My bosses can’t tell me how to live… Can they?

The economic outlook remains gloomy. Many employers are still laying off. The staff who is left is working, work longer hours than ever before. More work = less personal time. While personal time diminishes, is personal choice also diminishing? Workplace rules & laws are getting stricter all the time. They are covering more and more of what used to be looked at as personal choices.

These factors contribute to the blurring lines between work life and personal life.

Lets look at some numbers:

Nearly all companies have an IT policy preventing employees from using the companies’ resources for personal online use. In spite of these bans a study released October 14th of this year, shows that 50% of workers say they will shop while at work this holiday season. 10% of these workers will spend at least 30 hours shopping online. Company policies vary, but consequences for violations can be harsh.

Concerned about your rights to privacy in your company computer? Your safest bet is to assume you don’t have any and don’t look for federal government protection. Federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) states an employer-provided computer system is the property of the employer. California allows for some minor adjustments. In general employees can expect very little electronic privacy on company owned computer equipment. Don’t risk termination or disciplinary action; limit your personal computer use to your personal time. Make sure you are familiar with your company’s IT policy. Ask you HR department to provide you with your company’s policy if you are unsure.

Employers don’t stop with company owned computer equipment. Some employers are now attempting to ban obesity in the workplace.  The numbers behind this decision are staggering. Employers with a BMI greater then 40 (18.5 to 24.9 BMI is normal) had 11.7 workers comp claims per 100 workers, compared to 5.8 claims per 100 for normal BMI employees.

Injuries aren’t the only costs. Health benefit costs to employers has SKYROCKETED due to employees with obesity related conditions. The average health spending for the 15 most expensive obesity -related condition climbed 55 percent form 97-05.

Think you are protected against your employer’s decisions regarding obesity? Think again. Discrimination laws very narrowly define protected classes of workers. Only Michigan and DC protect overweight workers. To many employers’ credit, they are working with health care companies to design programs to help employees lose weight. Initiatives include gym memberships, discounted weight loss programs and more mundane solutions such as serving fruit at morning meeting rather than pastries.

Employers aren’t the only ones pushing change in personal choices at work. Many states & localities have a ban on smoking in the workplace. American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation says that currently 71% of the US population lives under a smoking ban of some kind. Many of these bans are administered by OSHA. Employers: ignore enforcement at your own peril.

Are the positions these employers and enforcement agencies taking too paternalistic? These statutes that have been challenged in court, and the courts are upholding the employers decisions. Whatever your personal opinion of these “intrusive” rulings, your employer is still within his/her rights to make these personal choices for you.

The more noise social media creates the more clarity print provides.

Received a “Thank You” card in the mail last week that excited me. Please check out the brief video I made in regards to it.

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

My excitement spilled over into adding it as a discussion point I had with varies print industry people. Many of them also agreed it had some potential. As Social Media (SM) grows it becomes harder and harder to keep up with and filter out the noise that it generates. In fact at this point the noise of SM is at a roar level. That simple Thank You card coupled with SM had a very profound impact and most importantly, it made me LOOK at the website and possibly become a buyer on that site.

Sitting in Dallas last week with Joe Polanco from PIA-MidAmerica helped further expand on this SM noise. By the time we finished 2 beers and a nice conversation the tag line “The more noise social media creates the more clarity print provides” had been formed.

Dont get me wrong I am a huge fan of SM and think it is an extremely valuable tool in many ways. It is the combining of the two that I find interesting. It is similar to how I look at things like Google AdWords. The first few results in a search doesnt mean legitimacy in my mind, it can also mean someone that is good at getting top rankings for key words, but otherwise not having much value. Thus as many people do, I look at the paid for advertising as a solid option.

The coupling of the two mediums is a strong fit. What better way to filter out the noise than to receive a card in response to something connected with on SM. In fact it is a barrier of entry as the printed piece costs a small amount of money to send and thus acts a good filter from spammers and others that just use free communication tools aggressively, but have a product that has no value or limited value.

Better filters will certainly come soon for SM and like all things the adaptation of the new tools will need to be assessed and relooking at the value proposition of print will need to happen.

Brian

The case for “Why using flexible staffing makes sense”.

Read an interesting article on one of What They Think’s blog sites about a new NAPL report. In the report, NAPL states that the decline of the print industry productivity in the first quarter of 2009 is 14.2%. What is strange to me is that payroll hours are only down 4%. I think this illustrates how important Flexible Staffing, like that which Semper offers, is a critical component to any printer’s strategy. With productive declining more rapidly than payroll, printers have still not right sized their head count the appropriate levels. Having a solid relationship with a staffing firm that can provide highly skilled printing personnel to your organization can offer areas of cost saving most companies need today. Firms like Semper not only provide highly skill people that can be relied upon, but offer key things like benefits to its flexible workers.

