It’s widely reported that today’s laundry operators face challenges in recruiting mid- or higher-level managers. The resulting dearth of supervisory help can affect both operations and staff morale – not to mention customer satisfaction. The answer, says Emeka Okeani, president of Shared Hospital Corp., Nashville, TN, a surgical supply co-op, is to seek talent in your own organization. But to do that in today’s workplaces often requires a sense of “cultural intelligence” that can allow an employer to see rising leaders that others might overlook.

Employees often bring emotional issues to work … Examples range from having political views that lead to arguments on the plant floor to concerns about hate crimes/discrimination. Other times it’s personal … worries about a broken relationship or a family illness can generate stress – and undermine staff morale. Employers can help tackle these problems by providing staff with a “safe space” to work through their stress – and if necessary get them outside help. The issue of stress management was the focus of a Nov. 3 webinar facilitated by Kortney Overzet, chair of TRSA’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee. This hour-long discussion drew 20-plus attendees to look at steps that employers can take to help reduce workplace stress.

If you treat your employees with dignity and respect, then a “zero tolerance” stance on harassment or discriminatory behavior at work follows naturally, said Melanie Shong Helm, an HR expert who addressed the second session of the three-part “Safe Space Series” on Oct. 4 sponsored by TRSA’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee.

Ecolab has received a perfect score of 100% on the 2022 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), designating it as one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality.” The CEI is a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. This is the 10th consecutive year that Ecolab has received a perfect score on the CEI, according to a news release.

TRSA recently partnered with several international linen, uniform and facility services industry associations to present a webinar on diversity, equity and inclusion issues in the industry. The 90-minute presentation, titled “Gender and Diversity in the Textile Care Industry: Let’s Have a Conversation,” featured TRSA Chair Noël Hammer Richardson.

Many laundry operators across North America today rely on a significant number of immigrants who retain strong ties to their countries of origin. A strategy of even-handed tolerance – coupled with a sensitivity to the cultural identities of these employees – can build staff loyalty and retention, according to a healthcare laundry operator who recently published a book on this and related topics associated with immigration and diversity.

TRSA has partnered with several international linen, uniform and facility services industry associations to present a Dec. 9 webinar on gender and diversity in the industry. The 90-minute presentation, titled “Gender and Diversity in the Textile Care Industry: Let’s Have a Conversation,” will feature a panel of speakers to share what has happened, and what should be happening, with case studies and challenging topics that address the realities of the industry, and the path forward.

Businesses lately are finding that success depends on more than a laser focus on the bottom line. The employee experience, what the Josh Bersin organization calls “EX,” is crucial to belonging, and the emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion has become a priority in employee-engagement strategies to reduce the risk of what many are calling “the great resignation” or forecasted “turnover tsunami.”

As the owner’s daughter, she’d worked hard all her life. She had skills and ideas for growing the family business. She felt she’d earned a shot at the top job. Dad disagreed. He was convinced that a man – a son-in-law would do – should get the top job. Only when he passed away did the daughter get her chance to lead the company. She’s run the business successfully for years since then and never looked back. This was one of many stories that 25 female laundry operator and supplier partner executives shared during a two-hour TRSA Virtual Roundtable on May 19.

TRSA recently completed the final installment of its two-part webinar series titled “Racial Equity and Workplace Culture.” The series was presented by TRSA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee.