Do you consider your business a career employer? When you hire skilled workers, do they stay for long periods of time? Do they talk up your business to prospective clients and other potential employees? The 2016 Best Workplace in the Americas recognizes companies that fit all of those benchmarks. It’s the only graphic communications industry competition of its kind to recognize outstanding workplaces and the companies that develop them. Last year, the full-service integrated communications firm MOSAIC was chosen as a 2015 Best Workplace in the Americas recipient in the medium-sized company category. Sarah Wilson, HR manager of the organization, spoke with us about HR practices in her company, what it means to be a Best Workplace in the Americas winner, and why recognizing employees is so important in the graphic communications industry. PIA: The Best Workplace in the Americas competition judges companies on eight key human relations areas: management practices, work environment, training and development opportunities, financial security, work-life balance, recognition and rewards, health and wellness programs, and workplace health and safety. Which one of these areas do you feel that MOSAIC excels at the most and why? SW: In particular, work environment is the area in which MOSAIC excels. The Best Workplace in the Americas application asks for data on voluntary turnover, involuntary turnover, and layoffs, and we compare that information year-over-year both internally and with industry trends. However, work environment doesn’t always easily compare to a numeric ratio. It compares what companies are doing to ensure the work environment is conducive to the production of a superior product and a place where employees are stimulated to achieve.  To make the work environment and culture more satisfying, MOSAIC holds events throughout the year that are not only employee focused but also concentrate on the community. Some of our employees’ favorite events include: the All-You-Can-Eat Crab Feast, our Holiday Party (where Santa always makes an appearance), and the Spring BBQ where our sales representatives prepare food for an afternoon party to say thanks to everyone in the plant for their efforts. Community facing activities include the following: Toys for Tots, Stop Hunger Now (volunteers package over 20,000 meals during this event), and holding a company-wide “Crock Pot Cook Off” (where the donations are given to a charity of the winner’s choice). Because of all of these great events and more, MOSAIC is consistently better—on average—than the industry in terms of work environment.  PIA: A Best Workplace in the Americas win can do wonders in promoting your business to prospective employees and clients. How do you publicize the Best Workplace in the Americas win at MOSAIC? SW: MOSAIC takes great pride in our string of Best Workplace in the...

Key performance metrics (KPMs) evaluate the success of a business, but can differ between companies based on various factors including the size of the business and geographic location. Below, you can see the sales-per-employee KPM in the graphic communication industry over the last ten years for profit leaders and profit challengers. Profit leaders are printers in the top 25 percent of profitability while profit challengers are those in the bottom 75 percent of profitability. In this timeframe, the average profit leader in our industry saw around $15,000 more in sales per employee than the average profit challenger. How can you align your company to have sales-per-employee numbers that line up more closely with profit leading printers? First, you need to know where you stand. The new Printing Industries of America Dynamic Ratios will provide easy-to-understand graphics that show your current position in the market and where your company can grow. By completing the Dynamic Ratios survey, you will receive one free report of the Dynamic Ratios findings as well as free access to the online tool. For more information on how to participate, visit...

Key performance metrics (KPMs) evaluate the success of a business, but can differ between companies based on various factors including the size of the business and geographic location. Below, you can see the sales-per-employee KPM in the graphic communication industry over the last ten years for profit leaders and profit challengers. Profit leaders are printers in the top 25 percent of profitability while profit challengers are those in the bottom 75 percent of profitability. In this timeframe, the average profit leader in our industry saw around $15,000 more in sales per employee than the average profit challenger. How can you align your company to have sales-per-employee numbers that line up more closely with profit leading printers? First, you need to know where you stand. The new Printing Industries of America Dynamic Ratios will provide easy-to-understand graphics that show your current position in the market and where your company can grow. By completing the Dynamic Ratios survey, you will receive one free report of the Dynamic Ratios findings as well as free access to the online tool. For more information on how to participate, visit...

