RESPECT of Florida is the central non-profit agency for the State of Florida that helps employ about 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.
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A Message from RESPECT of Florida
March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. Each year, families, providers, and self-advocates work to educate legislators and their communities about individuals with disabilities.
Topics range from provider pay rates and ensuring that good providers can earn a living wage to continue giving needed care, to job choices, changing service needs, and much more.
People with disabilities want the same thing as everyone else, to live a happy, healthy life with as much choice and independence as possible.
On March 20, RESPECT participated in Developmental Disabilities Day (DD Day) at the capitol. Individuals from all over the state gathered to advocate and enjoy the day dedicated to raising awareness in Florida.
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Spotlight on Success:
RESPECT would like to recognize Darryl Witherspoon as one of our Outstanding Employees of 2018.
Darryl works at RESPECT partner PARC and has been described by staff as the best RESPECT employee that they have.
Darryl is a motivated employee who is honest, dedicated, and determined. He is always willing to do any job required and is always a team player.
"The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand." ~Vince Lombardi
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Presumptive drug tests can be an important part of your investigation. Field tests are used to determine whether a found substance is a suspected drug.
Using a small sample of the substance, this test provides a rapid, presumptive result.
RESPECT carries four different NIK field tests to test for cocaine, THC, opiates, and methamphetamine.
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Developmental Disabilities Day
On March 20, RESPECT and Florida ARF staff joined hundreds of families, providers, and self-advocates at the capitol for DD Day.
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April is Autism Awareness Month
April is Autism Awareness Month, and RESPECT Micro-Enterprise Grant winner Steven Graham is gearing up with some awareness swag.
Through his business, Steven by Design, he offers a variety of hand-made paracord bracelets. He has mastered several braiding styles and enjoys putting together exciting and eye-catching color combinations.
Blue is the main color for Autism Awareness month, though the puzzle ribbon is considered the universal sign for autism awareness. The puzzle pattern represents the complexity of the autism spectrum and the different shapes and colors represent the diversity of the population who have autism.
As you can see above, the main color of the bracelet is blue, with green, yellow, and red woven in, just like the traditional puzzle ribbon.
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Since 1957, St. Andrew Bay Center, a non-profit agency in Lynn Haven, has provided individualized support and opportunities for adults with disabilities. These services assist individuals to become as self-sufficient and independent as possible. Recently, St. Andrews Bay Center rebranded to become The Arc of the Bay. "After 60 years of service, the center's alignment with Arc was an opportunity for further growth and resources," said Executive Director Ron Sharpe.
The Arc of the Bay offers a unique blend of training and services for over 200 individuals with disabilities in Bay County.
The programs currently offered to support independence and growth are Adult Day Training, Personal Support Programs, and Employment Services.
Currently, The Arc of the Bay works on a janitorial contract for the Department of Transportation Operation Center in Panama City. The crew has consistent exceptional performance. Arc of the Bay was severely impacted by Hurricane Michael in October 2018, but their performance did not waver, and with much support from the community they continue to recover from the aftermath every day.
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Recognizing Employee Burn Out Before Your Workforce is Burnt-Out
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HR & Compliance Director, Dayna Lenk |
You have probably heard someone at the office say, "I'm so burned out, I need a break." The problem is most employees who really are burned out typically do not make grand statements acknowledging they are burnt-out. They simply become disconnected and apathetic to their work and their coworkers. They simply drift. Being burned out is the opposite of being stressed, it is the disconnection from caring about what occurs in an individual's environment.
It has become the norm to be regularly stressed out; sleep deprived, and in the constant need of a day off. So sometimes burnout can be difficult to identify. Burnout is not simply having a bad day, or dreading
Mondays,
or even being stressed. Burnout is defined as the chronic state of exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged chronic stress or frustration. The result of burnout is a loss of energy, enthusiasm, and
confidence
. Employee burnout has become a common occurrence and happens when an employee no longer feels like they have control or the ability to effect change.
There is a repeating theme in what leads to burnout. In each scenario, the employee feels a loss of control over their fate.
Employees who feel restricted and unable to exercise personal control over their environment and daily decisions tend to be at greater risk for burnout.
