Q. INSIGHTs & INTUITION

What initiatives has your company implemented to help build a work-life balance for its employees?

Noah Fischer Human Resources and Organizational Development Manager EAPC Architects Engineers Fargo, N.D.

We are proud of our culture at EAPC and continuously look for ways to improve it for the health and well-being of our employees. We recognize that our employees’ lives outside of work is incredibly important to them, whether it is their family, pets, hobby, life circumstances, or the need to just recharge. The challenge with work-life balance is that rarely anything in life is in balance, but rather intertwined as a constant push-pull. Our leadership recognizes that production, performance, and employee retention improve when we make concerted efforts to support our employees and what is important to them outside of work.

Some specific initiatives we have implemented include deploying an action team to review programs and processes on how we on-board and assimilate new employees, surveying current employees on our corporate culture on what we do well and how we can improve, and requiring each manager work with their employees to create a career development plan. These initiatives are creating conversations, building rapport, and informing managers on what our employees need to be supported both at work and at home. Our goal is that the cumulative effect will position both the employee and the firm to be successful.

“The challenge of work-life balance is without question one of the most significant struggles faced by modern man.” – Stephen

Covey

At Architecture Incorporated we realize our employees are our greatest resource. Now more than ever we are faced with the challenges of juggling demands of our private lives and our careers. We strive to create an office environment that allows our firm to interact with each other in a collaborative and productive way. We take advantage of the latest technology, which allows us to provide flexibility in how we work as a team. Whether working together in the office or collaborating remotely, we are able to meet the needs of our clients.

We also believe that family comes first. Offering a flexible work schedule allows our staff to make adjustments as needed, especially during these unprecedented times. By supporting our staff in their personal lives, we in turn have staff who are vested in the success of the firm.

Sarah Aldinger Principal Architect Architecture Incorporated Sioux Falls, S.D.

At FCCU, we think of our staff as family. As such, our company culture puts family first because we understand how important a work-life balance is for the overall health and wellbeing of our staff. In addition to generous Paid Time Off (PTO), we’ve implemented flexible schedule initiatives whenever possible to accommodate appointments, kids’ activities, family time, etc. where staff can make up time later. Furthermore, during the initial outbreak of COVID and with schools closing, we understood this would put many of our families in the difficult position of choosing between the need to work and their family. To combat this strain, we immediately made changes to allow staff full access to their Extended Illness Bank (EIB). This bank of up to 30 days was initially designed for an employee long-term illness, but we realized that the pandemic was an extreme situation that needed a quick response to alleviate their concerns about lack of daycare, home schooling, underlying health conditions, etc. We also allowed those employees with limited PTO accruals to go up to 80 hours negative during these extreme conditions to ensure that no one missed a paycheck.

Overall, throughout our company, from our Board of Directors on down, we constantly try to be understanding that ‘life’ happens and know that happy employees are ones with a healthy work-life balance.

Steve Schmitz President/CEO First Community Credit Union Jamestown, N.D.

Jeremy Elbert Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor and Branch Manager

D.A. Davidson West Fargo, N.D.

While we have always had tools in place for strengthening work-life balance, D.A. Davidson’s leadership is especially cognizant of the importance of balance during the pandemic, when we are more isolated and face additional stress and health threats.

A major tool is our wellness program, which encourages associates to care for themselves physically and emotionally and provides helpful direction. The program includes fitness challenges, a health-information newsletter, and incentives for personal improvement. We also have many offices that have designated wellness champions who help others with work-life balance.

D.A. Davidson’s Employee Assistance Program covers a range of mental health issues, such as abuse, depression, grief, stress, relationship and parenting problems, workplace issues and more. In addition, you can be connected to professionals to discuss financial and legal issues.

We offer a generous vacation and holiday schedule, and we schedule familyoriented events focused on having fun, from holiday events to celebrating milestones. Our company is equally generous with leaves of absence, allowing time off for children’s school activities, adoptions, maternity and paternity leaves and more.

Probably most effective, however, is a leadership environment that encourages everyone to take time for themselves. We work to assure everyone that it’s critical to take time away from work responsibilities.

Manufacturing

Labor productivity declines were widespread among manufacturing industries in 2019, with decreases in 54 of the 86 industries studied, according to information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in July. Of the 51 industries in durable manufacturing, 31 had productivity decreases in 2019 led by a 7.8% decline in the productivity of the HVAC and commercial refrigeration equipment industry. Nondurable manufacturing also had widespread declines in 2019 with productivity falling in 23 of 35 industries, led by a 13.1% decline in the other leather products industry. All four industries in the mining sector posted productivity declines in 2019 led by the coal mining industry with a decrease of 6.%.

Us Employment By Ratio

The proportion of the statewide civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and over with a job was less than 50% in 10 states in May 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in a July 15 report. It was the latest data available. The bureau said Nebraska had the highest employment–population ratio in May at 67.1%, down from 67.7% in May 2019. Other states with high employment–population ratios were North Dakota (62.5%), and South Dakota and Minnesota (62.1% each).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

12-month percentage change, Consumer Price Index, selected categories, June 2020, not seasonally adjusted

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Americans took 2.8 billion fewer total trips during the week of July 4 this year than they did in 2019, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. That overall drop is supported by similar declines in the number of trips per day throughout the week. It is driven by a similar 2.8 billion drop in the number of local trips (under 50 miles) as well as the number of trips taken in each of several local trip-distance groupings. The number of long-distance trips (50 or more miles) edged up by 2.7 million from 2019 to 2020. That slight increase was driven by a 15.5 million rise in the number of trips between 100 and 250 miles, which was tempered by a 13.5 million drop in the number of trips greater than 500 miles. In 2019, on average, 19.7% of Americans stayed home each day during the holiday week; in 2020, that number rose to an average of 24.8% staying home each day.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics