Adams & Garth Blog

Just a few workers’ compensation claims can have a big impact on your Staunton company’s cost of doing business. So how can you avoid accidents and claims, and lower your insurance costs? Here are some tips.

1. Thoroughly investigate accidents.

To develop an effective accident prevention program, you first need to find out what accidents occur most often, why, and the severity of the injuries. Interview the employee involved in the accident, as well as any witnesses. In many cases, you will find that a large percentage of your accidents come from the same or similar sources.

2. Report accidents immediately.

Injured employees may contact an attorney if you delay reporting the accident. In addition, the faster you report the accident, the quicker the employee will be treated and back at work.

3. Create an accident prevention & safety program.

If you’re uncertain of where to start, OSHA offers an On-site Consultation Program to small and medium size businesses across the U.S. to help them identify workplace hazards and improve their safety programs. Your workers’ compensation insurance carrier will also likely be able to provide you with resources and support to develop and implement an effective safety program.

4. Be consistent.

While your accident prevention and safety program may take time to implement, it will produce positive results if you’re consistent in your commitment to it.

5. Require safety training.

Make safety training a requirement for employees so you can be sure they understand safety policies, accident prevention, and emergency response actions.

6. Give safety incentives.

For instance, get input from your employees as to how to improve your workplace safety program. Award the winning suggestion with a gift certificate to a restaurant or an extra vacation day. Another incentive is to offer rewards or compensation to managers based on their safety performance and the performance of those they supervise.

7. Use temporary employees.

If your Staunton company experiences a seasonal increase in business or you need short-term help, consider temporary employees rather than hiring full-time help. Temporary workers are employed by the temporary staffing agency, so the agency is responsible for expenses like workers’ compensation insurance.

And if you’re interested in learning more about how a Staunton staffing agency can help you lower your overhead, please contact Adams & Garth today.

As a staffing agency working with employers in Harrisonburg, Staunton, Culpeper – and throughout Central Virginia – we know that conflicts at work can cause great harm to your company. That’s why it’s so important to deal with them at the very first sign.

So what can you do to effectively manage issues at work? Here are some tips:

Tip #1: Don’t expect the conflict to simply go away on its own.

It may seem easier to just ignore the conflict and hope it will go away. But that would be a mistake. Even if you think the conflict is not a big deal, it’s important to address it immediately. A conflict that goes unresolved can quickly spin out of control, leading to negative results for you and your team.

Tip #2: Meet with everyone involved at once.

Schedule a meeting with all the parties involved. Go around the room and ask each to explain their side of the story. Don’t comment or interrupt. Simply listen at this point.

Tip #3: Come up with solutions together.

Brainstorm some solutions for the conflict. Ask each individual how they would like to see the conflict resolved. Don’t take sides, even if you think one employee is right over another. Your employees are professionals and should be able to resolve the conflict in an adult-like manner.

Tip #4: Help to find a middle ground.

Once you’ve all met and put everyone’s thoughts and feelings on the table, each side may be better able to understand each other. Oftentimes, conflicts are simply misunderstandings. So hopefully, at this point, there is a compromise that can be reached. If your employees are unwilling to compromise, explain that you may be forced to take disciplinary action.

Tip #5: Follow up.

Set aside some time in the near future to meet with the parties involved and check on how things are going.

Mediating a conflict isn’t fun, but it’s a necessity. Why? Because when conflicts are not dealt with effectively, they can lead to the break down of your team – and your company. If you need help resolving conflicts at work, or with developing a disciplinary action program for your company, please contact Adams & Garth. We can help.

With competition for jobs at an all time high, the prospect of landing a terrific position in a reasonable time frame can seem daunting. While no one can tell you when your job search will end, you can certainly speed up the process by avoiding some of these common mistakes.

Mistake #1: Forgetting to put the basics on your resume.
Make sure your resume includes your name, address, phone number, email address, education, and work history.

Mistake #2: Using an informal email address.
Don’t put an email address like ilovefootball86@aol.com on your resume. Consider creating a professional email account especially for your job search with your first and last name.

Mistake #3: Having an unprofessional greeting on your voicemail.
If your voicemail greeting starts with, “Yo, what’s up?,” then you need to change it to something more professional, such as “Hi, You’ve reached Matt Smith. I can’t take your call right now, but if you leave a message I will get back to you as soon as possible.”

Mistake #4: Submitting a resume with typos.
Carefully proofread your resume each time you send it out. Don’t rely on your computer’s spell check program either because it will ignore mistakes like using “form” instead of “from.”

Mistake #5: Having inappropriate photos online.
Be aware that prospective employers can easily find those drunken pictures from New Year’s Eve on your Facebook page. How can you avoid this? Either set your profile to private or – even better – don’t post those pictures at all.

Mistake #6: Using only big name online job search sites.
These websites are a great tool in your job search, but don’t depend solely on them. Why? Because it can be expensive for some smaller employers to post jobs on them, so you may be missing out on many opportunities. Be sure to check out the smaller, niche job search sites; attend job fairs and networking events; and contact a staffing agency, like Adams & Garth, who can connect you with a variety of great employers.

Mistake #7: Submitting your resume to every recruiter, employer, and job site.
Don’t set yourself up for failure by blasting your resume to everyone under the sun. Instead, tailor both your cover letter and resume to opportunities for which you are qualified. Sending fewer resumes to more targeted leads will also make it easier to keep track of jobs you’ve applied for.

Mistake #8: Not following up after an interview.
Be sure to send a thank you note or email after an interview – even if you think the position is not right for you or the interview didn’t go well. You never know what could happen in the future. There could be a different position opening up at the company shortly that you’d be well suited for, so you always want to make a good impression.

Whether you’ve just started your job search, or you’ve been at it for a while, the employment specialists at Adams & Garth can help. Our staffing agency works with some of the leading companies in Staunton, Harrisonburg, and throughout Central Virginia, and can give you access to a variety of exciting opportunities. Best of all, our job search service is free for candidates.

Contact Adams & Garth today to learn more or search our current job openings now.