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Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts about some very important work environment areas! We appreciate your feedback and encourage this kind of idea-sharing so that we can continue to do better! With regard to the Account Manager (route sales) schedules, being a 4-day workweek, we do understand this type of routine does not appeal to everyone. Many of our Account Managers will list this schedule as one of the top reasons they stay; but we know there are others who find it less appealing. It really depends on personal circumstances. Our business model demands that all of our 3,000+ customers are serviced every week; and that’s what drives this schedule. We talk transparently about this during the interview process so that prospects for employment can make the best decision for themselves and their family.
Our paid time-off program (PTO) was simplified a few years ago when we combined sick and vacation time into PTO. This was done in large part because most employees were not using the allotment for “sick” days and felt as though they were losing something because they didn’t need it. We added the 2 amounts of time together and now allow for employees to use all of that time, whether planned or unplanned, the same way. Additionally, employees can carryover up to 1 week of time in to the next year if they don’t use it. We believed this was achieving the desire of our team, but your feedback is noted and we will certainly investigate this idea further in our upcoming employee survey so that we can continue focus on making this a great place to work!
One of the things we are passionate about as a company is continuous improvement and as such are always looking for ways to improve processes and programs. We continually evaluate our on-boarding program for bringing new team members into our company which not only includes their first day but a comprehensive look at their first 75 days and what is critical for them to know in order to be successful in their role. We have considered options like you’ve suggested on new hires obtaining their CDL later in the process and will certainly continue to discuss this and other alternative options to create the best experience possible while ensuring each and every employee is set up for optimal success as a part of our team. This can sometimes be difficult given the importance of each component of that process and always appreciate insight from employees who know what it takes to succeed!
We appreciate you taking the time to comment and for the many ideas you have shared here. We work diligently every year to maintain competitive pay and benefits for all of our employees and appreciate all feedback that employees can share to help us do just that. We want to encourage you to share these kinds of ideas freely with your direct manager, Regional Manager or a member of the Management Team. It’s this kind of thinking and suggesting that allows us all to grow and ensure we are all experiencing the best possible work environment!