Employee Spotlight:
Melvin E. Carr, Jr.
By Susan Minichiello
Since November 2007, when he first joined PMI, Melvin E.
Carr, Jr. has served as Building Supervisor for New Stream Capital at 38 Grove
Street in Ridgefield, Connecticut. From day one, Melvin has garnered attention
and praise for his positive attitude and consistently high-quality work. This
is Melvin's first job in the cleaning and maintenance industry, and he loves
it.
Working both a morning and an evening shift at New Stream,
Melvin is in charge of the cleaning and maintenance for the building. In
addition to doing daily cleaning tasks like vacuuming, dusting and trash
removal, he coordinates jobs with outside vendors such as electricians,
plumbers and HVAC workers. Being extremely handy himself, however, Melvin
readily tackles fix-it jobs on his own without having to call in outside help.
"I like taking on new challenges and figuring things out on
my own," says Melvin. "No job is too hard, and I feel good about being able to
handle a lot of the work myself."
Beyond enjoying the work, Melvin has a real appreciation for
the client's employees. "It's great to see everyone come to work with a smile.
No one seems to bring their problems to work, which is good, because neither do
I," he says. "The people here are very nice. Whenever they need help, I'm happy
to take care of them and do even more than I'm asked. It's like a second home,
a second family."
According to Richard Perry, PMI District Manager for the
Southern Region, Melvin is an exemplary employee. In the monthly job status
reports from New Stream, Melvin has scored the highest possible rating ever
since he started on the job, and the customer always comments on how well he is
doing.
"I think the world of Melvin," says Richard. "He has a great
disposition and does whatever I ask of him, always going above and beyond for
the client. He is everything you could want in an employee and is definitely up
with the best of them."
About PMI as a company, Melvin has only good things to say.
He says that the people are the most important thing, because you have to be
able to communicate effectively, and that the people at PMI make it very easy.
He has a good relationship with Richard and says he's able to rely on Richard
to help with whatever he might need to keep the customer happy. "I just love my
job and thank God that I have a job," Melvin says. "Wellington Morton, who's
known as 'Joey,' is a PMI Supervisor and he's the one who recommended me for
the job. Whenever I see him, it's like a shining star. I can't thank him enough
for giving me a chance."
Melvin is single and lives in Danbury, Connecticut with his
father.
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Lanartco Performance Tip of
the Month
Have you heard that insecurity can manifest itself in our communication?
If you haven't, that's okay, because Lanartco has.
Insecurity comes in many shades. It can be directly or
indirectly associated with the subject matter, too. Pay attention to the speed
of your speech--is it changing while you speak or is it different from your
normal pace? Listen to your voice--is there any restriction to the sound or is
the volume itself lower? Take notice of your posture and eye contact--are you
slouching or avoiding looking into someone's eyes? All of the examples
mentioned are just ways in which your insecurity may be peeking its head in
important conversations.
For more on this subject, visit Jill Diamond's
blog post, Transforming Insecurity: Communication Skills Tip,
and add your comments or questions.
 Jill Diamond is a
communication coach and the Founder/ President of Lanartco, Inc. Read more about
Jill here.
 Lanartco is a
learning and development boutique that provides communication performance
skills solutions. To learn more about how you can enhance your  presentation
style, your vocal presence or your communication effectiveness, visit us at www.lanartco.com or contact our Vice
President, Malena Florin, at (212) 206-3900 or mflorin@lanartco.com. Lanartco is happy
to help you put your best self forward!
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It's Easy Being Green
Photo courtesy of pdphoto.org
Paper and plastic waste make up 35% and 11% (respectively)
of solid waste in the U.S. every year.
Make your Thanksgiving (and everyday)
table eco-friendly. Choose cloth napkins and tablecloths. After the meal, use
reusable containers for the leftovers.
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December 3:
Annual Holiday Social
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
General Electric Guest House
3135 Easton Turnpike
Fairfield, CT
Members $60
Non-Members $85
Event sponsored by Tri-State High Rise Services
Please bring an unwrapped toy for the G.E. Christmas Tree
Please RSVP by
November 25.
Contact Sharon Moran at 860-243-3977 to register.
www.soctboma.org
BOMA Greater Hartford Events
December 10:
Annual Holiday Social & 2009 Honoree Awards
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Room 960
960 Main Street
Hartford, CT
Members & Spouses $35
Non-Members & Guests $60
Cocktail hour sponsored by PMI
Please bring a toy for the "Toys for Tots" campaign.
