Latest news with #employees
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Business
- Yahoo
CCM Health breaks ground for $2.4M child care center in Montevideo, Minnesota
May 31---- As groundbreaking ceremonies go, this one was complicated. Twenty-nine children had first digs at tossing the dirt as hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for a $2.4 million child care center on its Montevideo campus. "This is what it's really about, all these kids," said Brian Lovdahl, CEO of CCM Health, as the 29 children — most of them preschool age — were led by staff from the existing child care center to the site of the groundbreaking. As a point of fact, the rules and regulations involved with child care are complicated too, but worth the navigating, according to Lovdahl. Having child care available is a definite help for the health system's staff. The nearly 350 employees skew younger than is the average for health care facilities in the country, meaning there are many with young children, he explained. The availability of on-campus child care benefits both staff recruitment and retention, according to the CEO. A new provider had no more than inked his contract when the first thing he mentioned was the desire to enroll a child in the center, Lovdahl said. CCM Health became one of the first small health care systems in the country to offer child care services when it opened its existing center in January 2020. It continues to receive inquiries from other systems about how to make it happen, according to Lovdahl. The move into the new facility should happen in October, if not sooner. Groundwork is completed and the footprint for the new facility is readied, all ahead of schedule, according to the CEO. The new, 5,000-square-foot center will offer more than three times the space of the existing facility. The new facility will be licensed for 70 children. The current facility is licensed for 31 children but serves around 40 when counting drop-ins. It is located in a building housing the ambulance operations. The new facility will be located on the site where the original Montevideo Veterans Affairs Clinic stood. The location puts the young children no more than 60 feet away from the nearest doctor in CCM Health's Medical Clinic and Hospital if they should need medical help. It also means nursing mothers can drop over to the center during breaks. Staffing needs led to the decision more than six years ago to open an on-campus child center. Lovdahl said CCM Health was being served by traveling nurses in 2018-19 to meet staffing needs. Permanent staff members expressed an interest in working more hours, he said, but they cited the lack of child care as a major impediment to doing so. It took about eight months from the beginning of the discussions on child care needs to the opening of existing center. In about six months, it reached capacity, and has pretty much stayed at that level ever since, according to Lovdahl. Operating a child care center can be challenging, but Lovdahl pointed out that the value goes well beyond the health care center. The new spaces for the children of CCM Health's employees should free up spaces in other child care operations in Montevideo, he said. As in most communities, there is a gap between the number of available and needed child care spots. Montevideo had a shortage of 145 child care spaces according to a June 2024 analysis by the nonprofit and funded by the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families. The new facility will feature a prairie-style architecture with large windows in its corners. It will be divided inside according to ages. It will hold a commercial kitchen and feature a modern security system. An outdoor patio area will be available. CCM Health had studied the possibility of re-purposing the former Montevideo VA Clinic, which opened in 2002. It was found to be cost-prohibitive to renovate the three-section modular building that had served as the clinic, and it was razed. Lovdahl used the groundbreaking as an opportunity to thank the CCM Health board of directors, Montevideo City Council and the Chippewa County Board of Commissioners for their support of the child care project. The city of Montevideo and Chippewa County jointly own CCM Health. The existing child care area within the ambulance building will be returned to its former use as a training and conference center.
