Crafting a Stellar First Impression
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Beware the Holiday Cheer
When planning this year’s company holiday party, don’t
forget to rent the bus.
The annual holiday party season is a nervous time for many employers.
Aside from providing good food and good cheer for their annual holiday
parties, many employers are using strategies to make certain their
employees are sober before getting behind the wheel to head home.
Many companies are tackling the problem by booking a party location
that is at least an hour’s drive from their worksite. “They use
shuttle buses,” says Christine Purcell, senior human
resource
analyst with the Employer Human Resource Support Services unit of
the New Jersey Department of Labor. “Everyone gets on a shuttle
bus and are then driven an hour out to the party. They make sure to
stop serving alcohol an hour before the party ends and then shuttle
everyone back. This gives their employees a good two hours for the
effect of the alcohol to wear off.”
Purcell speaks on “Substance Abuse in the Workplace” on
Tuesday,
December 18, at 9 a.m. at Middlesex County College in Edison. Cost:
$10. Call 609-777-1834.
Of course, the holiday season isn’t the only time of the year in which
substance abuse affects the workplace. While many employers would
prefer not think about it, substance abuse is a concern 52 weeks a
year. Although it is unpleasant for employers to consider, it is a
fact that one-third of all substance abusers are gainfully employed.
“Which is not to say that a third of a company’s employees are
substance abusers,” Purcell says. “People get really scared
when I give that statistic out. It does mean, though, that it is very
likely that a company may have employees who are abusing drugs or
alcohol.”
Purcell earned a degree in English from the College of New Jersey
in 1993 and a master’s in counseling and personnel services in 1999.
She initially worked at the Department of Labor as an intermittent
labor services worker before being hired as an employment counselor.
She then became an unemployment claims examiner and a vocational
rehabilitation
counselor before getting her current position in the Employer Human
Resource Support Services Unit.
Spotting employees who may be abusing substances isn’t always an easy
task. “Many times an employer may just see a particular employee
as simply being difficult or troubled, not realizing that the actual
source of the problem is substance abuse,” says Purcell. “It
is important to look for patterns of behavior.”
A common red flag for recognizing employees who are abusing substances
is spotting patterns in employees with chronic attendance problems.
“A person who is always absent on Friday or Monday, or who is
always absent the day after a holiday or payday may have a
problem,”
says Purcell. “That is a possible tip-off.”
While other indications may seem obvious, such as an employee with
slurred speech, an impaired gait, or dilated pupils, others are not
that transparent. “Statistics show that employees who are abusing
substances are six times more likely to file Workers’ Compensation
claims than a non-abusing employee,” says Purcell. “And we
all know that compensation claims cost employers a lot of money.”
While substance abuse in the workplace is a sticky issue for employers
to effectively deal with, Purcell offers some advice:
Take the careful approach. “Random drug testing canonly be done in safety sensitive occupations,” says Purcell.”Butyou can have a policy of `For Cause’ testing.” “For Cause”testing allows a person to be tested for drugs if there is areasonablesuspicion that he or she is using drugs or if the company has apreviouslystated policy, such as after any accident in the workplace allemployeesinvolved will be tested for drugs.Observe and document. If an employer believes that anemployee is abusing substances in the workplace, it is important todocument as specifically as possible any observations the employerwitnesses. “Document as much as you can about the situation,”says Purcell. “Do you smell marijuana? Does the person seem unableto concentrate? Is the person being inappropriately aggressive orverbally abusive?”First check with the higher-ups. “If upper managementis not behind you, your hands are tied,” says Purcell. “Somake sure you have the full support of upper management before youtake any action.”Have a written substance abuse policy. Simply verballystating a company’s drug policy is the same as not having any policyat all. It needs to be in writing.Use accredited laboratories. The at-home drug testingkits that are sold in drug stores may be cheap and easy, but they’renot a