5y
Thank you for providing feedback. I’m sorry you had a disappointing experience with our company.
In 2018, we initiated communication planning around our values so our associates would know and exhibit these values as we grew. With the input of our team members, we launched new communication initiatives. Our Values include Trust, Accountability, Teamwork, etc. We’re raising awareness through several methods, including a “Catch Me Doing It” program to nominate those who demonstrate our values. Cash and other recognition awards are given for exhibiting our values. Team members that exhibit our values will receive substantially larger raises than those who don’t. Mid-2020 we started regular leadership trainings for management so they can do better. We expect all leadership to hold regular meetings throughout their organizations to better understand career goals, motivations, feedback, performance, etc. Our senior leadership team held quarterly meetings in 2020 to get to know teams at remote facilities better. But we can still do better.
I am saddened that we failed to demonstrate our diversity to you. Our top two positions are held by women (President, VP-Ops). RCC has been monitoring pay equity and diversity for several years. In the C-suite, women avg 7% more pay than men. 6 of the top 11 people in senior leadership team are women. That senior team has two black managers, people many different faiths, and at least one proud member of our LGBTQIA+ family. The heads of our 5 plants are a Hispanic man, a white man, a black man, a white man, and a white woman. Their key direct reports are 4 black men, a white woman, and 3 white men. That is diverse for a small company.
After the murder of George Floyd and due to the conversations that were being held inside and outside our walls, we decided, as a company, to add Juneteenth as a company holiday. Since the decision was made very close to June 19th, we gave every employee 90 days to take the day off with pay so they could plan with their families. At the time, we asked every employee to use the time to reflect and think of what we can do as a company and as a country to improve the life experiences of all.
Like this entire country, we should have done better with COVID. Early in the experience, we drastically expanded our paid leave as we recognized (as scientists) the devastating impacts this virus could have. Weeks before the federally mandated CARES act, we extended paid leave opportunities of almost 4000 days to our employees. Since the expiration of the CARES act, we chose to VOLUNTARILY expand paid and unpaid leave at the same levels.
In the face of declining business, we increased headcount approximately 10%. We wanted to help the larger community as our neighbors were losing their job. We needed to get in front of changes we would require inside our plants with additional separation and cleaning requirements. We added an Environmental Health & Safety Officer to help with internal compliance. We routinely use consultants to survey employees and perform contact tracing to identify ways we can improve our workflow. In spite of those activities and meetings – sometimes 3x a week- with plant operational management to monitor and address any issues, we still are imperfect. We cannot claim we do not have the occasional grouping, imperfect cleaning, or forgotten mask pull-up.
As addressed elsewhere, our entry level pay needs to improve. This problem is particularly acute in our shipping/receiving areas. COVID has brought enormous changes to the manner that people shop. The use of Amazon and parcel deliver companies like Fed Ex and UPS has exploded. In several areas, these companies have raised their starting wages substantially. A recent review show that they are paying 20% move now than a year ago. One of our plants is located blocks from the country’s largest manufacturer of caskets and hospital beds. Sadly, they cannot keep up with business and have raised their wages and hiring bonuses. From a pure market perspective, we were slow to address.
We are utilizing a substantial portion of our budget for raises/bonus to address the gap. Further, we are reducing our use of “temp agencies.” As we tried to increase headcount while reducing contact through interviews, we used agencies. These agencies take a substantial cut of a person’s pay. Coupled with companies more willing to increase hiring through interviews, the realized pay of individuals hired through the temp process is doubly low. As COVID is expected to subside, we will utilize more direct hiring, effectively cutting out the middleman to put more pay in the pockets of new hires.
Again, thank you for your feedback. We will continue to work towards improving thanks to people such as yourself that are willing to provide honest, thoughtful feedback. Best to you in the future. Feel free to reach out.
