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It's Easy Being Green
Photo courtesy: pdphoto.org
Paper and Plastic Alternatives in
Workplace KitchensEvery year, Americans throw out enough paper and plastic cups, forks and spoons to circle the equator 300 times! Here are some ideas for reducing this type of waste in workplace kitchens:
- Bring your own coffee mug from home. This can make a huge difference since most office workers throw out about 500 disposable cups a year.
- And beyond the coffee mug ... instead of using disposable plates, cups and plasticware, opt for reusable alternatives (i.e., real plates, cups, utensils) to help minimize the amount of waste created.
- Work together as a team. Donate reusable plates, cups and silverware for office kitchen use and consider asking fellow staff members to do the same.
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Employee Spotlight:
Gregorio Contreras
By Susan Minichiello
Gregorio Contreras is a veteran of the cleaning industry with 15 years of experience in the field. He has worked as a cleaner at The Exchange in Farmington, Connecticut for 10 years. Prior to serving at this location, Gregorio worked for two other cleaning companies. He first came to the US in 1993 from Peru and worked in a restaurant for about a year before joining the cleaning and maintenance trade.
"Gregorio is a very dependable and hard working employee. He is always at work and on time," says PMI Operations Manager Sandino Cifuentes. "I cannot remember getting complaints from any of the suites Gregorio is assigned to clean as he takes ownership of and a lot of pride in the areas he cleans each and every day."
Gregorio says that PMI is a good company for which to work. He enjoys everything about his job, especially the personal interactions in which he engages. He has very friendly relationships with the clients at The Exchange and with his fellow employees and supervisors at PMI.
In addition to being gracious, reliable and consistent in his work, Gregorio is a man of sound integrity. A couple of months ago, while performing his cleaning duties, Gregorio found some money on the floor near a desk. Without calling attention to himself or the situation, he simply placed the cash on the desk. The next morning the building occupant was surprised and thrilled to find the money waiting for him. That same day, this individual sent a letter to the building manager praising Gregorio for his honesty and hard work. He said, "I can't say enough about the gentleman who is responsible for the cleaning of my offices. I've had this opinion of him for years. However, this recent incident impressed me so much I wanted to share it with you."
Gregorio lives in Hartford with his 30-year-old son. He has a 26-year-old son who also lives in Hartford and a 32-year-old daughter who lives in Indiana.
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SAVE THE DATES
September 3:
2nd Annual Bluefish Fishing Tournament and Summer Social
12:00 p.m. Boats depart
4:00 p.m. Boats return &
Clambake/
Summer Social
begins
Stamford Harbor Park
333 Ludlow Street
Stamford, CT
Join your colleagues on the open seas as Southern CT BOMA hosts its 2nd Annual Bluefish Fishing Tournament and Summer Social. This event is on a first-come, first served basis. We have a limited number of boats available. The cost to sponsor a boat is $850.00, which covers: fishing for four people (equipment included), snacks/beverages and clam bake following the tournament. Trophies will be presented to the largest individual catch and the highest combined weight per boat. Each boat is responsible for providing their own lunch as well as shirts or hats to show their team colors. If you'd like to attend the Clambake/ Summer Social only at 4:00 p.m., the cost is $45 for Members, $65 for Non-Members.
For more information and to register, contact Sharon Moran at 860-243-3977 or smoran@ssmgt.com.
October 1:
2009 TOBY Awards Dinner
5:30 p.m. Cocktails
6:30 p.m. Dinner/Awards
The Inn at Longshore
260 Compo South Road
Westport, CT
For more information:
www.soctboma.org
IFMA Hudson Valley, NY Events
July 17:
Impromptu Summer Social--Hudson Valley Renegades versus the Batavia Muckdogs
7:00 p.m.
Dutchess Stadium
1500 Route 9D
Wappingers Falls, NY
Directions
$5 per person General Admission
$5 per car for parking
Come watch the minor league 'Gades play baseball against the mighty 'Dogs. It's early in the season, and what better way to spend a Thursday night than watching classic baseball, having a hotdog, watching kids run the bases and catching T-Shirts from air cannons? Plus, as an additional bonus, it's Hat Night. Everyone gets a Renegades cap. You can read all about the Renegades at http://hvrenegades.com.
Let us know you are planning on attending, and we'll plan a spot to meet up.
RSVP to David Eppinger at david@meadowsoffice.com.
SAVE THE DATES
September 16:
Howard Greenberg of Howard Properties in White Plains will make a presentation on The Current State of the Commercial Real Estate Market in Westchester County and Its Prospects for the Future.
October 21:
A presentation by AP Construction followed by a site tour of the Darien Library.
