A Healthy Job Culture

Most of us have felt the angst of the job hunt. How much more for the refugee, new to our country, with no network to tap into or understanding of our work culture?  Most of them really want to work as it is a source of dignity and a good step toward self-sufficiency.  Thankfully there is a business in Denver that has changed their entire work culture in order to help their refugee-employees thrive!  

When L & R Pallet made the decision to focus on hiring refugees, they knew they had to rethink their entire business model.  Employee training became far more visual than word based because of the diversity of languages spoken, as roughly two-thirds of their employees are now refugees.  In addition, they decided to put every person’s name on the front of the hard hat so they could be greeted by name, looked in the eye and communicated to that they have worth. They put colored dots on the side of the hard hats that correspond with the languages each employee speaks so they know instantly if they will need an interpreter or not. They’ve implemented a great deal of incentives to help their employees learn what it means to work and work hard in an American context.  Most of all L & R Pallet took a risk and has provided refugees with a chance - a chance that is not readily available for a lot of newcomers.  A chance to work, to provide for their families, to have a sense of self-respect, and to be a part of a company that values them and desires to keep them on the job.