Beat Cold Stress

By Kim Vermaak 09 July 2014 At the moment, the weather is getting extremely cold in the morning. Personally I would like to be a bear and spend my time hibernating for the next few months, but alas, we have to work through these cold times and that can produce cold stress. Cold employees aren’t just uncomfortable, they are distracted. It is estimated that a drop in performance costs employers 10% more per hour, per employee. When our body’s temperature drops, we expend energy keeping ourselves warm, making less energy available for concentration, inspiration, and insight. In regions relatively unaccustomed to winter weather, like South Africa near freezing temperatures are considered factors for "cold stress." Whenever temperatures drop decidedly below normal and as wind speed increases, heat can more rapidly leave your body. These weather-related conditions may lead to serious health problems. Employees should avoid exposure to extremely cold temperatures when possible. When cold environments or temperatures cannot be avoided, employees should follow these recommendations to protect themselves from cold stress: Wear appropriate clothing. You can assist staff by providing a warm winter jacket. Although many businesses are concerned about cash flow, loss of productivity through staff who are suffering from cold is a factor that needs to be seriously considered. Cold stress is not just for outdoor workers. Many factories and warehouse environments are very cold. I can attest to this as in the very early weeks of if winter, I was in the new branding sections, which is in fact a warehouse and I just could not get out of there fast enough. The high ceilings and poor insulation make warehouses terrible to work in. Wear several layers of loose clothing. Layering provides better insulation. Tight clothing reduces blood circulation. Warm blood needs to be circulated to the extremities. So recommend to your staff to get a jacket that is one size bigger than they would normally take, so that they can put other layers under the jacket. When choosing clothing, be aware that some clothing may restrict movement resulting in a hazardous situation. Make sure to protect the ears, face, hands and feet in extremely cold weather. Boots should be waterproof and insulated. Wear a hat; it will keep your whole body warmer. (Hats reduce the amount of body heat that escapes from your head.) Beanies make an excellent form of protection for staff. Employers can also assist by: Scheduling cold jobs for the warmer part of the day. Reducing the physical demands of workers. Using relief workers or assign extra workers for long, demanding jobs. Providing warm liquids to workers. Giving each staff member a flask and having access to hot water, tea, soup etc. will go a long way in supporting them. But use a brand name like Isosteel that will remain hot for many hours. Warm, non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic drinks should be consumed frequently. Caffeine is a diuretic and causes dehydration, which is linked to heat loss. Provide warm areas for use during break periods. Warm-up and Stretch. Working in cold environments may increase the risk of back injuries and other musculoskeletal injuries. Workers should perform warm-up stretching exercises before handling heavy equipment and material. In the last stretch towards the end of winter, keep yourself and your employees warm to beat cold stress, improve morale and productivity. It just makes sense.

Creating a 2014 Corporate Gift Plan (Part 1)

At the beginning of the year, you should create a corporate gifting campaign, just as with any planning that you will do. Have a look at typical corporate gifting events and see if they align with your overall corporate goals and strategies. Your corporate gifts strategy should cover the following areas. Customer corporate gifts strategy Staff corporate gifts strategy Social responsibility corporate gift strategy Customer Corporate Gifts Strategy Customers are the life blood of your organisation. They choose to spend money with you rather than competitors. So your corporate gifting strategy should include a relationship building strategy. Corporate gifts are an idea way to enhance your relationship with clients. Events such as Valentine’s Day, Easter, hospitality packages and year end gifts etc. work well with client corporate gifts. If you have planned ahead of time there will be fewer emergencies. Valentine’s Day gifts ideas include chocolates, coffee mugs, hampers, heart shaped stress balls, mint tins, novelties, teddy bears etc. Easter Gifts include, chocolates, hampers, Nomu hot chocolate, puzzles, toys Throughout the year there are a number of sporting events that you can invite your clients to such as cricket, rugby and soccer. For these sporting event corporate gifts will include, backpacks, binoculars, caps, clothing, glasses, key rings, scarves, sports bags. In the next edition with we will cover staff corporate gifting strategy…. For more information contact Belle Regalo on info@belleregalo.co.za visit us on www.belleregalo.co.za or phone us on 0829487461.

How to make a Difference to Children in 2014 using Corporate Gifts as part of Your Corporate Responsibility Programme.

In the New Year many children in this country will start the year without basic provisions for school. As part of your corporate responsibility you can make a big difference by sponsoring a local school with back to school items. There are many ways that you can impact the children in the community. Before you make a decision, it is important to know that there is a difference between plain charity and empowerment. A basic back to school sandwich box or lunch tin is something that may seem simple to some, but makes a huge difference to many children. If your company is involved in a sandwich run, giving out lunch time to put the sandwiches in at the start of the year makes a huge difference. For a children to bring their own sandwich box to the sandwich table is a small yet powerful thing, it adds a small element of control back to their lives and gives them something that is their very own. A gift has a vastly different emotional impact than charity. Basic back to school stationary items such as pencils, pens and notebook can make big impact. While charity contributions can be allocated for BBEE points, you can have the items branded as well. Back pack and conference bags give children an attractive ways to carry their books, personal belongings or stationary items with them to school. With literacy and mathematics being very important issues in the educational development, items such as pencils cases with contents and mathematics set can be hugely impactful. Play items such as frisbees and soccer balls add enjoyment to life. This cannot be overlooked as play is an extremely important part of development and bring stress relief which is increasingly important issue for children as a stressed child finds it very difficult to learn. We would also recommend sponsoring a few soccer teams with soccer kit and socks. Team sports are an excellent way to build social and emotional development in children. For girls we also recommend sponsoring netball kit of even a girls’ soccer team kit. Through children learn the sports three P’s, practice, patience and persistence. While companies still have the opportunity of sponsoring school in a cash basis, there is always a risk that funds will not be spend in certain areas. However sponsoring physical products can make a huge impact. Your corporate gifting company can supply you with many ideas that can help you to make an impact in your community. While writing out cheques is easy, the long term impact of sponsoring items with your band on it has a longer term good will impact. Many of these young people may even aspire to work at your company once day and be loyal to your organisation. For more information about corporate gifts and corporate clothing contact Belle Regalo on info@belleregalo.co.za or visit us on www.belleregalo.co.za