Germ-Phobics Need Not Apply
According to the Discovery Health Channel, the occupations that expose people to the most bacteria that cause illness are --- Teachers! Doctors are fifth on the list of exposure, behind such innocent occupations as banker and accountant. The CDC estimates that 1.5 million cases of acquired infections occur each year. Lost productivity due to illness is estimated at $10 billion per year.
So if you are a teacher and reading this interesting tidbit, get ready for your 2-3 colds this year. The little (or not so little) rug rats that you over see every day are waiting to spread their joy around. And do your co-workers and the other students a favor and stay home for a day or two until you are not sneezing or coughing on a regular basis. Unfortunately for your family, the incubation period where you are contagious occurs before the symptoms of a cold show. Make your apologies and some hearty chicken soup (definitely shown to be more helpful than most cold remedies!). Use tissues and wash hands frequently even after you are feeling better.
High Cost of Bad Hire
When an employee doesn’t work out, the costs involved such as recruiting, training, severance, lost productivity and the search for a replacement, is 2-3 times the annual salary for that position. For “high-end” positions, the loss can be as much as 5 times the salary. (By the way, the US median salary is about $42K.)
This is one of those factors not accounted for when companies slow hiring. Human resource people simply cannot pick the right candidates with high enough proficiency to avoid being wrong too often. This means that companies are slow to hire and slow to fire. One solution is to use the Workforce Investment Act that offsets salaries during training.
Another is to place people in an extensive orientation program. Once hired, companies can test people for reading and math skills, observe interpersonal interactions and account for such easily measurable factors such as timeliness, courtesy and communication efficiencies. As most companies have a 90-day no-fault policy, bad choices can be identified and eliminated.
The problem in most companies is the placement of new employees without orientation or a mentor. By the time incompetency becomes obvious, a year or more may have passed and now the company’s loss is much greater and cutting the employee may be more difficult. Productivity has definitively been affected and people around the incompetent worker may have also had diminished efforts.
The hiring process tries to be thorough but it is too easy to miss the right person. Mistakes can be corrected through an orientation program.
Annual Grocery Bill
According to the US Census, annual spending for groceries is highest in the Northeast ($6049) and lowest in the South ($5142). Initially, the numbers seem to make sense as colder climates means people are indoors more often and probably eat more often. But, the West at $6051 and the Midwest at $5338 confuse that logic. The West is certainly warm and as health conscious as anyplace in the south while the Midwest is cold, much colder considering Upper Michigan, Minnesota and the Dakotas, than the Northeast.
I guess the bottom line is you are looking for lower cost of eating, move to the South or the Midwest.
Letterman Fun
From the famously funnyman David Letterman:1. The longest yard ever measured was 3 feet, 2 inches
2. A pound of feathers is 2 ounces lighter than a pound of cement
3. Canada is an Indian word for north of the border
4. It was so hot in Washington DC yesterday that President Bush spoke to the NAACP just for the cold shoulder!
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