PRESIDENTS NOTES
by Steve Corwin
Take-Aways from the Workforce Summit in Salem
This edition of The Oregonizer brings you highlights from the Summit in Salem. Members from around the country have contributed their favorite moments from this first time in three years event when members got to see each other in person. Look for their stories throughout this issue.
In addition to workforce professionals from the United States, the Taiwan Republic of China sent a representative from their embassy in Washington DC. Kylie spoke about women in the workplace and the ways that her country is trying to support more of them to enter and advance in the workforce.
Gathering brings with it risks these days. Indeed, several members reported positive COVID tests after the event. This included me. Thankfully, it was a near symptom-free case, and checking with those with whom I had more than passing contact have all reported testing negative well after the event.
One of these persons was Mary Koreski from the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Mary toured the Salem WorkSource Center with Neil Johnson and Megan Belliard before heading to the State Capitol Park and building. We both learned that it was built in 1938 after the prior statehouse burned down in 1935. She loved the walk under the cherry trees on the approach to the capitol.
I was going to show her the underground tunnels that connect many of the Capitol Mall buildings, but they required employee badges to enter. In the 1970s, when I delivered mail throughout all the mall buildings, the tunnels were free for anyone to enter. They were a welcome respite from the heat of summer and the biting cold of winter. Not to mention an expeditious way of delivering mail to multiple agencies quickly.
Several things stand out to me after serving as Mary’s docent that Friday at the end of the Summit. One was how prominent security has become, including passing through metal detectors to enter the Capitol and being blocked from the tunnel entrances. A sure sign of how much life has changed since those innocent years in the 1970s.
Also, the taking of those carefree times for granted. Not knowing when the “new” and still modern-looking capitol building was erected. Speed was the order of the day, no dallying to dabble in the history of the place. Gone too was the opportunity to walk through the Governor’s office and smell the acrid odor of coffee left to simmer all day long in the glass urns that were kept in service from sunup till sundown (probably beyond).
Mary was impressed with the many murals and by the vote-by-mail story, as explained in several historical displays. She was in awe that we mail ballots out to every eligible voter for every election. We paused to pay tribute to those awarded the Medal of Honor on the west side of the building. Access to those on the east side was blocked by construction fencing due to renovations being conducted at the site.
All these things, we Oregonians take for granted as we hurry about the everyday business of life. It brings to mind that we Workforce Professionals often take for granted the fact that our largest WorkSource Oregon partner, the Oregon Employment Department pays the membership fees for its employees.
The Department’s official policy allows $250 for staff to join professional organizations. IAWP is a bargain at only $96 per year, leaving $154 to apply towards other professional organizations. The agency also allows paid training time for educational opportunities at events like the Summit. Contrast that to our friends from Montana who must take vacation time to attend and pay their own way for both dues and event registrations. Oregon Chapter membership also saves the agency a considerable amount on all subsequent IAWP event registrations.
If you are a member of the Oregon Chapter of IAWP and know a colleague who is not, encourage them to join and share the membership link embedded here with them. When we are privileged to participate in a good thing, we should share it with others. The next several IAWP training events will be held virtually so there will be no chance to share an unwanted case of COVID. Because travel will not present an obstacle and burden of compounded impacts for managers, they will be able to authorize more staff to attend these future events.
I hope to see you at those future events. Until then spread the news and the benefits of membership with your colleagues. The Employment Department wants to invest in their professional development. Help them meet the agency halfway by joining IAWP to enhance their workforce career.
Steve Corwin
Oregon Chapter Immediate Past President
541.270.7727
The Fears of Going Back to Work
By Barbee Williams
I read a great article in the New York Times and much of it hit home. The article was about going back to the office after being at home for the past two years. Many of us have concerns about going back to the office far beyond just the health concerns. You should take the time to Google the article and read it. The title is “Your Office Is More Annoying Than You Remembered. Here’s How to Handle It”, by Jancee Dunn. She says the gossip, the loud talker and the nosy colleague are all manageable with the right mindset. When we get the call, we need to pack that mindset for our new adventure. Those were not my concerns. You can bet we’ll all have a list of concerns when we get The Call.