I recently spoke with management of a large global print focused firm and confirmed that they are still operating under a 70% internal staff, 30% flexible staff model. That this ratio has had a very significant role in helping them stay profitable during this unexpectedly long recession. Mind you, this type of strategy is not just used by large organizations, many sized firms use Semper for very similar reasons.

Please find a link to the What They Think posting I have referred to in this email message: http://blogs.whattheythink.com/printing-office

Flexible Staffing explained

These days we’ve been hearing a lot of:

 

“I’m not hiring.  I definitely don’t need temps.” 

“I’m trying to keep my payroll costs down!”

“We just laid off a bunch of staff.  We don’t need your services now.”

“We ran an ad for that position and got over 500 resumes”

 

In all of the above scenarios, a quality flexible staffing firm could not only simplify the life of the contact, but also increase the productivity and efficiency of the organization, and help keep costs low during an economic period where the bottom line is everything!

 

How?

 

Here is how flexible staffing works:

 

We offer 4 services to meet your staffing needs.

 

Flex: 

(Temp) We charge an hourly bill rate.  You bring our employee in for as many or as few hours as your production dictates.  Good for production overflow, employee leave coverage, production coverage during employee search, etc.  This service is particularly useful during economic downturns or for organizations with lean payroll models.  Keep your core staff, those few people that are a must, that you invested time and money in training and developing. Run on a lean payroll of just your core.  During times of low production, your payroll cost is also low.  During times of high production, bring in our flex team to cover the overage.  You have successfully changed a traditionally fixed business cost into a variable cost, allowing you more control over what you spend during different business cycles.

 

Flex can always and at any time become a Flex-to-hire.  So if you fall in love with the person…

 

Flex-to-Hire:  

1. Once, and if, you decide to hire, there is a conversion fee based on employee’s base annual salary and time spent as a temp.  Also useful when you would like to hire a full-time candidate but aren’t 100% sure production will continue at its current level.  Keep the candidate flex until your doubts are dispelled, providing more security for you, the employee, and the organization!

 

 

Pay rolling:  

Similar to Flex-to-Hire except this time YOU found the candidate.  Say you meet 

1. Nice huh? Additionally, payrolling could be used to manage your own freelance or contract staff.  No more headaches of adding people temporarily to your payroll or worrying about 1099 employees.  Drop them on our payroll, we’ll handle everything! Payrolling is generally done at a 40% mark up.

 

 

Direct Hire:  

1. Our fee is generally a percentage of the employee’s base annual salary.

 

Ok, that being said…There’s more!  

 

Bill rates include:  

Unemployment costs, workman’s compensation, payroll, recruitment, screening, taxes, and our EXTENSIVE LIABILITY INSURANCE!  I know you don’t want to let any schmoe near your equipment.  We’ve got the insurance to cover any mishaps to your press or work in case a schmoe gets by, however unlikely!!

 

Trial Guarantee:  

I frown upon client interviews.  We’ve interviewed them.  Why do you have to do it again?  That’s why you pay us!  So, bring the guy in for his first day of work.  While under our liability insurance umbrella, see what he can do.  If within the first two hours you realize this guy doesn’t know a press from a broom handle, send him home…NO CHARGE.  However, if you discover he is the dynamo we say he is, you got yourself a guy without having to wait through an interview process.  Production continues…life is grand.

 

Semper offers these services to our clients, but if you have an existing relationship with an agency be sure you are taken full advantage of all the benefits they can offer you.

 

PIA member? Ask about our member discount programs!

 

By working together to find a solution to best fit the need of your organization, Semper can prove to be a valuable partner during these times. In difficult times, it is essential we all work together for the good of the industry, its companies, and its workers.

 

If you would like to see who is available, please visit www.semperllc.com or call 877-377-4687 and speak to a local placement coordinator.  Whether you have a need today or want to plan for the future, we look forward to serving you!

Semper Survey Q2 Results

Semper Survey Q2 Results:

