Editorial of June 13, 2024

Employees Not the Only Ones with Workplace Challenges

Throughout Otsego County, business owners continue to bemoan the fact that they cannot find and/or retain good employees. In fact, they often can’t find employees, period. We have come across “closed” signs on doors more than once these past few weeks—during regular business hours—indicating the business had been forced to shut down temporarily due to “staffing shortages,” “lack of staff” or “not enough staff.”

A quick search online for “top workplace challenges for employers” is very telling. Almost all of the search results focused on challenges from the perspective of the employee; almost none discussed challenges as faced by the employer. And, if they did, those challenges invariably focused on meeting the employer’s legal responsibilities. Things like overtime rules, paid family and medical leave, and the like.

Search results for workplace challenges and solutions were almost entirely written to prevent employees from feeling overwhelmed, overworked and/or underappreciated, to manage work-life balance and, in one instance, to help them cope with “hidden stressors such as having to be ‘on’ all day.”

Now, let us be clear. Iron String Press wants its employees to have a manageable workload, plenty of time off and to feel appreciated (which they absolutely are!). We believe most business owners in Otsego County wish that for their employees as well. But we are also realistic, knowing there are businesses that do fall short of the mark.

Keeping those “closed due to lack of staff” signs in mind, though, let’s examine a dozen workplace challenges and solutions from the “Small Business Management” blog. Which, if you are questioning its validity, echoes the language from just about every other search result on the subject. Better understanding of the employer’s perspective of these challenges might help employees avoid situations for which they aren’t suited, for a better employment experience overall.