good idea. “Drug testing is a whole involved process,”says Purcell. “You have to have split samples and the room hasto be a certain way. It’s better to have an accredited laboratorydo it. It may seem at first like you’ll save money buying it froma drug store, but not in the long run.”Never send an impaired person home behind the wheel. Thisone may seem like a no-brainer, but many employers make this mistake.”If you do this, and the person gets into an accident, you getinto liability issues,” says Purcell. “They wouldn’t havebeen on the road if their employer hadn’t told them to leave.”Purcell makes it clear that when she says “substanceabuse”she is not just referring to illegal drugs. “Alcohol is includedin that too,” explains Purcell. “There are special concernswith alcohol, particularly around holiday time. Alcohol use issociallyacceptable, which is obviously not the case with illegal drugs. Manyemployers have questions of whether or not to allow the serving ofalcohol at company parties.”If employers do decide to allow alcohol at their holiday parties,measures can be taken to reduce the risks. “Having a party manageris a good idea,” says Purcell. “A party manager is someonewho monitors the party, walking around making sure things don’t getout of hand.” Also, it is a good idea to remind employeesbeforehandthat while the holiday party is a chance to let their hair down, itis still a part of work, and that people are expected to actresponsibly.— Jack FlorekTop Of PageCrafting a Stellar First ImpressionOnce you become a Pinto or a Firestone, it is hard toget a second chance. So says career consultant Barbara AnnSharon.Those of a certain age will remember the Pinto as an automobile witha poorly placed gas tank that had a tragic tendency to explode uponimpact. Firestone, of course, is the manufacturer of tires implicatedin SUV accidents.Sharon’s point is that once a company, or a product — or, indeed,a person — is perceived negatively, there may never be anopportunityto correct the image. She speaks on “Making the First ImpressionCount” on Wednesday, December 19, at 7:30 a.m. at the Nassau Clubat a meeting of the Princeton Chamber. Also on the program is herbusiness partner, Hellen C. Davis. Cost: $21. Call 609-520-1776.With Davis, Sharon founded BtoB Training, a company based in Malvernand Collegeville, Pennsylvania, in 1998. Before striking out on theirown, each had spent 20 years within corporations doing sales,marketing,leadership, and team-building training. BtoB Training is a virtualcompany, which markets training and consulting services to companies,and uses a team of trainers, acting as independent consultants, tofill clients’ needs.Some assignments involve coaching executives to be the best they canbe. A big part of that, says Sharon, is making a good firstimpression.”Corporations spend millions to project an image,” saysSharon.Individuals will rarely spend as much, but they do need to place thesame importance on creating and protecting a perception.”People like others to be confident, passionate, secure,authentic,and honest,” says Sharon, not denying that this combination ofattributes is a tall order. She breaks it down into four areas:Appearance. Maybe it shouldn’t matter. Maybe the factthat the entertaining genius at the podium has egg on his tie shouldnot affect listeners’ impressions of his words of wisdom. But it does.”Appearance does matter,” says Sharon. Messages can be lostif they are delivered by individuals wearing three clashing plaidarticles of clothing, all of them wrinkled enough to cause observersto wonder just how the creases became so deeply grooved.”It can be so disturbing that you don’t focus on what the personis saying,” says Sharon of more extreme cases. Clothing doesn’thave to be expensive, she says, but it should be clean, andwell-pressed.”You should look well put-together,” she says.And, you should fit in. Wearing casual attire to business functionscan say “you’re not committed to the event, or to what you aredoing,” says Sharon.Watch the perfume and make-up, too. Just a little bit is enough formost business meetings. And, men, avoid the too-short tie.Knowing you are dressed correctly and neatly — that you look good— boosts confidence.Attitude. “This is a big one,” says Sharon. Thereis no way to fake a good attitude, and it is essential. Elements arehonesty, confidence, knowledge, and trustworthiness. “Most peoplehave all the qualities they need,” she says, “but they don’tdisplay them.” We live in boxes, comfort zones, in her opinion,too easily saying “I have no patience,” or “I can notempathize.”These abilities, and all the others we are likely to need, do residewithin