The following article was written by Joseph Polanco, President, Printing & Imaging Association of MidAmerica If you were to walk into the production areas of several printers anywhere in North America, you would undoubtedly observe something they all have in common. No, it’s not the equipment. Nor is it the facility design. It’s the average age of their employees. Look at the press operators, the skilled bindery technicians, and yes, even the prepress techs. Odds are you won’t see many under 30, or for that matter under 45. How did this happen—and more importantly—what does this mean for our future? Regardless of what the “tekkies” are saying, digital print is not going to replace all of our offset presses, and inline finishing isn’t going to replace our needs to bind and finish offline. The printing industry has always been a craft industry. One learned through a formal apprenticeship (when there were trade unions) or on‐the‐job training (OJT) under the tutelage of someone more knowledgeable. Many would begin in small job shops operating single-color duplicators/presses or simple bindery equipment and then make job hops for the opportunities to operate more complex equipment and hone the skills necessary to be called a craftsman. The apprenticeship programs, as well as many of the high school and trade programs which fed the industry are long gone. The duplicator press, which was the genesis of their journey as a press operator, is hardly ever found in print shops. The job shop has been replaced with a broad range of print providers—all running digital equipment.   Lingering Effects of the Recession Another complication was that the industry workforce took a dramatic hit in the Great Recession which was exacerbated by the move to digital‐based communications. There was no reason to hire new people, and anyone with substandard skills was let go. We went through nearly five years of limited hiring in the pressroom and bindery. Anyone who had been laid off in 2007 or 2008 quickly determined that their future no longer existed in our industry. The result is that we no longer had the “reserve” labor pool that was always available in prior business cycles. To compound matters, many outside of the industry—and for that matter too many inside the industry—were forecasting the death of everything print. Anyone who understood the craft of print and was employed was not too excited about leaving their present job. Especially in light of a rapidly shrinking industry where closures and consolidations were occurring at historical rates. And young people had no interest in getting into a “dying” industry. That’s how we got here.   A People Problem The major challenge facing the industry over the next 10...

The following article was written by Joseph Polanco, President, Printing & Imaging Association of MidAmerica If you were to walk into the production areas of several printers anywhere in North America, you would undoubtedly observe something they all have in common. No, it’s not the equipment. Nor is it the facility design. It’s the average age of their employees. Look at the press operators, the skilled bindery technicians, and yes, even the prepress techs. Odds are you won’t see many under 30, or for that matter under 45. How did this happen—and more importantly—what does this mean for our future? Regardless of what the “tekkies” are saying, digital print is not going to replace all of our offset presses, and inline finishing isn’t going to replace our needs to bind and finish offline. The printing industry has always been a craft industry. One learned through a formal apprenticeship (when there were trade unions) or on‐the‐job training (OJT) under the tutelage of someone more knowledgeable. Many would begin in small job shops operating single-color duplicators/presses or simple bindery equipment and then make job hops for the opportunities to operate more complex equipment and hone the skills necessary to be called a craftsman. The apprenticeship programs, as well as many of the high school and trade programs which fed the industry are long gone. The duplicator press, which was the genesis of their journey as a press operator, is hardly ever found in print shops. The job shop has been replaced with a broad range of print providers—all running digital equipment.   Lingering Effects of the Recession Another complication was that the industry workforce took a dramatic hit in the Great Recession which was exacerbated by the move to digital‐based communications. There was no reason to hire new people, and anyone with substandard skills was let go. We went through nearly five years of limited hiring in the pressroom and bindery. Anyone who had been laid off in 2007 or 2008 quickly determined that their future no longer existed in our industry. The result is that we no longer had the “reserve” labor pool that was always available in prior business cycles. To compound matters, many outside of the industry—and for that matter too many inside the industry—were forecasting the death of everything print. Anyone who understood the craft of print and was employed was not too excited about leaving their present job. Especially in light of a rapidly shrinking industry where closures and consolidations were occurring at historical rates. And young people had no interest in getting into a “dying” industry. That’s how we got here.   A People Problem The major challenge facing the industry over the next 10...

  The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on June 15, 2015 that an employer maintains the right to have a policy restricting the use of medical marijuana by employees (Coats v. Dish Network). The Court held that the Colorado law that defines “lawful” activities means activities that are lawful under both state and federal laws. State Supreme Courts in California, Montana and Washington have come to similar conclusions. Colorado’s Lawful Activities Statute states that “lawful activities” are protected if off-duty and not on employer premises (bona fide restrictions apply, such as safety sensitive). Under federal law, marijuana use is illegal under the Controlled Substances Act, however the Justice Department decided in 2009 not to prosecute medical marijuana users who are complying under state law.     Arizona, Delaware, and Minnesota have statutes (with exceptions that relate to federal law compliance) that expressly prohibit employers from firing an employee for a positive marijuana drug test if that employee holds a valid marijuana prescription, however these laws have not be tested in the courts by employers. These three states’ statutes have very similar text with regards to employer prohibitions, but Colorado’s text is very different. Today, 24 states have passed laws allowing the use of medical marijuana. Four states (CO, WA, AK, OR) and Washington, D.C. have passed laws permitting “recreational” use. Oregon’s recreational use law, which takes effect in July, allows employers to maintain a drug-free policy and drug test employees and applicants.   Looking for more HR tips? Check out our previous post, Is Your Company’s 401(k) Plan Working the way It Should?  For any HR-related questions  or join the HR listserv (just email HRQuestions( @ ) printing.org). Do you have a superior workplace? Why not market your Best Workplace and increase your recruiting and retaining benefits? Enter the Best Workplace in the Americas program, the only industry HR program of its kind recognizing top employers from small, medium, and large companies. Competition deadline for entries is September 30. For more information see...

