EAIMCR,ALASKA. * Dorothy M, Bcll,3ditcr
Published overy Thursday at Palr.’.cr, AlaskQ, for the llntanuoka Valley Famers1
Cooperating Association for the purposo of giving hen's of the Associations U-'rk,
Problons and Acconplishnonts. ... •; <<• •
SUBSCRIPTION; BY-rJcIL $1.75 \ / - SINGLE COPY 10/ ,
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• ‘ ‘ ‘HIGH EMPLOYEE MORALE-BIPOHTAIJT PAC^OR
A cooperative can be.no more efficient‘than its employees,'..und.eljf iciehey of employees
can be traced directly to the employer. Find an efficient hard-headed", but fair em
ployer and you will find efficient and loyal employees working for him.
The day of the ’big.stick* policy in business is long past. Business men learned long
ago that better working conditions, fdir treatment and good wages pdid tho best divi
dends. ' S.M. Tuttle,, general manager, of the Southern Oregon Sales, Inc. at Medford,
Oregon, is very proud of tiioir Associations employee relations program. During 19
years of operation, this cooperative has nOt lost a minute in its plant or office due
to strikes or labor disputes. Rirthormofe, their Omploycos stay with them year after
year. The soles manager, office manager, plant engineer and cold storage superinten
dent have been with the Association for 17 years—thO' purchasing agent and field
superintendent for 12 years, "fro always have felt that employee welfare \7as of tre
mendous importance in maintaining high plant moralo," said Mr* TUttlo, "For this rea
son wo have gone to considerable expense to provide tho best possible working condi
tions.";
Some say wo need turn-overs now and thon in order to get now idoas. Is this the only
method of getting new ideas? How about calling in somoono from another district or
sane well known co-op educator now and then for that purpose—or holding night school
a fow days each week during the slack season of the year? Time out to.go and brush
up in some school as professional men-do might bo bettor. Perhaps some day a six
weeks short course for Co-Op omploycos may be available in near-by Agricultural col
leges or Universities. There arc many and better ways of bringinjnew ideas into an
Association than turning it inside out constantly and hiring new and inoxpchionccd
help. As a general rulo the normal turn-over brings in sufficient now help.
In the first place: New- help costs ah association money. It takes time to get on to
all tho* ’tricks of the 'trado* and to become as efficient as tho predecessor was— no
matter how much or how good the training of tho new omployoc.
Second: Constant tufn-ovor of omploycos not only costs the Association.money, but
gives it a bad heme. Employment agencies arc soon wary of Associations who arc con
stantly calling, "Help Wanted"—especially for the same Jobs. The time comes whon tho
Association coa-scs to bo recommended to the best employees. ::
Third: Short tine help seldom give as good service as the long time employed. This is
probably r.ot duo to any lack of efficiency or training on the part of the employee,
but he does not stay long enough to become thoroughly familiar with tho work before
he leaves. He doesn’t have time to attain his.maximum efficiency.
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The unsatisfactory working conditions that cause turn-over of employment in an associ
ation may seem negligible to an outsider,- but faced day after day by an employee grow
from ant-hills to mountains. Among the reasons that may be' listed as causes of too.
heavy a turA-over of employees are:
1. Unsatisfactory workihg conditions in regard to light, temperature, humidity, safety
or ventilation. These things affect the physical well-being of the employee causing
fatigue-or lussltudo, but can easily be-interpreted by the cmployco as something more
serious. Ho seeks different employment because he does not fool well and thinks that
this particular type of work is undermining his health*
2, Handling of employees by tho employe* can make all tho difference botwoon dn effi
cient cmployco and'an inefficient employee. If an omployoc caAnot be trusted, ho
should not bo kept, but to distrust all omployoos, good or bad, undermines the morale
of all employees as nothing else con. Thd attitude a manager takes toward employees
makes him'a good manager or a bad manager. Some pcoplc'wcro never born.to bo managers
of-others. They do not understand'how-to-handle people. Others havo a knack with
pcoplo and management of employees. Of those who cannot handle workers,there aro two
distinct typos: ' ■">
a. There is the type who lets' authority go to his hoad. He fcols important and be
comes domineering and eortsoqucntly aggravates and incenses his employees. This atti
tude destroys confidence, loyalty oiid efficiency. or
b. There is the type who'has no authority over others. Ho is afraid to say anything
for fear of hurting the employee’s feelings. This type losos the respect of the om>
ployces and they may become careless h&a indifferent in their work. -
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