Tips for Work Wellness Plans

I feel like every “work wellness” webinar I go to or every article I read just spins the same stuff over again.  They tell us to offer discounts on gym memberships to employees or to do desk stretches, etc.  These are all well and good, but what really is a healthy workforce is one whose crew is approachable, reasonable, and consistent.  An employee who goes to the gym may miss less workdays due to heart health, but if they are moody or unpredictable, their co-workers will need more sick-days so they can avoid the drama. Here are some ideas on how to create a “healthy workforce”.

1. Encourage employees NOT to have more than two caffeinated beverages a day.
   
   Coffee may be an upper, but it is also a downer and a mood-altering device. Make it a competition to see who can drink the least caffeine each week. My advice, do not make the prize a Starbucks gift card.
2. Put a bucket of mixed nuts at your desk.
   
   This encourages high-energy snacking and also gets people to actually come say hello to you, which if you are in Human Resources, can sometimes be an uphill battle.
3. Tell your boss to go home early or if you are the boss; go home early!        
   
   Though there is always more work to be done, an unbalanced boss usually ends up treating their employees in an inconsistent manner. When employees do not know where they stand or are not sure which boss is coming through the door that day, employees tend to become less productive and have more sick-days. 
4. Post funny videos to you company YouTube site.
   
   Laughter reduces frustration, so when a colleague is having a bad day send them a laugh-link.
   
   
   
   

Why it's Important to Hire Licensed Contractors & Steps to Take to Hire a Contractor

I want to start this post off by explaining what a licensed contractor is: a licensed contractor has the training and experience necessary to obtain a contractor’s license. The State of California’s Contractor’s License Board has checked into the contractor’s background and is satisfied that the person is qualified to hold a contractor’s license.

It’s important to note that you are not assured of getting the perfect job but quality work is most often attained when hiring a licensed contractor.  

Below are a couple tips when hiring a licensed contractor:

• Check I.D.: When a contractor comes to your home or building, ask to see their pocket contractor’s license and picture i.d.  You want to make sure you are dealing with the same person who holds the license.
• Shop Around: You should shop around before hiring a contractor and get at least 3 written estimates on your project, making sure each contractor is estimating the job using the same plans. Compare each estimate against each other and see what the differences are in what work will be done. If something is missing from one of the estimates, ask that contractor why they did not estimate that part of the project.
• Understand Bids: Remember that the lowest bid is not always the best bid.  It may be the best for your budget, but if it is more than 10% different from the others, you should look at it more thoroughly.   Maybe they are using cheaper parts or products or maybe they will underbid the project and do what is called a change order later or adding more cost to the contract. 
• Request Recommendations: You should ask for personal and professional recommendations and check them out carefully.  If possible go and see some of the work that has been done at another building or home.  
• Check Insurance: Check to make sure the contractor has liability insurance and has workers compensation insurance if required.  Don’t just ask, get it in writing. 
• Permits: Always make sure that the contractor takes out a permit when required and returns a completed and signed off permit before making the final payment.
• Payment: Never give more than 10% of the job cost before the work starts. Most often you can do the payment of contract in 4 payments including the initial startup payment. Withholding 20% of the contract’s total cost until the signed off permit is given to you is not uncommon. 

These are just some basic ideas on how & why you should hire a licensed contractor. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!



Introducing the social media background check for rental applications!

 

Most responsible property owners and managers use the three-tier approach of income, credit and background check to implement a fair and non discriminatory application protocol. Such application guidelines are well accepted and generally considered “best practice” guides for the housing industry. Individual and company guidelines will vary with risk tolerance levels, such as how many late payments are acceptable or what income ratio is appropriate. However some sort of combination of income, credit and background evaluation is the norm when evaluating a rental application. 

The Social Media Fingerprint

Fast forward to 2010 and personal background information has now morphed into something more than before – the social media fingerprint.  Today not only do we have an electronic fingerprint of our credit, but we have electronic versions of our personalities residing on the Internet.  And they are public for the world to see and judge.  How should the property owners and managers of today deal with this new type of personal information?

Today, many employers now include electronic social media investigations and searches as a routine part of their background evaluation of a prospective employee.  It is only logical that property owners and landlords should also include some level of social media search for information about a prospective resident as part of their routine background verification. However, the prospective resident should be evaluated for their ability to follow the mandates of the lease and community rules and no more. 

Limited Scope and Purpose

It is not the job of the landlord or owner to make personal judgments or to determine if a prospective resident will “fit in.”  Whatever that means, that’s going too far. A social media or electronic background review should be limited in scope to obvious “red flags” such as inconsistencies in background information revealing potential identity theft issues, or to obvious behavioral issues suggesting the prospect would be unable or unwilling to follow the proposed rental agreement.

The Challenge

This is not an easy road to walk. This is new ground and undoubtedly mistakes will be made.  Some landlords will go too far, using social media information to reject prospective residents for inappropriate or legally impermissible reasons.  Some landlords will not investigate at all. An inappropriate resident will be approved, engage in dangerous behavior that was foreseeable, and the landlord will be sued by the injured party.  It will take time, trial and error to get the delicate balance between unacceptable social media evaluation and social media privacy; if there is such a thing as social media privacy.

The Future

Over time, the acceptable guidelines and uses of social media information will be developed through  routine practice and the Courts. Eventually the government will codify rules and provide some safe harbors and guidelines, but only after the use of social media to evaluate prospective residents becomes commonplace. In the interim, we will all struggle with developing rules that allow us to make reasonable inquiries and good application decisions, backed by sound business judgment. 

Do you have a prospective resident social media background investigation protocol?  Have ideas on what might be included? If so, please share them through the Comments feature. 

Interested in how social media can improve your rental marketing program?  Contact Lightner Property Group to put the power of Lightner Solutions to work for you today!