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The RESPECT of Florida e-Newsletter
October 2016


RESPECT of Florida is the central non-profit agency for the State of Florida that helps employ more than 1,250 Floridians with disabilities through the production of commodities and contractual services that are sold to government entities. If you would like to learn more about us or browse our catalog, visit us at:  respectofflorida.org. 
A Message from Executive Director Ryland Musick


Every year, we celebrate October as Disability Employment Awareness Month. On October 5, RESPECT joined the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Division of Blind Services, and Vocational Rehabilitation in recognizing Florida employers who make a practice of hiring people with disabilities. At that event, RESPECT awarded a Micro-Enterprise Grant to a gentleman with a photography business.

RESPECT's mission is to create job opportunities for people with disabilities. Day-to-day, we rely on our government customers to partner with us to create stable, long-term employment. Every order or contract for RESPECT commodities and services translates to real jobs.

The individuals that work with our partner organizations have amazing capabilities. Most importantly, a job gives people independence and pride. We look forward to the upcoming year, and with your help, creating even more job opportunities for Floridians with disabilities.

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Meetings, Training, and Events

Oct 31 - Commodities Roundtable Meeting, Tallahassee
Nov 10 - RESPECT Oversight Committee Meeting, Tallahassee
Nov 14-15 - Regional Training Meeting, Panama City 

Commodity of the Month
  Wall Clocks

 
There is no time like the present to order a state seal, 24-hour, or customized clock for your office. RESPECT's MFMP punch-out catalog is a convenient way to order if you need to beat the clock. View our selection of wall clocks on the RESPECT Procurement List. 

ABLE United



The ABLE Act is a federal law enacted in December 2014 that authorizes states to establish a program that offers tax-free savings and investment options to individuals with disabilities.

ABLE United accounts allow tax-free savings for qualified disability expenses. This could include housing, transportation, medical equipment, etc. Best of all, individuals can save up to $14,000 per year and still maintain needed federal benefits.

To be eligible for an ABLE United account, you must be a Florida resident at the time of application and have a qualifying disability occurring prior to age 26.

Opening an account is an easy process, and is completed online. For more information about ABLE United accounts, please visit http://www.ableunited.com/. 

Outstanding Employees 

RESPECT Project Manager Harry Firends, recently traveled to Goodwill Big Bend and the Arc Gateway to deliver awards to two Outstanding Employee Nominees.


Goodwill Big Bend is glad to have Littie Bayer as part of the team. She knows what needs to get done and gets it right. She is very bright and quick to lean and a very hard worker.
 
James Hardy is active leader on the Arc Gateway Escambia lawn crew. He steps up to resolve problems and is an extremely hard worker. James has made strides to befriend all lawn and janitorial crew members.


RESPECT Awards Micro-Enterprise Grant
Pictured L to R: Nathan Creel, Maggie Wattenbarger, Thaddeus Wilkins, Ron Sharpe, Ryland Musick

On October 5, RESPECT of Florida awarded Thaddeus Wilkins a $12,500 Micro-Enterprise Grant to expand his current business, Oceanspray Photography & Videography. RESPECT has awarded three grants over the last two years in accordance with its mission of creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Wilkins was honored as part of the annual ceremony held at Tallahassee City Hall that celebrates October as Disability Employment Awareness Month.
 
Wilkins provides photography services for small and medium sized businesses including onsite product and corporate photography, corporate portraits, company documentation, corporate events, and much more. He delivers unique images that tell a story through high quality imagery. To learn more about Oceanspray Photography, visit www.oceanspray-photography.com.
 
Past grant winners include Moira Rossi who created Moira's Ventures to assist other job seekers with disabilities and Jeff Shell who founded Jeff's Corner, a local heirloom garden that has become wildly popular in his hometown, Pensacola.
MacDonald Packages 10 Millionth SunPass

On October 26, employees at the MacDonald Training Center (MTC) in Tampa packaged their 10 millionth SunPass. MTC employees celebrated this accomplishment with a ceremony including family members, friends, dignitaries, community supporters, and Florida Turnpike Enterprises staff.



Tampa City Councilman Charlie Miranda presents a plaque to MTC Executive Karenne Levy
MTC began work on the SunPass packaging contract in 2007. On the first day of work, MTC packaged 100 SunPass transponders. Today MTC employees package up to 12,000 daily which includes portable transponders and mini sticker transponders. The center also boasts an 0.6 percent defect rate, which is a very low rate by industries standards.



