Post by LawrenceCoBowhunter on Nov 13, 2006 13:34:15 GMT -5
I think it should be a national holiday!
Monday, November 13, 2006
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - It's not the flu that drives up worker absenteeism this time of year. It's deer season and many companies have chosen not to fight it.
They tolerate hunters who come in late, take days off or let deadlines slide.
"I used to try to manage it. I no longer try to manage it. I assume everyone's needs are going to get met and let it happen," said Jeanne Morrissey, owner of a Williston construction company. "I go to meetings with owners. We show construction schedules and I say we are a little volatile in November."
The state's 15-day rifle season started Saturday and runs through Nov. 26. The state has an estimated 80,000 licensed hunters, which means about 15 percent of the population hunts.
At least a dozen employees out of a staff of 54 at the Bristol lumber company, A. Johnson Co., are serious hunters, said manager Ken Johnson.
During hunting season, the company focuses on maintenance and closes one of the mills, he said.
Jim Harrison said he used to shut down Harrison Redi-Mix and Harrison Concrete Construction during the rifle season but is now too busy to close. About 70 percent of the 45 employees of the two companies hunt, he said.
Those who don't hunt cover the shifts of workers who do, and get repaid with time off later, such as during maple sugaring season.
In the Northeast Kingdom, many employers understand that this is the time for hunting, said Darcie McCann, head of the Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce.
Youth hockey is canceled for the youth hunting weekend, McCann said.
"We don't see things close down as much as just figure within their vacation time. This is very important to a lot of people in the Kingdom and they manage their time accordingly," McCann said.
Allowing employees to take time off to hunt has its advantages, Morrissey said.
"I do understand that joyful employees are productive. If that's where their passion lies - for the balance of the year I'm going to be better off," she said.
Monday, November 13, 2006
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - It's not the flu that drives up worker absenteeism this time of year. It's deer season and many companies have chosen not to fight it.
They tolerate hunters who come in late, take days off or let deadlines slide.
"I used to try to manage it. I no longer try to manage it. I assume everyone's needs are going to get met and let it happen," said Jeanne Morrissey, owner of a Williston construction company. "I go to meetings with owners. We show construction schedules and I say we are a little volatile in November."
The state's 15-day rifle season started Saturday and runs through Nov. 26. The state has an estimated 80,000 licensed hunters, which means about 15 percent of the population hunts.
At least a dozen employees out of a staff of 54 at the Bristol lumber company, A. Johnson Co., are serious hunters, said manager Ken Johnson.
During hunting season, the company focuses on maintenance and closes one of the mills, he said.
Jim Harrison said he used to shut down Harrison Redi-Mix and Harrison Concrete Construction during the rifle season but is now too busy to close. About 70 percent of the 45 employees of the two companies hunt, he said.
Those who don't hunt cover the shifts of workers who do, and get repaid with time off later, such as during maple sugaring season.
In the Northeast Kingdom, many employers understand that this is the time for hunting, said Darcie McCann, head of the Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce.
Youth hockey is canceled for the youth hunting weekend, McCann said.
"We don't see things close down as much as just figure within their vacation time. This is very important to a lot of people in the Kingdom and they manage their time accordingly," McCann said.
Allowing employees to take time off to hunt has its advantages, Morrissey said.
"I do understand that joyful employees are productive. If that's where their passion lies - for the balance of the year I'm going to be better off," she said.
