Areas that are Significant to Improving Labor Relations and Productivity

Introduction

            Senator Bernie Sanders would be proud to see the points talked about in this article on improving labor relations. Many of the things he talks about are indeed the cornerstones to improving labor productivity, relations and the quality of a laborer’s life. The main difference between how Senator Sanders views this subject and how I view it is how these items play out and the role of government in effecting change in these items.

            The first, item to improve a labor’s life and productivity is, basic education. The more educated our work force is the more competent it is and therefore ideally the more capable it is. This is why the United States of America has free government provided schooling until 12th grade. By the time someone graduates high school they should have all the basic education they need to live a happy and productive life. This might not be the case in every school district but the basic education in the USA allows every child to learn how to balance a checkbook, read and write and hopefully communicate properly. Often, the issue is not the content but the person’s understanding of how to apply the knowledge they received. Indeed, if you know how to balance your checkbook but choose to ignore the lack of funds and spend beyond your means, well then, there is little an education could have done for you.

            Once you are past basic education, there are those who wish to continue to improve themselves and seek a higher level of education and skill. This is where college, workplace training and employer supported college programs come into play. Workers who are working to better themselves typically are happier and more productive because they can always see a next step and a future. Workers who are not working on self-improvement often times become boxed in and feel there is no where to go as they have no new marketable skills. Without a desire for constant growth employment becomes fruitless and routine.

            Second, has been talked about in our country on and off over the years. It is usually talked about in social conversations and as a sales tool to market items and services to consumers. The diet of our labor force plays a large role in the health and improvement of the happiness and productivity of that labor force. The healthier someone is, the more likely they will be able to wake up and arrive to work on time, the easier their work duties will be physically and mentally, the less likely they are to be stressed and the more confident they will feel about their body. Diet is important, as the healthier someone feels the more likely they are to focus and enjoy what they are doing.

            Third, the available labor force is able to make an impact in their company, market, world. This is a complicated issue. If there are too many workers on the market with the required skill sets the laborers will suffer as they become less important to the company and less competitive while applying for new positions. If there are too few then those who have the required skills may be over worked and become less productive due to fatigue. For example, the idea of everyone going to college is a job and society killer. If everyone has a college degree, then those degrees no longer matter. If everyone has a college diploma, having a diploma becomes the standard level of entry. Ideally, our labor force needs to be 30% college educated, 30% skilled labor such as carpenters and welders and 40% unskilled labor those who work in retail, food service and so on. In modern times, we have been pushing everyone to go to college which is harming our society. We have less craftsman and we have people flipping burgers with $100,000 in college debt for a degree they will never use. Self-improvement and sharpening one’s skills do not necessarily mean a college degree.

            The idea of labor relations and productivity are very complicated and not nearly as simple as persons such as Senator Sanders and Secretary Clinton would have you believe. Upward mobility within your current company is becoming almost impossible and generation Z and millennials are being forced to jump from company to company to increase their job title and salary. This is the most obvious issue business could correct if we wanted to improve the labor force in this country. Companies should always, look inside first. Higher everyone on the ground and then train and move them up. Offer serious retirement programs not unproductive basic 401Ks that have become the standard.

            There are a few key things we can do to improve each and every worker’s success. The first is to value our employees, second require appropriate not bloated qualifications, third create systems for worker’s personal and professional growth. Lastly, we need to always recognize our labor force are real people not numbers. There is a human behind every job who has personal issues, bills to pay and things to accomplish. We cannot leave the human aspect out of employment and how we interact with our labor force.