Forbes
6 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
3 Ways To Reignite Fulfillment When Recognition Stops Feeling Good
Articles are abundant online that teach you how to position yourself in the workplace to receive a promotion, maintain your value in the company, and attract the recognition in your career that you've been striving for. However, what happens when the goals you previously had have all been accomplished? How do you manage the guilt of seeming "ungrateful" if you no longer experience satisfaction from your accomplishments like before? One example of how leaders can rediscover meaning in their professional lives is by identifying specific aspects of their careers that bring them fulfillment and joy. A study conducted by Perceptyx aimed to address this, as it found that only 29% of employees experience all 8 out of the 10 attributes that make a career fulfilling. This statistic suggests that many individuals are pondering this question and are seeking a more profound sense of purpose beyond what others have defined as success. Research studies have also proven that when professionals feel fulfilled in their careers, they are less likely to leave organizations. The 2023 Global Culture Report supports this notion, finding that highly fulfilled employees stayed three years longer at their organizations compared to their counterparts who expressed feelings of unfulfillment. This statistic underscores the crucial role that fulfillment plays in the longevity of your career and its impact on long-term engagement in the workplace. One reason recognition stops feeling fulfilling for leaders is that it often focuses more on the outcomes they produce rather than on who they are as individuals. This reward system usually leaves people feeling commoditized and objectified for the results they deliver rather than the perspective and integrity they bring to their work. A recent Canva study supported this sentiment, finding that only 48% of employees reported that their workplace acknowledges and celebrates their unique qualities as individuals. These findings highlight the significance of reconnecting with fulfillment driven by personal values, rather than just professional recognition. In this article, we'll explore three emotional skills leaders can use to redefine what success means to them and rediscover joy in their work, even when recognition fades. There is often an unspoken shame that accompanies no longer feeling fulfilled by the things that once brought you success, especially when those things were highly praised or recognized by others. This disconnect often arises when we expect ourselves to maintain the same level of performance without considering how much we've grown, changed, or struggled. Fulfillment fades when your definition of success stays stuck in a past version of you. That's why it's essential to ask: What does success look like to me now, even if no one else is clapping for it? Reconnecting with your version of success, as opposed to the one that receives the most recognition, is a powerful way to reignite a more profound sense of fulfillment. 'Success can come in many forms, and it's up to us to define what success looks like based on our core values and the goals we've set,' says Miguel Echols, a corporate leadership consultant and trainer. 'We create success by being willing to put in the personal and professional development work consistently, and part of how we view success should factor in the current season and our efforts.' Have you ever heard the quote, "Don't turn your passion into a prison"? That sentiment applies here. When recognition no longer feels fulfilling, it's often because you've become disconnected from what originally made the work feel joyful. If the validation you're getting isn't lighting you up anymore, it's time to reconnect with the parts of your work that feel rewarding, regardless of whether they get acknowledged or not. By revisiting what you loved before the applause, you shift your focus to other aspects of your work that fuel you and give your work meaning. That's where real fulfillment starts to return. One way to rediscover fulfillment in your career is to recognize the impact your work is having on the people you serve. When you feel disconnected from the recognition that your job is receiving, this is often due to feelings of apathy and dissatisfaction. These emotions are a sign for you to expand your definition of what impact means. Impact is about more than financial outcomes, stakeholder approval, media features, or awards. Your expertise has also led to client breakthroughs, shifts in perspective, cultural changes, and a sense of psychological safety within your organization. The legacy you're building encompasses these micro and macro shifts that can't be measured and may not consistently be recognized. Measuring your impact through the lens of impact, instead of validation, is what helps you feel fulfilled in your work again. Now that you understand the emotional strategies that will help you rediscover fulfillment in your career, here's what you can do next. The next time you notice that the recognition you're receiving is no longer rewarding, integrate one of these skills into how you reflect on your work. Shifting your perspective on what constitutes success will help you reconnect with the aspects of your career that feel more meaningful, even if they aren't the elements that receive the most recognition.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dear Abby: My coworker has been filling the office drinking fountain with lead-filled water
