Ways Contractors Can Support Veterans Looking to Work

OLA’S NEW JAMES FUNAI, PhD Cuyahoga Community College ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY BUILDS A STRONGER WORKFORCE

I know many of you, not just as good people, but as exceptional ambassadors of our great industry. And, while it may seem quite unnecessary for an organization such as ours (built on the foundation of camaraderie) to adopt an ‘official’ anti-harassment policy, we need to be proud and vocal about it, because this policy is at the heart of workforce development.

The truth of the matter is, there isn’t anyone in this industry who’s not affected by the reality of an incredibly limited workforce. This reality takes its toll on our business owners, our managers, our laborers, and everyone else in-between –daily. We just interpret that toll in different ways.

As owners, many of us may be quick to blame government “handouts” for causing people to be lazy and not want to work. Others may just be saying, “No one wants to work anymore, period,” without ever considering why. I propose that it’s not that no one wants to work… they just don’t want to work 50+ hour work weeks, anymore. They don’t want to work where they don’t get at least two days off a week and they don’t want to feel like they’re working their tails off to barely make ends meet while the owner rolls up in an $80k truck every day. And certainly, no one in their right mind is going to choose performing a labor-intensive job for less than what they can make standing behind a gas station counter for eight hours a day. So, should we potentially consider a new normal work week? Should we?

The American workforce is undergoing a major revision, and NOW is when the most creative, flexible, and savvy companies (regardless of industry) will make the decisions that help them excel over the next decade – and beyond.

As of spring 2021, American people of color returned to work at a rate more than double that of white Americans. This might suggest that people of color are more eager to work and/ or that they are experiencing less financial stability. Women (for various reasons) were unable to return to work as much as men (regardless of race), despite wanting to work as much as their male counterparts. That being said – while I don’t want