MTC employees halt the line to show off the 10 millionth SunPass.
SMA Cuts the Red Ribbon


As part of Disability Employment Awareness Month, Stewart-Marchman-Act Behavioral Healthcare (SMA) hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony at their new facility on October 27. Ms. Wheelchair Florida 2016 Heather Taylor provided the keynote address and attendees were treated to a tour.

SMA's Enrichment Program supports individuals' choice in work environment and identifying the appropriate setting to meet their individual needs and goals.

SMA provides several commodities through the RESPECT program including ear plugs, clocks, and safety glasses.
Good New Hire Orientation,
It Takes a Village and More Than an Hour

HR & Compliance Manager, Dayna Lenk
Today's culture is "plug and play", we expect a new employee to jump in and take over the role as if they have been doing it all along. Employers often feel like the person they hired was such a perfect fit they should instantly hit the ground running after a brief explanation of the new job. Employers are often dismayed when that new employee is not catching on, asking stupid questions, or parking in the bosses' parking spot. From the employee's perspective, they feel overwhelmed, uninformed, and do not even know where to put their lunch. A well thought out orientation program eliminates both problematic situations.
A good program solidifies the new employee's relationship with the organization. It fuels their enthusiasm and guides their steps into a long-term, positive relationship with you. Done poorly, your new employee orientation will leave new employees wondering why they took the job. According to The Wynhurst Group, 22 percent of staff turnover occurs in the first 45 days of employment, and the cost of losing an employee in the first year is estimated to be at least three times the salary.
Orientation is a process, and not an event. It is not about filling out forms, and receiving a tome of policies that will never be read. An orientation process means moving beyond merely completing a new employee checklist, or hosting a death by PowerPoint marathon of new hire training events. A good orientation process gives the new employee a box of tools they can use to be successful in their job. The process should answer the following questions:
  1. What is this organization really about?
  2. What is it like to work here?
  3. How are things organized?
  4. Where do I find what I need to do my job?
  5. Where does my job fit in?
  6. How do I advance and grow my role?
  7. What are the major policies and procedures that must be followed?
  8. What are the unwritten rules and general culture?
  9. What training opportunities are available?
A good orientation process takes time, and effort from the entire organization, including coworkers, the HR person, supervisors, and management.
Human Resources has a big lead off role in the orientation process, they prepare the way for the new employee, they ensure everyone is aware, ready to train, and ready to welcome the new person. Human Resources should:
  1. Announce the start date and ensure everyone is prepared to participate in the orientation process.
  2. Notify the new employee when to arrive and what documentation they will need to bring, as well as information about how to dress and if they should bring a meal.
  3. Have all necessary paperwork ready and waiting on the new employee, and when it is time to complete the paperwork explain why each document is needed, and how to complete them if there are questions.
  4. Develop with staff an orientation schedule of who takes over training and when.
  5. Locate the employee work station, and ensure that it is ready to receive the employee prior to start date.
  6. Review important policies and procedures, and allow the employee to ask questions.
  7. Indicate safety procedures that need to be followed, and explain who they can contact in case of need.
  8. Make sure they have the names and telephone numbers of whom to contact.
  9. Review organization structure, job description, and reporting roles.
  10. Circle back to the employee to ensure they are getting what they need and answer the inevitable additional questions
A supervisor often underestimates their value in the orientation process. They are the person who needs this person to succeed, but yet often put the least amount of time into that success. A supervisor is the educator, mentor and cheerleader the new employee will rely on to become productive. A supervisor should:
  1. Introduce the new hire to the staff including important vendors, coworkers, management and make sure they know where to find everything they need.
  2. Implement a training schedule that works for the positon, and designate the people who will perform the training, including coworkers and management. This training schedule can take several weeks or months.
  3. Make ready needed tools or software.
  4. Train the new employee on safety procedures.
  5. Explain the role of the employee will play, how to succeed in that positon, and how they can get additional training, and advance to higher roles.
  6. Teach them what is not in the handbook. The ability to succeed in an organization sometimes is in understanding the culture, and unwritten rules.
  7. Be open to questions and concerns.
  8. Have patience, a new role is not mastered overnight, no matter how qualified the candidate, expect a few repeated questions, or mistakes along the training path.
First impressions of your organization, both good and bad, are made the first day. Decide the objectives of your new employee orientation program. Meet those objectives honestly and positively. Successful integration will happen only if your new employee decides they have made a wise decision to join your organization. Your effective new employee orientation process can help make or break that decision.
An effective orientation program - or the lack of one - will make a significant difference in how quickly a new employee becomes productive and has other long-term impacts for your organization. The end of the first day, the end of the first week, the end of each day in your employment, is just as important as the beginning. Help your employees feel that you want them to come back the next day, and the next, and the next...
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