went to make up for state and county budget shortfalls.
By environprotector

11/3/09 at 4:26 a.m.

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Didn't anyone hear? According to Biden The recession is finally over!
By environprotector

11/3/09 at 7:09 a.m.

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Don't forget our valuable (those still employed) potential tourists across the State Line in California who just got a 10% additional taxes deducted from their paychecks starting this week. Now their really gonna have some disposable income to spend here! nice work Arnold...
By David1961

11/3/09 at 12:54 p.m.

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Don't forget our valuable (those still employed) potential tourists across the State Line in California who just got a 10% additional taxes deducted from their paychecks starting this week. Now their really gonna have some disposable income to spend here! nice work Arnold...

Yea, and wait 'til income tax return time, another historically fat time for Las Vegas,when half of California can't get here fast enough to give it to the tables and strippers here, when they start recieving I.O.U.s' instead of income tax returns...
By Bakersfield

11/3/09 at 3:57 p.m.

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Before I was laid off last year, I didn't really have time for morale to be low. It was just a sudden call into the front office with a co-worker and we were gone. The deadwood had already been weeded out. Those few that are left get to worry every day, while I am doing contract work for competitors of my old employer and keeping very busy. David, are you kidding, tax returns? most of us will owe more to good ol' Cal at tax time, not be getting refunds.
By Burrittobandit2

11/3/09 at 6:54 p.m.

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Don't worry about morale, the illegals are going to take All the jobs away anyway. Companies should be getting us liquored up so not to take the bad news so bad.