For more information on all IFMA-Hudson Valley events,
please visit the online calendar.
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Dear ,
Welcome to our summer newsletter. In this issue we emphasize topics related to a healthy workplace.
I was recently surprised to read there have been 824 cases of H1N1 flu in Connecticut so far. I understood the pandemic nature of the disease but the numbers staggered me. Part of the newspaper article I read mentioned that this illness could recur in the fall/winter, so we felt some information about what you can do to make sure employees are protected at work would be helpful.
We also are always looking for the impact that environmentally sound processes and products have on buildings and included some information about green cleaning and the EPA.
I hope you find this issue helpful, and encourage you to reach out to me, or any of us at Premier, with any questions or concerns.
 Michael Diamond
President
Premier Maintenance, Inc. |
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Green Cleaning -- Fad No More: Impacting EPA Policy
By Susan Minichiello
 The green cleaning movement continues to sweep the nation. Green is no longer viewed as a fad, but is fast becoming the industry standard. One example of this is the number of state legislatures that are focusing on the issue: 17 states have already enacted some type of green cleaning procurement policy and, in the first quarter of 2009, bills have been introduced in 13 additional states that would mandate the procurement and use of environmentally preferable cleaning products and services. Connecticut just passed such legislation. Even in the down economy, green is the way to go as environmentally friendly cleaning products and services are increasingly being tied to saving money.
ISSA and The Ashkin Group, an internationally recognized consulting firm working to green the cleaning industry, assert that the professional cleaning industry has broadly accepted the use of green cleaning products and that facility service providers want to be able to identify and use environmentally preferable disinfectants and sanitizers. Currently, without green certification of disinfectants and sanitizers, industry professionals with a goal of creating or maintaining environmentally friendly facilities are left asking how they can stay green while requiring a need for disinfection.
 At the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Pesticide Policy Dialogue Committee (PPDC) meeting on April 22 and 23, officials announced they will recommend a major policy change that would allow companies to make valid green, or environmental preferability, claims in marketing disinfectants and sanitizers. This recommendation would mark a substantial deviation from the agency's policy prohibiting green claims from being made on any EPA-registered products. (Disinfectant cleaners distributed or sold in the US must be registered with the EPA since they are regulated as pesticides because of their germ-killing properties.)
CleanLink, an information resource for building service contractors and cleaning professionals, reports that Marty Monell of the EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) further indicated she will recommend the establishment of a policy allowing the use of eco-labels on hard-surface, non-porous antimicrobial products.
The recommendations are based on the labors of the PPDC Work Group on Comparative Claims and follow a recent internal pilot conducted by the EPA and its Design for the Environment Formulator Program (DfE). The pilot generated a better understanding among DfE scientists and the pesticide registration review staff of what is involved in a review of environmental preferability and how such a review could be integrated into the disinfectant registration process.
"This latest development by the EPA is another indication of the growing maturity of green cleaning, and the increasing availability of environmentally preferable products that also meet the most stringent performance and health and safety requirements," said ISSA Director of Legislative Affairs Bill Balek, who sits on the Work Group on Comparative Claims.
The EPA recommendations and the continued efforts of the Work Group could have considerable impact on the cleaning and maintenance industry. If the green-claim policy changes go through, they could partly resolve some issues of "greenwashing" -- false or exaggerated claims about a product's environmental benefits -- that have plagued the industry. The current lack of regulation of green claims has created confusion and left industry professionals lost in the smoke and mirrors of unsubstantiated marketing campaigns. Setting a registration and validation process for environmental preferability claims on disinfectants and sanitizers would give industry decision makers reliable, accurate, fact-based information. Further, it could give rise to new products that are more effective, safe and sustainable. With infectious outbreaks like H1N1 flu on the rise, disinfectant use has spiked dramatically and we will all benefit from credible greener product choices.
"We are very proud of the efforts we have already put forth to make our firm environmentally sound. All of the standard processes have been implemented for quite some time now," said PMI President Michael Diamond, CBSE. "More recently, our focus has been on finding new technology to reduce our carbon footprint as well as ways to reduce water and energy usage for our clients."
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Maintaining a Healthy Workplace
By Susan Minichiello
Spring has passed, summer is here and winter seems but a distant memory. With the change in seasons comes the time to make the switch from heating to air conditioning. But what about all those germs from cold and flu season, not to mention from the continuing spread of the H1N1 flu virus? Are they circulating throughout your building?