I believe those that have survived thus far have sighed in relief, but it is clear we have some tough times ahead- so much for an Obama Bounce! It would seem contrary to the March statements from the politicos about things getting better, most of us have not seen anything of the sort. In fact, we would estimate 15% or more of establishments in existence January 08 are no longer around. Even the very solid, well-run companies are experiencing severe financial issues. The longer this “contraction” lasts the more harm it is causing. The plus side is those that survive will enjoy a much less competitive market. The first draft of the GDP numbers came out indicating the contraction was 6.2 in the first quarter. The second and third drafts will likely show that is a conservative number; even with the two week busy period many indicate happened in January. An area I would like to look at in this summary is the question that looks at your concerns. The answers to this area have changed so significantly over the last two years and even in the last few quarters. The largest area of concern is now the OTHER area. Upon investigation, OTHER is not several types of concerns but rather the need for a new category to be added – The economy. Ninety percent of the respondents who chose OTHER to question 8 indicate the current economic contraction is their primary concern. Looking back over the last four surveys this constituency has been i ncreasing to the point we will now add a new category “Economy” to this area. As you can imagine the shift from profitable to unprofitable was rather striking and the most severe since we started the survey. 52% say they were profitable this past quarter and 47 % indicate they lost monies- a huge shift. The question regarding business the last two weeks seems to indicate some improvement with 38% indicating some improvement and 42% staying the same. We noticed a 2 and a half week increase starting early April but a fall off as the month ended (hopefully short term). The full-time hiring situation still seems tough with the vast majority staying the same or laying off. We have been privy to many different and creative types of hiring arrangements being used: furloughs, reduced work weeks, reduced pay rates, using the unemployment office’s Work Share program and utilizing Flex staffers after heavy lay offs. We have enclosed the entire Survey results below; if you have questions or would like to see additional areas explored please let me know.

View Survey Results: CLICK HERE

Dave Regan CEO daver@semperllc.com

Thank You

Staffing is a leading indicator

Saving monies and being lean are on everyones radar of late. With labor being such a large component of costs what is your competition doing
to keep costs low? How do the industry leaders gain competitive advantage in this area?

Did you know flex staffing s a “leading indicator? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leading_Indicators#Types_of_Indicators)

Have you ever noticed how orders tend to come in clumped together? Like cars at a toll booth or a pocket of traffic on a highway?

How can you use these observations and tips to your companies advantage???

Email me your questions and I would be  more then happy to respond  Always@semperllc.com

Dave Regan 

CEO

Semper

Semper’s quarterly printing industry survey results.

Hi, Thanks to all of you who participated. Please find the results of the survey.

Q1 Survey Analysis – January 2009

Thank You again for your responses – this was the first time we posted on twitter and other Social Networks and the response was trebled.

Let us get right to it- WOW. Glad the fourth quarter is over, but the first could be just as interesting.

The highlights: 

Profitability seems to have increased again- clearly this indicates the cost cutting measures and the reduced costs of raw materials and fuel are helping.

The question regarding how you find employees was interesting. Notice that many more of you are using online resources like printworkers.com or Gain’s job bank than help wanted ads in newspapers. I wonder about the reasoning behind that fact, considering the parallel decision our clients must face between print and new media expenditures.

The hiring section – the Staying the same percentage is continually dropping, with laying off increasing but hiring actually started to show an increase. This would indicate that companies top lines are still being squeezed; they lay off but then find they are unable to meet demand when it comes in. So they have to rehire- A shameless plug but this is a classic temp staffing utilization situation.

Again, we suspect the GDP numbers to be released on Jan 30th 09 will have to be revised even in six weeks lower than even the shocking contraction they first indicated. We are glad to see many of you understood the severity of the situation and took the steps needed to reduce costs last quarter.  All the doom and gloom from Davos aside, we feel that the upturn will start sooner than later. The speed of its improvement is the question. It seems that most responded that business was stable  the last two weeks and expected things to stay the same for the quarter. Lets hope we start to see improvement top line wise shortly there after.

The number one concern of respondents was the economy and it’s impact on clients budgets followed by predatory competition for those budgets. The Fed calls that deflation. Let us all hope that trend and fear is fleeting.

We have enclosed the entire Survey results below, if you have questions or would like to see additional areas explored please let me know.

daver@semperllc.com

Survey Charts: CLICK HERE

Semper’s Q2 Survey Analysis – April 2008

First, Thank You all for the huge number of responses. 

We honestly use this survey as a benefit for the industry in general 

and not for commercial reasons.

 

I think we all can be glad the first quarter is over; except for the fact that the 

second quarter, so far, seems to be even worse then the first. The last 2 

months have seen a severe contraction in most areas of the economy and 

in all geographic areas. The Fed’s actions last Summer came several sessions 

too late to avoid this contraction. The relentless negativity from the media over 

the last two years reached a crescendo of hysteria in August that has scarcely 

abated till just recently. We all are grateful for the news media’s recent more 

positive bias!!

 

A Big question now is have the stock markets hit bottom? If so, then the 

recovery will be approximately six months from that bottom. If you look at the 

current stock charts for Apple, the Dow and the NASDAQ over the last two 

years, It appears that we have hit the bottom and are on the upturn (barring 

another terrorist shock). If the charts are correct, then we should start to see 

improvements as early as September – October. Flex Staffing tends to be a 

leading indicator, like the stock market, so we at Semper should see improvement 

three to four months after the bottom. We will let you know. 