DEAR ABBY: The floor I work on has a cluster of offices surrounding a central kitchen area. Fifteen of us share the appliances, including a hot water reservoir with a tap. The building is old and has lead pipes, so a service brings in large plastic bottles for a water cooler. Usually, whoever arrives first in the morning fills the tank on the water heater from the cooler, and we all use it to make hot drinks during the day. I just found out that a new employee has been filling the tank from the contaminated tap! When I asked her about it, she said that the microplastics in the water jugs were more dangerous than the lead in the pipes. She's very committed to this idea and is not going to budge. I don't think this is right. I will heat my own water from now on, but how should I warn the others in the office? The source of our tea water seems like a silly thing to start an office tiff over, but I also think people need to know their water is unsafe. — NOT DRINKING IN NEW YORK DEAR NOT DRINKING: I agree the employees in your office should know about this. At least they will be on notice about which 'poison' they are consuming. Report this to HR or your employer, so the announcement can come from on high and you can stay out of the line of fire. DEAR ABBY: I have spent 40 years serving the public and my country, putting other people first and feeling guilty if I didn't. However, I am becoming resentful of the demands for my time. I'm retired, and my husband still works. We have always split the expenses 50-50, even though I make less than 40% of his income. Once I retired, my share of the household chores and errands increased from 75% to 90%. I wanted to make life easier for my husband, but now he expects me to run personal errands for him, too. All the wear and tear and gas usage is borne by my car, which is considerably older than his. I have a friend and walking partner who has been having different issues she needs help with. She has always talked about the close friends she has known for decades and sees regularly. They all live about 20 minutes away and are retired, in good health and able to drive. I offered her my help in the past, but now she and her friends think I should be her go-to person since I live closer to her than they do. I have my own schedule and routine now. I like having some days free to do what I feel like and not have to fulfill demands from others. How do I let people know my time is valuable and discourage them from expecting me to help them? — TOO NICE AND HELPFUL DEAR TOO NICE: It is not a crime to tell someone you don't have time to do what they want you to do. It's time to sign up for some assertiveness training so you can learn how to say no. (No, I'm not kidding.) If you do as I suggest, it might even improve your marriage. Your doctor or health insurance company can refer you to someone qualified. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
SunPower says all shareholder proposals pass at Annual Meeting
SunPower (SPWR) held its Annual Meeting yesterday, May 29th at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time. All 12 SunPower proposals won with votes of 95% or higher, including: 1. the re-election of our 11 Board members, 2. re-hiring BDO as our auditor, and 3. the approval of the employee stock plan. SPWR chairman and CEO, T.J. Rodgers, said, 'First and foremost, I thank our shareholders again for their great financial support in approving the stockholder plan proposal with a 96% vote. We have already transformed the company with our SPWR asset acquisition, and you just approved the shares – the standard new-hire shares – for about 1,000 SunPower employees that joined us as, in effect, founders, and swelled our ranks by 10x and our revenue by 14.7x. In addition, you also pre-approved the hiring shares for the next acquisition, which we are working on vigorously. And the ITC phase-out in the news today will make our next acquisitions easier. I have also run multiple financial scenarios for SPWR on the impact of the ITC phase-out. I do not see any possible ITC problem for the rest of this year that could cause SunPower's revenue to drop enough to make us unprofitable, let alone have a serious financial issue. The 2026 ITC phase-out is still being debated, but in the worst case, an abrupt ITC shutdown at the end of Q4'25, we would have to suffer a quarterly revenue decline to below our breakeven point of $72M, an unlikely event. I wanted investors to know that now, while I am preparing a deeper presentation on the ITC issue to be presented on Thursday, June 5, 2025.' Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter Published first on TheFly – the ultimate source for real-time, market-moving breaking financial news. Try Now>> See the top stocks recommended by analysts >> Read More on SPWR: Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue Complete Solaria Holds 2025 Annual Stockholders Meeting Charged: Solar stocks under pressure after House passes revised tax bill Morgan Stanley says amendment to OBBB more challenging for renewables Solar stocks plunge after House passes revised tax bill Trump Trade: Trump's revised tax bill clears the House Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Forbes
12 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
6 Reasons Employers Are Unprepared To Support Your Career Goals
Young Asian businesswoman leading getty The rules of career management are being rewritten. You can no longer rely on your employer to place a premium on your professional development and career advancement, not only due to budget cuts but also because of the lack of knowledge employers have about their employees' specific needs. As such, this responsibility now lies directly in the hands of employees themselves. While organizations may offer training, resources, and guidance, the days of one-size-fits-all career development programs are long gone. And that's a good thing. This shift is both a challenge and an opportunity. Understanding why it has occurred and how to leverage the following six alarming realities employers are unprepared to support your career goals will determine whether you thrive or put your future at risk. Even the most well-intentioned employers struggle to design a personal development path perfectly aligned with your