Some Rhode Island business leaders met recently to discuss a common concern: Employees failing to consistently show up for work.
Karl Wadensten, CEO and president of Richmond-based manufacturer VIBCO Inc., was part of the impromptu meeting and told PBN that employee engagement is a serious issue at his company, which employs about 100 workers.
Wadensten says the problem predates the pandemic for his business. In fact, he said employee engagement was up during the early stages of the pandemic but has again fallen off as travel restrictions have loosened and people now have more to do outside of their homes.
Coryndon Luxmoore, director of product design for pet health at the online retailer Chewy Inc., says his wife, Jennifer, is facing similar staffing and supply challenges at her Providence-based coffee shop, Sin Desserts.
“There is a real hunger and need for a rebalancing of the relationship between the employer and the employee,” he said.