 

Another BIG change in the Industry this year was the demise of Annual report 

printing. One manager I spoke to, mentioned that last year they printed 100 Annual 

reports- this season only four. The result of the SEC allowing companies to post 

the reports “online.” This single change has had a huge negative impact in that 

segment of the industry. I think of what will happen to Blockbuster and the movie 

theatre chains once the movie studios release first run movies directly online. It 

will likely be a similar issue- MAYBE I should sell any holdings.

 

Now to the survey results:

 

As you recall, the results are in the new easier to read and understand format 

which reduces the need for commentary.

 

The question on profitability I am sure is high on everyone’s list. The trend line is 

clearly indicative of the stress we would expect to see ; this is a MACRO issue 

not just your firm.

 

The question on profitability I am sure is high on everyone’s list. The trend line 

is clearly indicative of the stress we would expect to see ; this is a MACRO issue 

not just your firm.

 

The hiring question reinforces the above two responses. Hiring has dropped off, 

but it seems staying at the same staffing level is the course most firms are going 

with. Maybe others agree that things will improve sooner than later. (br>

Clearly, keeping expenses limited is on everyone’s mind, with base pay and benefit 

costs showing big jumps in concern from respondents. Supply costs in general are 

now the largest percent concern of firms as opposed to technology issues.

 

In closing, we see positive news here in the expectations of sales for this quarter. 

Take a close look at the actual results and feel free to ask questions or give 

feedback – daver@semperllc.com

 

Click here to view the Survey:

http://www.semperllc.com/printing_survey/Semper_Survey_2008_Q2.pdf

                                                                  

Thank You

Cost saving strategies for slow economic cycles

The continued dismal economic news from the MEDIA harpies is definitely becoming a reality. Things are getting really tough out there!

We have some answers for you-  Flex Staffing – It saves hard cash by allowing you to pay for labor when you need it and not a second longer.

Imagine if your press payment or office lease payment was like that.

How does Flex Staffing work? You call us when you have a need and we send skilled professionals out. We bill you for the hours worked. The bill rate includes Work Comp, all payroll taxes and benefits. Many clients call us for the hourly rate and use that information to help bid jobs.

The idea is to treat Staffing as a flexible cost. Over time, it can save your company huge dollars. Even when the economy is slow, you get demand spikes. This is when we can help – Semper = Always. We will Always work our best to help you meet your clients demands. With many firms cutting back, the need for extra staff is even more critical and keeping clients satisfied is ever more important to your success. 

Last week we had an interesting experience with a Sir Speedy in the Southern California area. They needed a Docutech operator for a four week assignment.  The bill rate per hour was quoted as 23.50, which included all Payroll costs and insurance. The client told us he normally pays 16 per hour to his worker and had trouble paying us more then that amount. Believe it our not we run into this fairly frequently with clients. In this case we pointed out that there are costs associated with payroll above and beyond the base rate. These costs include Work Comp., Unemployment insurance, benefit costs (Health, Dental, 401 K, LTD, Vacation and Holiday- these usually add on 30 % in most states, but at least 35% in California. And this doesn’t include liability, Theft Bond or Professional errors and omission insurance costs we provide for each of our workers). So the client was realistically paying a minimum of 16 x 1.30 = 20.80 already and was unwilling to pay the additional 2.70 (108.00 per week) that would cover our additional costs and charge per hour.  The client felt they would try covering the period with over time and  having other workers try and keep the machine running with a monthly cost of $297.61. http://www.secinfo.com/dV179.96w.9.htm#1stPage It could be bringing in a contribution significantly higher per week.

We honestly do our best trying to explain but sometimes we fail – the is a reason they have that famous saying about throwing the baby out with the bath water – Some people are under so much stress to save a penny they definitely can hurt themselves which likely is part of the reason they are under so much stress in the first place.

So please, if your unsure ,  feel free to describe your unique situation and we can continue this discussion

Q1 Survey Analysis – January 2008 (Printing)

Q1 Survey Analysis – January 2008We have reorganized the survey for this quarter. The new format makes it easier for you to track the changes historically, allowing you to spot trends. It also reduces the need for our commentary.The feds surprise reaction today is exactly the tonic that appears to be needed based on this survey-This survey shows several distinct trends:-This is now the third quarter in a row with a significant drop in companies reporting profitability.-The expectations for the coming quarter has dropped now for the second survey.-The decrease in hiring and the number of layoffs have both increased over the last survey – Both have accelerated.On a positive note- Companies are reporting a strong increase in orders over the last two weeks and this is the first survey in a while that Technology is less feared.The Quebcor news has many pluses and minuses for the industry as clients potentially shift vendors.If you have questions or would like us to add a question or topic please feel free to contact me directly – daver@semperllc.com Click here for the Results PDF