ambitions. Why? Because no one knows your inner world as well as you do. Organizations often operate at a macro level, focusing on company-wide industry trends and group goals. While these frameworks serve the greater organization's growth objectives, they cannot address the nuances of your unique strengths, aspirations, and challenges. Employers can't read your mind, nor is it their responsibility, it's yours. Yet, most employees are not willing to boldly share their career goals for fear of derailing the political capital or momentum they have created. To determine your growth path, you as an individual must develop a deep understanding of what you need professionally and personally to thrive. Ask yourself: 'Have I invested enough time understanding my own strengths, weaknesses, and capabilities to chart my path forward?' Before you point fingers at your employer, take a moment to reflect on yourself. Do you know who you are and what you truly want? Many employees chase external validations, such as promotions or salaries, without understanding if these align with their personal values or beliefs. Personal growth begins with introspection. In fact, when I've asked mid-career professionals the question, 'What are you chasing?', some of the most common responses include: happiness, survival, belonging, security, harmony, peace, respect, validation, self-trust, calmness, regaining faith in my abilities, and self-worth. Yet, while they know what they are chasing, they don't know who they are or what they stand for. As a result, they struggle to act confidently toward what they really want because much of what they have achieved has been the result of following a predefined path for years. I've learned that it takes time and immense focus for someone to uncover their unique passions and strengths. This requires an intensive process of unraveling internal and external factors, something an employer is not responsible for, especially when their priority is on financial goals and objectives. Now that employees are consumers with options, one of their most important choices begins with investing in themselves to understand the skills and capabilities they bring to the table. Employers are under immense pressure to drive growth, shareholder value, innovate, navigate volatility, and survive in highly competitive landscapes. Most career development initiatives are designed to address organizational priorities, not individual aspirations. For example, your employer might provide training programs to adapt to new technologies or meet immediate skill gaps. While these programs are valuable, they may not align with the long-term, personalized vision you might have for your career. In fact, as employers invest more in AI as a professional development tool to offset the cost of third-party vendors, employees must be aware of the risks of AI-driven standardization. This could dilute one's unique skills, capacities, and talents if the sole purpose of the tool is to emphasize skills that primarily benefit the organization—not the employee. The management of an employee's career goals is more complex than any organizational blueprint, especially when you consider a company with thousands of employees. It's reflective, adaptive, and deeply personal. To succeed, you must go beyond company resources and create your own plan for growth. When items 1-3 are at play, it's hard to enforce personal accountability for one's career goals. Yet, this is the world we now live in—if your objective is to get ahead of change before circumstances force it upon you. Gone are the days of waiting for your performance evaluation to discuss your career goals. By the time that happens, hundreds of growth opportunities may have already passed you by. Those with thriving careers are the ones who take matters into their own hands. They hold themselves accountable by continuously evaluating: Accountability makes you the owner of your career, especially when the workplace and its demands are evolving faster than ever. An important aspect that oftentimes goes overlooked is one's diligence to budget for personal growth and career goals. Investing in your career is no longer an option, it's a non-negotiable priority. We can no longer assume the degree you earned 10 years ago has a distinct competitive advantage anymore. I've learned time and again that the talent spectrum is getting flatter. It's no longer just about years of experience; it's about whether one has the skills, the will, and new ideas to solve today's challenges and realize growth opportunities for the present and future. Consider creating a dedicated line in your personal budget for career growth. When you make a financial commitment to yourself, it reinforces the idea that your growth is a top priority. It also solidifies that you are finally investing in yourself for the greater good. Owning your career goals doesn't mean navigating them all on your own. To continuously grow and evolve, you need the right people around you. It means using resources wisely and thinking strategically about the growth opportunities you pursue. Surround yourself with mentors, peers, friends, and family members who inspire and challenge you. The people you choose to associate with can either propel you forward or hold you back. Your circle of support should align with your goals and aspirations and share your hunger for growth. Stay close to the leaders and lifters and move away from the loafers and leeches. Growth requires you to assemble the right ecosystem of resources. Don't limit yourself to 2-3 resources you need at least 10-12 to continuously fuel your momentum and keep moving forward. Owning your career goals is neither simple nor fast, but it can be an incredibly rewarding journey if you put your mind to it. Never ask yourself again, 'What is my employer doing to support my career goals?' Instead, ask yourself, 'What am I doing to sustain the career path I desire?'