Please RSVP by
December 3 via the registration form here. Access the form
by clicking on "Click Here for Details" under the event listing.
www.bomahartford.org
IFMA Hudson Valley, NY Events
December 16:
Holiday Party
This will be an evening event. Details TBA.
SAVE THE DATES
January 20, 2010:
New Member breakfast and roundtable
February 17, 2010:
Dinner meeting and presentation from City Recycling on
recycling in the workplace
For more information on IFMA-Hudson Valley events, please visit the online calendar.
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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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Dear ,
It's hard to believe the
holiday season is upon us once again. It seems like only yesterday I was
excited to report about new ideas PMI had in store for 2009, but also the
caution I held for the challenges that lay ahead. Reflecting on the past year,
regardless of the obstacles from the tumultuous economy and the "on-again/off-again"
H1N1 flu virus, PMI has been fortunate enough to make strides to achieve the goals
we set forth. We have grown through this economy, strengthened our operation
with more processes and proudly worked with our employee base to help them in
this recession.
With that being said, it is
now time for us to focus on 2010. We are constantly expanding our
environmentally-friendly or green product list, looking for alternatives to
benefit our clients in an effort to help reduce costs, improving our
communication and advancing our technology.
I wanted to take this
opportunity to thank each and every one of you for working with us. We
appreciate all of our clients, employees, vendors and friends. Happy Holidays
and enjoy the season!
 Michael Diamond, CBSE
President
Premier Maintenance, Inc. |
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Purleve Is Getting a Handle
on Disease Control
By Matt Ellis
 As people take more
precautions against contagious diseases--particularly the H1N1 flu--one company
is at the forefront of a solution for preventing the spread of germs through
door handles.
Purleve, a division of
Wisconsin-based Xela Innovations, LLC, is the creator of the Hygienic Door
Handle system with its proprietary Automatic Sleeve Dispenser (ASD) technology.
Every time you grab the door handle, your hand touches a clean, never-been-touched
plastic sleeve that contains an antimicrobial agent. The sleeves, which are
100% recyclable, prevent cross contamination from prior door users and promote
better health and hygiene.
"In the United States there
are over 4 million public washrooms that employ various no touch systems to
minimize cross contamination; however, few of these offer any solution for
disease infested door handles, which are ironically the only fixtures that all
are forced to touch," according to Todd Muderlak, president of Purleve. "People
typically use paper towels--if they're available--to protect their clean hands
from the door handles but that can be costly, create a mess on the floor and is
not in line with the environmentally conscious washroom."
According to Purleve, only
one in three people who uses a public washroom washes his or her hands and, of
those, 80% don't wash long enough to actually kill the germs. Muderlak says
Purleve created the Hygienic Door Handle system based on the global requests of
their existing clients who were asking for an effective and affordable
solution.
The first model was
introduced in July 2009, after the World Health Organization elevated the
pandemic threat level of H1N1 influenza to five on a six-step scale. Muderlak
says the flu scare has prompted more building owners and managers to purchase
their system.
"There is a real concern for
infection control and washroom cleanliness right now. We are installing many of
our units in VA hospitals, medical buildings, colleges, restaurants and government
buildings," said Muderlak. "We are also addressing global needs in similar
venues because other countries face similar pandemics."
"Many building owners and
managers have been cutting costs as a result of the recession," said United
Services President Paul Senecal. "But there are a lot of facility managers who
believe a product like this one is worth the additional expense because it
creates a better environment for employees and guests."
According to Muderlak, the
base price for the Hygienic Door Handle is $199 plus the cost of replacing the
sleeves. (Each sleeve refill contains more than 2,500 uses.) Auto flush and
Auto Faucet systems can cost upwards of $400 apiece, making the door handle an
affordable option.
"It's a superbly engineered
and reliable piece of hardware that finally solves the problem of the dirty
door handle," said Muderlak who believes the demand will grow, especially as
the economy improves and infection control becomes a focus on public washrooms.
Photo courtesy of Purleve
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PMI Plays Role in New
World-Class Cancer Hospital
By Susan Minichiello
 In late August 2009 after a competitive bidding process,
Turner Construction Company--one of the largest construction companies in the
world--awarded PMI the contract to provide construction cleaning services at
the prestigious new Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, augmenting the
companies' longstanding successful partnership.