Teammates and supervisors are usually the first to notice the signs of a coworker being burned out. Often, they will even identify the issue before the employee can determine what is occurring. C
oworkers can offer the most immediate help and prevent the problem from escalating further.
Shown below are some of the most common causes of employee burnout.
Once an employee can identify what is fueling their feelings of job burnout, they can make a plan to address their issues. Here are the things to look out for:
Creeping Job Scope:
Job scope creep tends to occur when a business needs change and employees become more familiar with the organization. Often it is healthy and can be a form of growth. However, if someone is brought onto a team for their specialty but ends up doing something completely out of that scope, they may not appreciate the shift and ultimately feel a loss of control.
Loss of Control: Not having enough authority or control over the essential resources needed to do your job can contribute to stress in the workplace. It is important that people have the freedom to pursue their work in what they believe is the most effective manner.
Long Hours and High Stress
: There are always times when there will be a need to work harder and longer, but the
necessity of continually racing around putting out one fire after another, will cause the employee to become exhausted and disengaged, especially when there is no perceived end in sight, so the employee can decompress.
Vague Requirements
:
When it is not clear to workers how to achieve success, it is harder for them to be confident, enjoy their work, and feel they are doing a good job. If the job description is not clear, if the requirements are constantly changing and hard to understand, or if expectations are unclear, workers feel lost and unsure in their role.
Limited Mobility
: Workers who do not have the opportunity to advance in the organization lose the motivation to improve and expand. They feel stifled and begin either looking for other opportunities or they begin to feel defeated where they are.
Smothered Creativity:
Organizations that demand total control and do not allow creative problem solving will crush independent thought. This reduces an employee's ability to problem solve and apply independent thought. The overall effect is a loss of interest in the job and frustration.
Poor Communication:
When an employee has a problem, they need to be able to discuss it with someone who can help. Front-line employees must have a channel to communicate with upper management. When an organization is structured without communication channels between the bottom and top-level staff, business decisions get made without considering the impact they will have on everyone in the company.
Values Conflict
: Anytime an employee's own personal set of core values differs from those of the company they represent it causes a disconnect that leads to unease and a disconnect from the situation.
Unfair Treatment:
Unfair treatment can include everything from bias, favoritism, mistreatment by a coworker to unfair compensation or corporate policies. When employees do not trust their manager, teammates or executive leadership, it breaks the psychological bond that makes work meaningful.
Unsupportive Management:
When an employee does not feel supported by their manager they feel isolated, defensive and unprepared to handle difficult situations. They lose trust that their manager will have their back in tough situations.
Narrow Job Descriptions
: When an employee only handles one task day in and day out that job can become
mind-numbingly monotonous. Unless the employee is someone who thrives in routine, this can kill the desire to be productive.
Poor Job Fit:
When an employee is hired or put in a job that they are under or over qualified for it creates large disconnect. The employee becomes either overwhelmed or bored. If this situation continues without a solution, the employee will mentally checkout as they feel powerless to change their circumstance.
Poor Sense of Community:
Jobs and office environments that separate people from each other will inevitably lead to greater conflicts among employees They often experience a lack of mutual support, an absence of respect, and a sense of isolation.
In most cases burnout can be cured. The key is to find the source of the problem and ensure that the employee is given the ability to make the needed change that will improve the situation. An individual may be able to effect a personal cure by changing jobs or by learning different ways to manage stress. In many cases, a supervisor will need to aid their employees to make the needed changes. This aid can be given through coaching, counseling, workload restructuring, giving more clarification to workload restructuring or clarification of workplace roles.
The costs of employee burnout can take a significant toll on physical health, psychological well-being, and work performance.
It also takes a toll on the health of the organization due to increased absences, apathy, and lack of employee motivation. If you see yourself or a coworker who is becoming lethargic, apathetic, and avoiding work, they might be on the path to burnout.
Employee burnout is not a problem that can be solved overnight. However, addressing the primary causes behind the issue puts the employee on a path of improvement.
The information contained in this article is intended to provide useful information on the topic covered, but should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion.
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