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What does Labor Day mean and what are we celebrating?
For many in the U.S., the first Monday in September marks the de facto end of summer, the last BBQ hot dog, or time to shop the Labor Day weekend sales. While parades, fall colors, and kicking off sports season is definitely a reason to celebrate, the contributions and social and economic accomplishments of American workers call for well-deserving praise-and a day of rest.
This year, the U.S. Department of Labor is celebrating the 125th anniversary of Labor Day.
The first Labor Day was held in 1882 in New York City. Two years later, it was made an official federal holiday by President Grover Cleveland.
Although there is still some debate as to who originally founded Labor Day, the strong work of the 20th century labor unions benefits us until today. Today we can be thankful for laws in place preventing and governing child labor, requiring minimum wage, overtime, breaks, weekends, disability, time-off and more.
Employees as Ambassadors of Modern Businesses
The U.S. labor force is composed of roughly 160 million people. The industries that make up the labor force are the backbone of the American economy. These include healthcare, retail trade, manufacturing, education, technology and hospitality.
The contribution of the workforce does not only entail full time workers. According to the American Staffing Association, there are more than three million temporary and contract employees working for staffing companies during an average week. Annually, staffing companies in the U.S. hire roughly 17 million temporary and contract workers.
7 Tips for Businesses to Improve Workers’ Experience
Transparency
Offer greater insight into what jobs are available, which shifts, locations, etc.
Improve Communication
“Oh good, another email.” — Said no one, ever. Finding the best, fastest and most frictionless way to communicate with your workers will go a long way towards making their jobs better.
Technology
In a rapidly evolving mobile world, providing a mobile solution is the first step towards using tech advancements to save time and improve efficiency.
Greater Predictability
Hourly workers deal with a great amount of uncertainty in their schedules and incomes. The more predictability you can provide with scheduling, the more you can improve their sense of security.
Team
Hourly work can feel isolated. Businesses can create the sense that hourly workers are a part of a larger team by connecting them to one another or using a workforce platform.
Positive Recognition
Allow your employees to access all their essential information, like how many hours an individual has worked per day/week/month, and ratings and feedback left by onsite managers.
Value
Praising where it is well deserved, taking employee feedback into consideration, and holding ongoing conversations with employees about their work environment and experience can help businesses show workers how valued they are.