A clean workplace is a healthy workplace, and a healthy workplace can lead to reduced: sick time, accidents, healthcare costs and job turnover, as well as increased productivity and morale. PMI wants to do all it can to help its clients maintain a healthy environment and reap all of the benefits it can provide. To this end, you may want to consider taking the following actions and enlisting PMI's help:
 - Replacing the filters in mechanical and air systems
- Vacuuming out air ducts
- Cleaning carpets
- Washing windows
 Cleaning window treatments (e.g., shades, blinds, curtains)- Cleaning kitchen/break room items (e.g., refrigerators, microwaves, toaster ovens)
PMI happily offers a variety of green cleaning products and services, all of which further contribute to a healthy workplace. Taking advantage of non-toxic, green cleaning products -- such as green carpet cleaners -- will help keep your building and its occupants safe.
"The attention the avian flu, and now the H1N1 virus, have received has re-dedicated PMI to sharpen its protocol and emergency plans to combat illness overall," said PMI President Michael Diamond, CBSE. "We have internal policies to keep our employees healthy and safe and want to work closely with all of our clients to fit similar policies into their programs."
PMI encourages you to reach out to your building supervisor to find out how we can help you maintain a healthy and safe work environment through seasonal cleaning and maintenance tasks as well as green cleaning.
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Protect Yourself During Job Changes for You or Your Staff
By Glenn A. Duhl, Esq.
 Job turnover seems to proliferate during tough economic times. Whether you are leaving a company for greener pastures or dusting off your resume after a layoff, it is important not to disclose any trade secrets or other confidential information from your previous position, whether during the interview or when you arrive at your new workplace. What constitutes confidential information will vary depending on your industry. Such information may include marketing plans and strategies, formulas, sales figures, internal reports, customer lists, vendor and supplier pricing, confidential information belonging to clients, and other information that is not publicly accessible. If you are having trouble identifying what kind of information should be treated as confidential, consider whether your current/former employer has placed you in a position of trust by sharing that information with you to further the company's interests and keep the business competitive.
Did you sign an agreement not to disclose your former employer's proprietary information? If so, you are risking possible legal action if you use this information in your new position and your old employer finds out about it, especially if your disclosure results in giving your new employer an unfair competitive advantage. If you are asked to reveal confidential information during an interview, think twice before assuming that this is your chance to impress your potential new boss by divulging trade secrets. The question could be a way of testing your trustworthiness and loyalty. Instead of spilling the upcoming marketing plan, state that you are obligated to keep such information confidential and that you are sure the interviewer's business would expect the same discretion from its employees.
 If you are an employee in a specialized trade who has gained considerable experience in your field, you may have been asked to sign a restrictive covenant such as a noncompetition agreement in your workplace at the start of your employment, during the employment or upon the termination either as part of an employment contract or as a separate document. This is an agreement with your employer that temporarily restricts when, where, with whom and for how long you may be sitting out on the sidelines from the business in which you were formerly engaged so as to provide your former employer time to reaffirm its business relationships without unfair competition.
Likewise, employers can take measures to protect their interests when hiring an individual known to have worked for a competitor. Remember that it is just as important for a business to protect itself against the potential legal consequences of using a competitor's trade secrets as it is to safeguard its own confidential information. When hiring an employee away from a competitor, consider using an engagement letter that outlines the following points to the new employee:
- The company is hiring you for your skill and experience in the industry and not to gain any unfair advantage over your former employer. The company does not seek or want your former employer's trade secrets or other confidential, proprietary information that you may have acquired in your previous position.
- In your new job, you shall not utilize any of your former employer's trade secrets or other proprietary confidential business information. Therefore, you shall not bring to your new workplace any property that belongs to your former employer.
- This offer of employment is based on your representation that you and your former employer have not agreed to any non-compete covenants or other restrictions on your ability to work in this industry post-separation.
Before hiring the new employee, ensure that your own confidentiality policy is thorough, clear and published by an employee handbook or other means that firmly communicates the confidentiality obligations. You may also require employees to sign an agreement promising to adhere to the policy during employment and for a period of time after employment ceases. The employee should sign and return a form stating that the employee has read the policy, understands it and agrees to be bound by it. You should also state in the policy and acknowledgement form that you, as the employer, have the sole discretion to amend, delete or add to your policy concerning proprietary information.
Glenn A. Duhl is a management employment and litigation lawyer at Siegel, O'Connor, O'Donnell & Beck, P.C., (860) 280-1215, gduhl@siegeloconnor.com. He represents management in preventive employment law and litigation of all employment matters. Please visit www.siegeloconnor.com.
The
information contained in this article is general in nature and offered
for informational purposes only. It is not offered and should not be
construed as legal advice.
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Thank you for taking the time to read Solutions.
We'd like to know what you think. If you have suggestions for future newsletters or comments about this issue, you can contact me directly.
Best Regards,
Matt Ellis
Publisher
matt@ellisstrategies.com
877-278-6560
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