Slater's Bold, Budweiser Slide Farewell Underscores the Importance of Daily Employee Recognition

Many of you have probably kept up with the questionable, but wildly supported actions of Steven Slater, the JetBlue flight attendant who finally had had enough of obnoxious customers and job stress. From the Aug 11, 2010 USA Today article, the following information clearly underscores why employers should be doing all they can to show their appreciation for their employees given this unprecedented environment.
Slater did what many workers fantasize about and may do with increasing frequency - albeit with less showmanship - once the economy rebounds. "I don't think we should be surprised that once the economy starts ... picking up, there's a massive relocation of workers who want out as fast as they possibly can," says economist Joel Naroff, president and chief economist of Naroff Economic Advisors.
"That's the warning that I don't think businesses really recognize: You can pull this off now because there isn't really an option, but once there's an option, it's going to be payback time," Naroff says. "You're going to be losing some of your best people."
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The support for Slater likely is rooted in more than simple sympathy for a stressed-out airline worker. "People juggling multiple jobs and taking on tasks they wouldn't have to take on in a better economy may be pushing us to the limit as far as stress goes," says Katherine Muller, a clinical psychologist and director of psychology training at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. "But it's also human nature to want to rebel against rules and structure sometimes. I wouldn't be all that surprised that even if we were in a booming economy, folks might react the same way. I think we all have a fantasy where we'd like to respond in that way: That if we have a really rough day, we might want to act out like that."
As the economy slowly recovers, burnout is rampant, with Americans working more but their productivity declining. Government statistics released Tuesday show productivity fell 0.9% after five quarters in a row of growth. Hours worked rose 3.6%, while output rose 2.6%, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
"Clearly, the massive drive to get more productivity and more output out of workers is running into a wall," says economist Naroff. "We're working too hard, all the blood's out of the stone, and it's now time to look for a new stone."
Nariman Behravesh, chief economist of IHS Global Insight, says it's time to hire. The drop in productivity is "a sign that companies have reached the limit of how much they can cut back their workforce and how hard they can work their existing workforce." The bureau says the rise in hours worked was the largest since the first quarter of 2006, when hours rose 4.1%.
"A lot of people feel lucky they have jobs, but they also feel overworked," says Behravesh, who predicts job growth will remain "fairly modest," with fewer than 100,000 new jobs a month, until the last three months of the year.

Submitted by: Greg Butterfield, Partner, Terryberry Company

Team Terryberry Runs the Hood to Coast Relay

Thirteen members of Terryberry's management & sales staff are gearing up to run the 197 mile Hood to Coast Relay race from Mt. Hood, Oregon to the Pacific Coast next week (August 27-28, 2010), all in an effort to bring people together for fun & charity.

12,000 runners from across the country will decend on Mt. Hood, Oregon next week in preparation for the 29th Annual Hood to Coast Relay; the largest relay in the world. An experience touted to be like a "traveling Woodstock," this Mother of all Relays, is "an adrenaline junkies dream." One thousand teams will hit the pavement on Friday, August 27th, in majestic Mt. Hood, running the 36-leg race through western Oregon's varied and picturesque terrain to cross the finish line in Seaside, just a stone's throw from the Pacific Ocean.

This is the first year Team Terryberry has been involved. The idea for participation grew from some of Terryberry's more experienced long distanced runners and rapidly gained momentum and interest. "We looked at this as a great way to bring people from throughout the company and country together for a good cause (A-T)." said Managing Partner, Mike Byam. "This race also ties into our goal to be a healthier workplace."

Setting a great example for an active and adventurous lifestyle, the Team is comprised of 13 members of Terrybery's management and sales staff from across the country. The group of All-Stars includes:

>Mike Byam, Michigan
>Dave Beemer, Michigan
>Bill Bergstrom, Michigan
>Drew Beckeman, Michigan
>Dan Johnson, Kansas
>Pat Dillon, Washington
>Dan Egan, Texas
>Craig Mester, Colorado
>Mike Anderson, Illinois
>Colin Balas, Illinois
>Chris Schilling, Kentucky
>Arvid Rain, New Hampshire
>Alex Allion, Arizona

The Terryberry Company has a long history of supporting charitable causes, so it was natural for the Team to dedicate their relay to a worthy cause. Team Terryberry is supporting the A-T Children's Project. A-T stands for Atazia-Telangiectasia, which is an extremely rare terminal disease that affects children. A-T causes immune system problems, predisposition to cancers, and severe lack of muscle control.

Through a close connection between the Veldink family (that have two children afflicted with the disease) and two of the Terryberry Company's owners, the A-T Children's Project was a natural fit to be selected as the charitable partner for the race.

Please consider joining Team Terryberry in raising funds and awareness for A-T. Your contributions are greatly appreciated. Visit the Team's charitable website to donate today!

Visit http://www.communityatcp.org/TeamTerryberry to learn more about A-T.

Interested in learning more about the Hood to Coast Relay or how you can get involved? Visit http://www.hoodtocoast.com/

The Mother of all Relays is coming to video! Watch the movie trailer at http://www.hoodtocoastmovie.com/