Archive for November, 2007
November 27th, 2007
The Rockford Chamber of Commerce will host a seminar on creating a workplace wellness program, a strategy that employers are hurrying to adopt to combat rising health insurance premiums.
I’ve written a few stories, including this one, about a program that has proved rather effective at several local companies this year.
The chamber event will be part of its Breakfast Buzz series. The presentation “What Does It Take to Make a Workplace Well?” will be from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12, in the Woodward Technology Center at Rock Valley College, 3301 North Mulford Road, Rockford. The cost is $10 for chamber members and $20 for non-members and includes breakfast.
Among the presenters are Gary R. Wright of Benefit Planning Services Inc., Lynette Jacques of Destiny Health and Melissa Byrnes of the YMCA of the Rock River Valley. To register, visit this page at rockfordchamber.com or call 815-316-4319.
November 20th, 2007
On Jan. 1, every public place in the state goes smokeless, but many employers and business owners are confused about exactly what the Smoke Free Illinois Act covers and what its rules are.
The Belvidere Area Chamber of Commerce will host a breakfast meeting at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, to explain the new law and its effects. The event is sponsored by the Boone County Department of Public Health and presented by its administrator, Doug Beardsley. It will be located at the Belvidere YMCA community room, 220 W. Locust St., Belvidere.
There will be a complimentary continental breakfast. For more information, call the chamber at 815-544-4357.
November 14th, 2007
The toughest obstacle for former criminals who want to turn their lives around is finding a job. Nearly every employer asks if you’ve been convicted of a felony, and many won’t give an applicant a second look if the check the “yes”box.
But the law provides ways for ex-offenders to clean up their rap sheet. Several local agencies will host a day-long seminar Thursday on expungement, the process of purging or sealing criminal and arrest records. The event will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Promise of Life Temple, 714 Third Ave., Rockford.
Many people who have never been convicted can qualify for the program along with others who were convicted of misdemeanor or non-violent crimes.
The event is co-sponsored by Exchange, Illinois Department of Employment Security, the Safer Foundation, Carpenter’s Place and the Workforce Connection.
Representatives of local agencies will be present with information about services available to ex-offenders. Among the agencies participating are the Salvation Army, the Illinois Department of Human Services, Rockford Sexual Assault Counseling, Winnebago County Weed and Seed, Northwest Community Center, Crusader Clinic, Rockford Rescue Mission, Careers Inc. and YouthBuild.
There also will be attorneys volunteering to discuss the expungement and sealing process.
November 7th, 2007
The UPS sorting hub at the Chicago Rockford International Airport is making its annual push for seasonal workers. It needs to hire 40 people a week to hit its targets, employment supervisor Kevin Doolian told me.
That means if you want to make a little Christmas money, can work in the middle of the night and can lift up to 70 pounds — you might consider this job. Shifts start between 10:30 p.m. and 2 a.m. Package handlers work between 15 and 20 hours a week between now and January.
I used to load packages at the hub — in fact, I was February 1996 Employee of the Month for the Blue Belt. At one time I knew almost every ZIP code in Iowa and Nebraska. I’ve never been able to find another venue to use that knowledge, except for the time I drove a friend nuts on a cross-country road trip by rattling off the five-digit numbers for every town that appeared on the exit signs on Interstate 80. Probably not a good use of such trivia…
But I digress. Seasonal employees earn $8.50 an hour and if they prove themselves and the company needs them, they could be hired on a permanent basis after the holiday rush. Permanent workers get medical benefits and tuition reimbursements.
Every holiday season, the hub grows its work force by hundreds to handle the rush. The week before Christmas is a mad house, but I kind of enjoyed the pace. I remember working 8 hours one night while we waited for a storm-stranded plane to arrive. This year, the hub needs nearly 2,000 total workers to handle its volume, Dulian said.
To apply, visit this site and click on “Rockford,” then on “Inquire About Opportunities Now.” You can enter all your contact information, answer a few questions and reserve a time to visit the UPS employment office for an interview. The openings are immediate, so if you’re interested and qualified, you could be working within days.
November 5th, 2007
One of the challenges facing working parents is finding good childcare. I got lucky, my four-year-old son has had the same licensed in-home provider since he was a year old. In-home is cheaper than the great big daycare facilities and gives me greater peace of mind.
We found our provider through word-of-mouth, but there are other resources to find childcare. I just discovered this site, Care.com, which is like a job board for would-be babysitters, nannies and daycare providers. You can search it without subscribing to the service, but if you want to run a background check on the babysitter or daycare provider, you’ve got to pay a $30 set-up fee and a $10 monthly subscription.
