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The COVID-19 pandemic has caused anxiety and stress for on-site employees at many companies right now. Rohrer is taking bold action to assuage employee fears, and build morale and positivity at work.
Rohrer, a paper and plastic packaging manufacturer, launched a COVID-19 Response Team earlier this year. They implemented risk mitigation strategies, including travel restrictions, sanitation policies, and encouraging virtual meetings. By mid-March, Rohrer provided systems for more than 20% of the staff to work from home. They ratcheted up safety protocols through strict social distancing policies, extended sick time limits, and temperature screenings at the start of every shift. Rohrer provided reusable masks for all on-site employees well before states like Illinois issued a mandate.
The new protocols help keep employees safe, but any successful wellness program should include mental health. Steve Wirrig, Rohrer’s Chief Executive Officer, started working with his team to design a strategy to promote morale and positivity for all employee partners. “Although our teams are separated anywhere from six feet to many miles, we set a goal to bring people together in a supportive and uplifting way.” Wirrig launched “Good News Mondays” as a way to help employees get excited to come to work every week. They deliver “Good News” through weekly emails and on digital message boards in the facilities.
Rohrer employees are excited about the program. In the first few weeks, on-site employees received premium wage increases; Rohrer added a paid holiday to the calendar for everyone; and the biggest incentive yet was Rohrer’s employee raffle. Rohrer gave away more than $50,000 in prizes, including gaming systems, and gift cards for restaurants, gas stations, and grocery stores. Nancy Mandiangu, an employee in Buford, Georgia, took home the grand prize: A 2018 Ford Fusion.
Now, in the fourth week of “Good News Mondays,” Rohrer Corp. is looking outwards towards the local communities. Each employee has the opportunity to vote for a local charity that helps people affected by COVID-19. Work-from-home employees voted through an online survey, and on-site employees voted during their daily temperature screening. And now the votes are in!
Rohrer will make $5,000 contributions to the following seven charities
• Arizona Food Bank Network
• Casa de los Pobres in Tijuana
• Feeding Medina County in Medina, OH
• FISH of McHenry Food Pantry in McHenry, IL
• North Gwinnett Co-op in Buford, GA
• Onward House in Chicago, IL
• West Suburban Community Pantry in DuPage County, IL
Rohrer’s total contribution is $35,000. Rohrer believes this serves employees by providing support to their friends, families, and neighbors in need.
Although the program may change, the company leadership plans to continue “Good News Mondays” for at least the next few months. Wirrig concludes, “It’s unlikely that we’ll all be working together again any time soon, and the future of work will look a lot different. As long as we’re making changes, we can work to make things better for everyone.”