OK, say you get the call. (Or the email) It is from work and you have been expecting it, maybe secretly dreading it. You get to start back to work in the office a week from Monday. Yay! (Or not.)
Here are some immediate thoughts:
· Oh, no. Will your pants still fit? You’ve probably been wearing PJs, Sweats, and even shorts during the past two years. Have you gained or lost? After all, Zoom and Teams only go down to your mid-shoulders on your computer. How about those slippers we all wear. Did you ever forget and wear the slippers to the store?
· Gas! Can you believe how much the gas has gone up! For the year 2020, the annual national gas price average was $2.17 per gallon, the lowest since 2016. The Oregon average for 2020 was $2.67. As of last month, Oregon gas prices have reached record highs, soaring past $5 per gallon for the first time. Recently, the state-wide average rose to $5.06 per gallon, a 21-cent jump over the previous week's average. Can you even afford to drive to work now? Good thing you saved all that gas money from the days you didn’t have to travel to your office!
· How about lunches? You cannot just wander into the kitchen and look around to see what tickles your fancy. You are going to have to plan again. It has been so nice to drink all the coffee you want, especially if you own a Keurig Coffee Maker. Now the coffee pot will be about a half a mile trek to the kitchen and oh my gosh, what if you forget your pods that fit the machine?
· OK, so here is the bottom line. If you could do your job well, in peace and quiet, why do you need to go back to the office at all? I think a few in-person meetings would be OK but some do better at home. We cannot change the rules that are given to us but we can at least take that great new mindset and have a conversation with management. Perhaps we can offer a plan that works for both sides.
In the grand scheme of things, we need to remember how lucky we were that we were able to work all during the pandemic and at the same time, help all of those that were not so lucky. In the years ahead we will look back and know that there are customers that really needed all of the help we offered. I, for one, am so grateful to have worked these past two years and still have my job.
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How To Increase Long-Term Employment
Regardless of where the economy is in the economic cycle (recession, growth, and stable) it is always important to ask two essential questions to determine your long-term employability.
Are you essential to your company? – Are you engaged, and actively learning not just your job, but understanding how it connects to other jobs in the company. Are you high functioning, highly productive? In a world when downsizing is a key business strategy, people with the ability to multitask in different areas are harder to let go.
Is your company essential to the economy? Many highly qualified and productive workers can lose their jobs as the market changes because their companies are not keeping pace with the changes in business strategy, technology, or customer demand. Many companies who were highly successful at one time, may have stopped innovating and became obsolete (think PC makers versus mobile app-based electronics). If you are in a company like this, your skills may also be outdated, even within your industry. This can affect your ability to find a similar job that requires the latest skills in demand for that same position in a different company.
Change your approach to work, upgrade your skills while working, or change companies if needed to stay relevant in the marketplace. Change is NOT easy, be brave.
Is NO a molecule you should get to know? NO is the chemical symbol for nitric oxide, a compound human bodies use for a variety of physiological functions. NO helps with heart and general circulatory health which can lower blood pressure and increase vitality. There are reported benefits for brain function and focus too.
More NO - Yes Please!
3NO is depleted from our bodies by chronic stress, diets of processed foods, and even from the use of mouthwash. (It seems as though the microbes that live in our mouths are vital for the conversion of ingested food to usable NO).
Some great food sources of NO are beets, leafy green vegetables (save those beet greens), citrus fruit, red wine, and even dark chocolate.
There can be some downsides to increasing NO levels in our bodies, so dietary sources might be more prudent than supplements to increase NO. Do your own research and always ask your healthcare professional before beginning any change in diet or activity. But hey, you’re a thinking human being and you know that.
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The Oregonizer
VOLUME 48, ISSUE 2
Contributors:
Email: info@iawporegon.org
Website: http://iawporegon.org
Location: 14845 SW Murray Scholls Drive, Suite 110, Beaverton OR 97007