By: Gary Jones, Assistant VP EHS Affairs, Printing Industries of America; Kaitlin Mackey, EHS Associate, Printing Industries of America; Matthew Crownover, EHS Associate, Printing Industries of America On July 1, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released its interim final rule, increasing the civil penalties for violations of its standards. The increase was required due to the passage of the two-year bipartisan budget President Obama signed on November 2, 2015. This is the first time in 25 years that OSHA has increased its penalties. Since 1990, OSHA has been one of only three federal agencies that were specifically exempt from a law that required federal agencies to raise their fines to keep pace with inflation. The bill allows OSHA to have a one-time adjustment this year to catch up from the last time the agency’s civil penalties were modified. In addition, the law allows the penalties to be increased each year.  OSHA’s New Penalties The required initial penalty “catch-up adjustment” was tied to the percentage difference between the October 2015 Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the October 1990 CPI. This inflation adjustment factor for this period worked out to be 78.16 percent. The new penalties will become effective on August 1, 2016, and the maximum penalties for workplace safety violations issued by OSHA will be as follows: Violation Type Existing Penalty New Penalty Other-Than-Serious $7,000 $12,471 Serious $7,000 $12,471 Failure-to-Abate $7,000 $12,471 Willful $70,000 $124,709 Repeat $70,000 $124,709 Violation of a posting requirement $7,000 $12,471 Violation of a reporting requirement $7,000 $12,471 Due to the new law, the rounding down to the nearest $1,000 has been eliminated. The new law eliminated the rounding rules so penalties are now rounded to the nearest dollar. New Penalties and Existing Inspections The interim final rule mentions how OSHA is going to apply the new penalty structure to inspections that began before August 1, 2016. The rule states that the adjustment will apply to any penalty assessed after August 1, 2016, “including those whose associated violation predated such increase.” The adjusted penalties apply to any citations issued after August 1, 2016 whose associated violations occurred after November 2, 2016. This means that any inspection that has not been closed on or before July 30, 2016 may be subject to the higher penalty amounts. OSHA could wait to issue a citation until after August 1, 2016 so they can use the new higher penalties. It is not clear if OSHA will intentionally delay issuing a citation. It remains to be seen how OSHA is going to address the penalties for these inspections. States With OSHA Approved Programs According to the rule, states that operate their own Occupational Safety and Health Plans must also...

By: Gary Jones, Assistant VP EHS Affairs, Printing Industries of America; Kaitlin Mackey, EHS Associate, Printing Industries of America; Matthew Crownover, EHS Associate, Printing Industries of America On July 1, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released its interim final rule, increasing the civil penalties for violations of its standards. The increase was required due to the passage of the two-year bipartisan budget President Obama signed on November 2, 2015. This is the first time in 25 years that OSHA has increased its penalties. Since 1990, OSHA has been one of only three federal agencies that were specifically exempt from a law that required federal agencies to raise their fines to keep pace with inflation. The bill allows OSHA to have a one-time adjustment this year to catch up from the last time the agency’s civil penalties were modified. In addition, the law allows the penalties to be increased each year.  OSHA’s New Penalties The required initial penalty “catch-up adjustment” was tied to the percentage difference between the October 2015 Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the October 1990 CPI. This inflation adjustment factor for this period worked out to be 78.16 percent. The new penalties will become effective on August 1, 2016, and the maximum penalties for workplace safety violations issued by OSHA will be as follows: Violation Type Existing Penalty New Penalty Other-Than-Serious $7,000 $12,471 Serious $7,000 $12,471 Failure-to-Abate $7,000 $12,471 Willful $70,000 $124,709 Repeat $70,000 $124,709 Violation of a posting requirement $7,000 $12,471 Violation of a reporting requirement $7,000 $12,471 Due to the new law, the rounding down to the nearest $1,000 has been eliminated. The new law eliminated the rounding rules so penalties are now rounded to the nearest dollar. New Penalties and Existing Inspections The interim final rule mentions how OSHA is going to apply the new penalty structure to inspections that began before August 1, 2016. The rule states that the adjustment will apply to any penalty assessed after August 1, 2016, “including those whose associated violation predated such increase.” The adjusted penalties apply to any citations issued after August 1, 2016 whose associated violations occurred after November 2, 2016. This means that any inspection that has not been closed on or before July 30, 2016 may be subject to the higher penalty amounts. OSHA could wait to issue a citation until after August 1, 2016 so they can use the new higher penalties. It is not clear if OSHA will intentionally delay issuing a citation. It remains to be seen how OSHA is going to address the penalties for these inspections. States With OSHA Approved Programs According to the rule, states that operate their own Occupational Safety and Health Plans must also...

In April, Printing Industries of America alerted you to a major scam involving a fraudulent direct marketing agency operating out of Montreal and Toronto. Federal authorities believe the targets in this case have been operating under the following names: Direct Market, DMW Direct, API Global Fulfillment, DMG Group Corporation, Global Media, Slim-Tab, and LipoCitrex. The scam artist purports to represent clients marketing weight loss products such as Axera International, BeSlim, and Nutrim. The scam is simple but effective and has claimed a number of victims. The marketing agency contacts printers via their website with a potential windfall job to produce millions of marketing pieces. The marketing agency literally banks on printers offering a line of credit based on initial feedback from credit references, which are similarly fraudulent. When printers ask for a check to cover postage, it is promptly sent via UPS. The check looks completely official, including a hologram, and printers deposit it thinking all is well, not realizing that any check drawn on a foreign bank account will take 2–3 weeks to validate and collect funds. This is the scam—some companies will drop the printed pieces and mail them before the check clears leaving the printer to cover the postage and printing costs. Sadly, a significant number of PIA members are now out tens of thousands of dollars because of this scam. The United States Postal Service (USPS) and law enforcement officials on both sides of the border are investigating the matter, and in fact progress has been made. USPS officials now want to hear specifics from those who have been injured by this scam. If your company has fallen victim or you were approached by any of the aforementioned entities, PLEASE CONTACT POSTAL INSPECTOR MATT SCHMITZ at 920-869-3719 or via email at...