  The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on June 15, 2015 that an employer maintains the right to have a policy restricting the use of medical marijuana by employees (Coats v. Dish Network). The Court held that the Colorado law that defines “lawful” activities means activities that are lawful under both state and federal laws. State Supreme Courts in California, Montana and Washington have come to similar conclusions. Colorado’s Lawful Activities Statute states that “lawful activities” are protected if off-duty and not on employer premises (bona fide restrictions apply, such as safety sensitive). Under federal law, marijuana use is illegal under the Controlled Substances Act, however the Justice Department decided in 2009 not to prosecute medical marijuana users who are complying under state law.     Arizona, Delaware, and Minnesota have statutes (with exceptions that relate to federal law compliance) that expressly prohibit employers from firing an employee for a positive marijuana drug test if that employee holds a valid marijuana prescription, however these laws have not be tested in the courts by employers. These three states’ statutes have very similar text with regards to employer prohibitions, but Colorado’s text is very different. Today, 24 states have passed laws allowing the use of medical marijuana. Four states (CO, WA, AK, OR) and Washington, D.C. have passed laws permitting “recreational” use. Oregon’s recreational use law, which takes effect in July, allows employers to maintain a drug-free policy and drug test employees and applicants.   Looking for more HR tips? Check out our previous post, Is Your Company’s 401(k) Plan Working the way It Should?  For any HR-related questions  or join the HR listserv (just email HRQuestions( @ ) printing.org). Do you have a superior workplace? Why not market your Best Workplace and increase your recruiting and retaining benefits? Enter the Best Workplace in the Americas program, the only industry HR program of its kind recognizing top employers from small, medium, and large companies. Competition deadline for entries is September 30. For more information see...

Great employees are out there, but how do you find them? Here Jim Kyger, Assistant Vice President of Human Relations, shares valuable tips from a revealing new HR survey. In May, PIA’s HR Department conducted an ad hoc HR Trends survey on common questions from PIA members.  Recruiting sourcing for various types of positions (production, sales, management/administrative, and IT).  Employee referrals and on-line job banks were deemed by survey participants as the top sources for each category above.  Employee referrals have long been a successful recruiting tool for printers.  The incentive for the referral typically varies from the company to company. I have seen some members offer a higher incentive for hard-to-find positions.  The incentive can vary from a few hundred dollars to even $1,000.  Some firms vary the payout, such as half at time of hire and half six months later.  Where do employees find these referrals?  Friends at previous employers, family members, and friends and neighbors are often cited.  A word of caution however; a company employee referral policy should state that the prospective employee should be someone that your current employee knows.  You don’t want to get into a situation where an employee is recruiting for you and is misrepresenting the company or get the firm into trouble with EEO laws or friendly competitors nearby. On-line job banks were cited as the most effective source of recruiting for management/administrative and IT employees.  Fortunately, there are lots of job banks available.  While cost is a consideration, effectiveness should be your primary concern.  A job bank geared to the printing industry is probably going to be your most effective source.   Most PIA affiliates offer local job banks. Plus, Printing Industries of America offers a national Job Bank for members at a discount. Use this link to access and get the discount.    See Jim when he presents Identifying New and Qualified Employees for a Changing Printing Industry at GRAPH EXPO 15, September 13–16, in...

Great employees are out there, but how do you find them? Here Jim Kyger, Assistant Vice President of Human Relations, shares valuable tips from a revealing new HR survey. In May, PIA’s HR Department conducted an ad hoc HR Trends survey on common questions from PIA members.  Recruiting sourcing for various types of positions (production, sales, management/administrative, and IT).  Employee referrals and on-line job banks were deemed by survey participants as the top sources for each category above.  Employee referrals have long been a successful recruiting tool for printers.  The incentive for the referral typically varies from the company to company. I have seen some members offer a higher incentive for hard-to-find positions.  The incentive can vary from a few hundred dollars to even $1,000.  Some firms vary the payout, such as half at time of hire and half six months later.  Where do employees find these referrals?  Friends at previous employers, family members, and friends and neighbors are often cited.  A word of caution however; a company employee referral policy should state that the prospective employee should be someone that your current employee knows.  You don’t want to get into a situation where an employee is recruiting for you and is misrepresenting the company or get the firm into trouble with EEO laws or friendly competitors nearby. On-line job banks were cited as the most effective source of recruiting for management/administrative and IT employees.  Fortunately, there are lots of job banks available.  While cost is a consideration, effectiveness should be your primary concern.  A job bank geared to the printing industry is probably going to be your most effective source.   Most PIA affiliates offer local job banks. Plus, Printing Industries of America offers a national Job Bank for members at a discount. Use this link to access and get the discount.    See Jim when he presents Identifying New and Qualified Employees for a Changing Printing Industry at GRAPH EXPO 15, September 13–16, in...