Flashings

NAHB forms an alliance with OSHA

In May, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) created an alliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to increase the residential construction industry's occupational safety and health, especially for Spanish-speaking workers.

OSHA and NAHB will develop training and education programs and workshops for Spanish-speaking construction workers. In addition, the alliance might develop a comprehensive safety training course similar to OSHA's 30-hour construction training course.

NAHB President Kent Conine says, "Through this alliance, we will be able to leverage our association's resources and focus greater attention on addressing the educational needs of the residential construction industry work force—particularly the needs of the Spanish-speaking work force, which is the fastest-growing segment of our industry's labor pool."

Updates about and resources developed by the alliance can be found on OSHA's and NAHB's Web sites, www.osha.gov and www.nahb.org; in NAHB's member newspaper, Nation's Building News; and in affiliated trade associations' newsletters.

NRCA issues a Special Report

NRCA issued a Special Report titled "Maximizing Opportunities in the Bush Tax-cut Plan" to its members about the Jobs and Growth Tax Reconciliation Act of 2003 (HR 2). The act, which was signed by President Bush on May 29, will provide $320 billion in tax cuts by 2013.

Although many of the act's provisions won't be realized for several years, NRCA encourages you to become familiar with the act and contact your tax counsel and accountant to learn how it will affect your business. To read the Special Report, click here.

R. Craig Silvertooth, NRCA's director of federal affairs, discusses the act in "Capitol Hill."

Managing recent graduates

Summer means young adults have graduated from high school and college and become part of the work force. Beginning a new job can be difficult for anyone, and for recent graduates, it can be especially overwhelming. To improve these workers' job experiences and retention, consider the following tips:

• Explain the rules. A recent graduate will need to know your company's culture and rules, including information about office hours, dress code, vacation policy and benefits package. After explaining rules and regulations, give the employee your company's employee handbook.
  
  
• Get him started. A recent graduate rather would start working immediately than receive lengthy instructions. Give him a brief overview of a task, and let him begin. Consider making the graduate's first project one in which he must interact with many people throughout your organization so he will gain acquaintances.
  
  
• Offer more time. A new graduate may need extra time to finish a project—new workers hope to perfectly perform tasks. Offer a new employee more time than typically would be given to other employees to complete a specific project.
  
  
• Listen. A new graduate will join your organization with fresh ideas and innovative solutions. Listen to what he has to offer.

Source: Adapted from Managing New Arrivals, as cited in Communication Briefings, March issue.

Lock your laptop

In the current communication age, it is convenient to travel with your laptop. A laptop allows you to correspond with customers and distributors via e-mail, finish reports and keep yourself busy during downtime.

However, it is important to secure your laptop when traveling. Not only should you safeguard your data through encryption, you also should protect the laptop. When purchasing a laptop, choose one with a lockable case from which a hard drive cannot be removed. When you're not using your laptop, lock it inside your suitcase or briefcase to keep it out of view of potential thieves.

Source: Adapted from the searchSecurity Web site, as cited in The Manager's Intelligence Report, March issue.

A new site

Professional Roofing has redesigned its Web site. In addition to a new look, the site features Web-site exclusive content and photographs, as well as author biographies. Logon to the Web site, and e-mail any comments to professionalroofing@professionalroofing.net.

Answer the telephone!

How and when employees answer the telephone at your company says a lot about how customer service is perceived in your company culture.

To demonstrate your company's emphasis on good customer service, ask employees to answer the telephone after the first ring. Understandably, the telephone can't always be answered that quickly, and most customers won't notice whether it is. However, if the telephone rings more than four times, customers undoubtedly will notice.

When answering the telephone, employees should be professional and courteous. Employees also should avoid putting callers on hold; when necessary, callers' hold times should be minimal. Callers who hold for a long time tend to lose patience and hang up.

In addition, if a caller requests to speak to someone who is not at his desk, transfer the caller to voice mail. Writing a note does not deliver the same emphasis of a voice-mail message. Detailed voice messages often are used to conduct business.

Source: Adapted from Wells Fargo Tips, as cited in First Draft, June issue.

Effects of a computer screen

The American Journal of Industrial Medicine recently published a three-year study completed by Chiba University, Chiba, Japan, about the effects of staring at computer screens.

About 25,000 office workers answered three questionnaires regarding their computer use. The workers listed typical complaints, such as headaches, joint pain and stiff shoulders. Workers who spent more than five hours per day looking at computer screens also complained about anxiety, fatigue, insomnia and other problems. The study took into account the type of work and work environment, as well as computer screen sizes. The researchers concluded that a worker should spend less than five hours per day staring at a computer screen to prevent mental and sleep-related problems.

Source: Adapted from www.cnn.com, as cited in First Draft, April issue.