us, Sharon says. To make a good impression, pull them out.Action. This is the way you launch yourself as a product.Or, as Sharon puts it, “What is your personal vision allabout?”Companies can distill far-flung, multi-product businesses into a fewwords — We bring good things to life (GE) or promise the realthing (Coke). Individuals need to do the same. Include a sort ofpersonalmission statement into every business introduction, she counsels.She says hers goes something like this: “I like to take peopleto the next level of success.” Bind yourself to what you do best,and when people need that action, she says, they will think of you.Abundance. This refers to striking a balance. Work,family,health, and spirit all need attention. “If a person’s balanceis out of whack, it’s obvious,” says Sharon.All of these — appearance, attitude, action, and abundance— are on display all of the time. Shine on all fronts and youwill be seen as a Lexus, or perhaps something more exotic, but justas reliable. Neglect these cornerstones of a good first impressionbadly enough and you may be slotted with the disastrous Pinto.Top Of PageCorporate AngelsB>Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey hasdonated $205,000 through a company-wide program to assist the AmericanRed Cross’ September 11 disaster relief efforts. Over the course oftwo months, Horizon BCBSNJ matched its employees’ and brokers’contributionsto the program dollar-for-dollar.CUH2A donated $70,000 to charities that will benefit thevictims and rescuers of the 9/11 tragedy. The money was a portionof the funds initially set aside for holiday parties in all theiroffices and was matched by a portion of the profits that were setaside for the shareholders.”The attack on the WTC and Pentagon left us all stunned, upset,and looking for meaningful ways to help the living and honor thefallen,”says John Scott, president of CUH2A, the Carnegie Center-basedarchitecturefirm.The Nassau Inn is donating 10 percent of its net profitsfrom all holiday functions from Thanksgiving Day through ChristmasDay to the Windows of Hope Family Relief Fund. The fund provides aidto the families of victims of the World Trade Center tragedy whoworkedin the food service profession throughout the entire complex.Restaurants taking part in this effort helped to initiate a fund thatprovided immediate emergency aid, as well as future scholarships andfunds for the families of the victims of the September 11 tragedy.Roma Bank has given year-end contributions to the RobertWood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton, the Hamilton Area YMCA,and the Habitat for Humanity.Mercer County’s Association of Realtors volunteered atthe Trenton Area Soup Kitchen on November 16. In addition to preparingand serving lunch, the volunteers contributed soup, toothbrushes,and other bathroom items for distribution to T.A.S.K. clients.Top Of PageNominations PleaseAnyone involved in an outstanding preservation projectcompleted in the past three years — or those who know of acompany,organization or individual who has helped save a part of America’slocal or national heritage — is encouraged to nominate the projectfor a National Preservation Award, sponsored by the National Trustfor HIstoric Preservation. Deadlines for various awards are March1 and May 1, 2002.The awards recognize singular success in preserving, rehabilitating,restoring or interpreting America’s architectural and culturalheritage.Winners will be honored next October at the National PreservationConference in Cleveland.This year a Corporate Responsibility Honor Award will recognize anational or regional chain or franchise that has used historicbuildings,designed new infill construction compatible with historic areas, orsupported preservation-based revitalization.In 2001, the 30th year of the award, winners included the CentralPark Conservancy, Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, the KiMo Theater inAlbuquerque, McClain High School in Greenfield, Ohio, and RedeemerMissionary Baptist Church in Minneapolis.Past awards have gone to projects such as Colonial Williamsburg,Virginia;Grand Central Terminal, Rockefeller Center, and Ellis Island; theOld Post Office and Union Station, Washington, D.C.; Bunker HillCommunityCollege, Chelsea, Massachusetts; America’s oldest McDonalds, Downey,California; Mission San Xavier del Bac, Tucson, Arizona; the WangCenter, Boston; and the History Channel.Call 202-588-6236 for nomination forms or E-mail awards@nthp.orgor www.nthp.org/preservation_awards).Previous StoryNext StoryCorrections or additions?This page is published by PrincetonInfo.com— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.
