By Tammy Binford

A new employee group has begun showing up vividly on employer radar screens. It’s not defined by race, religion, gender, or any of the other familiar legally protected classes. The new group commanding the attention of employers is made up of workers suffering extreme stress brought on by extreme debt.

It’s always been in an employer’s interest to provide help to employees suffering the various stresses of life – health woes, family strife, and certainly financial distress – but the economic trouble of recent years seems to be taking a special toll on productivity.

Young employees saddled with exorbitant student loans are a notable subset of employees stressed over debt. A recent National Public Radio report profiled the case of a 30-year-old woman who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with bachelor’s and nursing degrees and one more thing – $140,000 in student loans. She’s now employed and making more money than her parents (a school bus driver and a teacher), but she expects to be in her 50s before her loans are paid off. read more…

A team is missing its production deadlines, and a different cultural interpretation of the word “deadline” is the cause. Two experts offer solutions for fixing the problem.

The Problem:
Don is production manager in a printing company that produces books for major publishers. Five years ago, the company added binding to its services, and Don began staffing that department with workers from Mexico. Everything went smoothly until four months ago when Mauricio became supervisor of the binding team. One of the first Hispanic workers Don hired, Mauricio is bight and capable. But since his promotion, the binding group has missed three deadlines. Books had to be shipped at special rates and high costs! Each time Mauricio apologized and vowed to set more reasonable completion dates; but Don has noticed that during production meetings, Mauricio continues to promise tight deadlines. Mauricio is experienced. He knows the equipment and his men. Why does he promise deadlines he cannot deliver, and what should Don do to ensure he does?

read more…

A team is missing its production deadlines, and a different cultural interpretation of the word “deadline” is the cause. Two experts offer solutions for fixing the problem.

The Problem:
Don is production manager in a printing company that produces books for major publishers. Five years ago, the company added binding to its services, and Don began staffing that department with workers from Mexico. Everything went smoothly until four months ago when Mauricio became supervisor of the binding team. One of the first Hispanic workers Don hired, Mauricio is bight and capable. But since his promotion, the binding group has missed three deadlines. Books had to be shipped at special rates and high costs! Each time Mauricio apologized and vowed to set more reasonable completion dates; but Don has noticed that during production meetings, Mauricio continues to promise tight deadlines. Mauricio is experienced. He knows the equipment and his men. Why does he promise deadlines he cannot deliver, and what should Don do to ensure he does?

read more…