In Search of Excellence: Tom Peters Reduxed

Unfortunately, Tom Peters’ book, In Search of Excellence, is now 25 years old. We say unfortunately because we aged with the book as well. Peters claims that essentially all of the concepts he espoused at that time held up well over the past 25 years. One issue that he addressed in the original text was that women were overly ignored in business. He said, “They buy everything and control the wealth.” In a recent interview with USA Today, when asked about how that issue fared over the years, Peters indicated that nothing has changed. “[Women] buy everything and control the wealth, but constitute 2% of Fortune 500 chief executive officers. They are on the short end of the leadership stick. It’s a missed opportunity. You take a different approach to financial advisory services if women are your customer [sic] than you do if men are. It’s the same in many industries, and it’s stupidity not seeing the opportunity.” One concept from the original book that we have used repeatedly over the years is his “well-managed companies” designation. We have suggested, and stand by our original application, that “well-managed companies” have aggressive, state-of-the-art disability management programs in place. That was true 25 years ago, and it is true today.

FMLA Update

The most contentious issue of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) at this point is the termination of employees after the 12-week period of time off. This issue is especially a concern for mothers. There is mounting evidence that the FMLA fails the most in cases involving parents. The FMLA became a federal law in 1993. The basics of the act provide for 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year for:

• the birth and care of a newborn (or adopted) child of an employee (male or female)
• the care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health care problem
• medical leave when an employee is unable to work.

The FMLA applies to employers with 50 or more employees. The question is: “Do workers have a fundamental right to care for their families?” This question is the title of an article on the subject that appeared in The New York Times Sunday Magazine on July 29, 2007. CEC Associates has been assisting employers with compliance issues in the broader context of disability management programs since the inception of the FMLA. Still, we are interested in the views of others on this issue of discrimination against caregivers. What responsibilities do employers have under the FMLA, especially as those responsibilities relate to parents?

Going Green in the Workplace

“Going green.” What exactly does this phrase mean to the workplace? As the worldwide “Live Earth” concerts brought climate change and other environmental problems to our awareness, people were asked to take small steps in their lives to help better the environment. “Going green” is a phrase that has sprung up over the past year, encompassing all the ways homes and workplaces can become more environmentally friendly. Making your workplace good for the environment is more important now than ever because the earth is facing the challenge of dwindling resources. The rising cost of energy is only one of the problems we will face in the coming years if we do not take action now to undo some of the damage to the environment. By changing simple things in and around your workplace, a difference can be made. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has provided a list of simple things we can do to make the workplace more “green.” From switching to fluorescent light bulbs to putting recycling containers in place – there are many inexpensive ways to conserve. Other options include replacing office equipment with Energy Star appliances and having your building reach an Energy Star rating, which is issued to a work environment that typically uses 35 percent less energy than a “normal” office. Using public transportation and carpooling are other suggestions given. Although becoming “green” takes some work and sacrifice by the office community as a whole, the benefits of being energy efficient will pay for themselves in lower operating costs and energy usage. How “green” are you? Use the EPA’s Emissions Calculator or My Footprint to find out how much carbon you produce a day. To learn more about reducing your daily impact, visit the EPA’s page on Action Steps for tips.