Developing a Positive Employee Culture is One of the Most Important Ways to Strengthen Your Laundry Business
A large and growing body of research devoted to positive organizational psychology has demonstrated that not only is a “cut-throat” business environment harmful to productivity over time, but that a positive environment will lead to dramatic benefits for employers, employees and the bottom line.
Unfortunately, far too many business owners – laundromat operators included – rely on and encourage a high-pressure, take-no-prisoners employee culture. Although there is an assumption that stress and pressure push workers to perform better and faster, this philosophy fails to recognize the hidden costs incurred.
First, health care expenditures at high-pressure companies, either paid for directly by the employee or through company-paid health insurance, are significant. The American Psychological Association estimates that more than $500 billion is siphoned off the U.S. economy because of workplace stress, and 550 million workdays are lost each year as the direct result to stress on the job.
It’s also known that 60 percent to 80 percent of workplace accidents are attributed to stress, and that more than 80 percent of doctor visits are due to stress. In fact, workplace stress has been directly linked to health problems ranging from metabolic disorders to cardiovascular disease and even mortality.
A large scale study of more than 3,000 employees showed a strong link between leadership behavior and heart disease in employees. So, it’s clear that stress-producing bosses are literally bad for the heart – not the bosses’ hearts, just the employees’ hearts, which certainly negatively impacts absenteeism.
Second, there is the cost of disengagement. And disengagement can be quite costly. While a company culture of fear may initially encourage engagement (and sometimes even excitement), research suggests that the inevitable stress it creates most likely will lead to disengagement over the long term.
Engagement in work – which is associated with feeling valued, secure, supported and respected – is generally negatively associated within a high-stress culture.
Lack of loyalty is a third cost. Research indicates that workplace stress leads to an increase of nearly 50 percent in voluntary turnover. People often resign because of it. And turnover costs associated with recruiting, training, lowered productivity and lost expertise are significant. The Center for American Progress reports that replacing a single employee will cost approximately 20 percent of that employee’s salary.
Creating a positive and healthy culture for your team rests upon a few major principles. They include:
- Caring for, being interested in and maintaining responsibility for employees as friends.
- Providing support for employees, including offering kindness and compassion when they are struggling.
- Avoiding blame and forgiving mistakes.
- Inspiring employees.
- Emphasizing the meaningfulness of work.
- Treating employees with respect, gratitude, trust and integrity.
This can be done by showing empathy, going out of your way to help employees, and encouraging staff members to talk to you, especially about their problems.
A positive workplace is more successful over time, because it increases positive emotions and well-being. This, in turn, improves people’s relationships with each other and amplifies their abilities and their creativity.
Additionally, it buffers against negative experiences such as stress, thus improving employees’ ability to bounce back from challenges and difficulties while, at the same time, bolstering their health.
What’s more, it attracts employees – making them more loyal to the leader and to the company, as well as bringing out their strengths. When organizations develop positive, virtuous cultures, they achieve significantly higher levels of organizational effectiveness, including financial performance, customer satisfaction, productivity and employee engagement.
In short, your laundry business’ well-being develops from a number of sources, not the least of which is a positive company culture.