"Turner has developed an
excellent relationship with PMI based on several previous projects. They have
always performed in a professional manner, doing whatever was necessary to
satisfy not only us, but more importantly our respective clients," says Turner
Senior Project Manager Dwight C. Rowland. "Much care was
given as to the specific list of subcontractors who were invited to participate
and bid on the illustrious Smilow Cancer Hospital project. We were happy to
award the contract to PMI and consider ourselves fortunate to have retained
their services."
"We at PMI are humbled to
once again be working in partnership with such a respected company as Turner
and on such an impressive and prestigious facility as the Smilow Cancer
Hospital at Yale University," says PMI
Vice President of Sales Tim Whitlock. "Knowing that we are contributing to a
facility that will ultimately be a source of help and hope to people suffering
with cancer makes all of us very proud."
The new Smilow Cancer
Hospital at Yale-New Haven Hospital (YNHH) is being touted as the most comprehensive
cancer care facility in the Northeast, consolidating all of YNHH's and Yale
School of Medicine's oncology services into a single facility designed
with input from actual cancer patients. Bringing all services under one roof
enables one-stop treatment and care. (Previously, cancer care was spread among
six locations on the medical campus.) Affiliated with Yale Cancer Center--southern New
England's only comprehensive cancer center designated by the National Cancer
Institute and one of only 40 in the country--Smilow stands 14 stories high,
comprises 500,000-square feet and cost $467 million.
Three years after the official ground-breaking in September
2006, Smilow was formally dedicated on October 21, 2009 and took in its first
patients in the radiation oncology center on October 26. Other services will
come online over the course of the next five months. When fully open in 2010,
the facility will feature 168 inpatient beds, outpatient treatment rooms, 12
state-of-the-art operating rooms, infusion suites, diagnostic imaging services,
a specialized women's cancer center, and a floor each for diagnostic and
therapeutic radiology services for children and adults, as well as a roof-top
healing garden, an outdoor garden and a boutique.
According to Whitlock and PMI Director of Special Services
Carlos Loyola, PMI has had crews on site every day, and sometimes at night,
providing ongoing construction cleanup services since mid-September. Typically, the PMI crew at Smilow consists of four
individuals working under Supervisor Rafael Galicia. If there is more work to
be done, however, Loyola says that PMI adapts by adding a second shift with up
to another 12 workers. Loyola is also responsible for daily visits to Smilow to
check in with Turner personnel to ensure the cleaning is up to snuff and on
schedule.
"Considering our history with
Turner and our desire to continue that relationship, it's so important for us
to make sure that we are working to their satisfaction on this project," says
Loyola. "So far, we've been doing really well with the timing of the cleanup
and floor turnover, and Turner is very pleased."
 Turner is taking a floor-by-floor approach, "clearing"
floors for cleaning as they are completed in terms of construction. As of
November 12, floors one through three and the lower level were officially up
and running. Around Thanksgiving, PMI expects to complete its work on floors
four through eight. The entire project should take about 14 weeks.
The cleanup includes interior and exterior work. Inside the
building, PMI cleans each "cleared" floor from top to bottom two to three
times, including such tasks as vacuuming, dusting and wall-washing. Externally,
PMI staff are responsible for washing both the building facade and windows.
This work is a large component of the overall project, as the facade is made of
a new terra cotta-like material developed specifically for this facility and
the window designs are unique and very detailed, jutting out considerably from
the building core.
With the facility set to meet the U.S. Green Building
Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification,
PMI is employing a range of green cleaning products
such as backpack HEPA vacuum cleaners, microfiber mops and dusters, and
bucketless mops as well as green cleaning solutions. As Turner is also leader
in safety, the company requires that PMI have Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA)-trained personnel on site. In compliance, PMI has one
OSHA-30 staff member on the project with the rest being OSHA-10 certified.
"We are happy to comply with
Turner's green practices and enhanced safety requirements on the Smilow project
since they mesh so well with our own ideology," says PMI President and CEO
Michael Diamond, CBSE. "Plus projects like this help to push such practices to
the forefront of the industry, which is right where we want them."
"While at Smilow, PMI has
lived up to their reputation and responded without hesitation with
appropriately-sized and trained crews, and has employed the green cleaning
equipment and solutions required," Rowland says. "They continue to service not
only Turner, but also a very important client in Yale-New Haven Hospital, and
we are grateful that PMI is a member of this project team."
Photos courtesy of Yale Daily News and Yale Cancer Center
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Bad Timing: Hand Sanitizers in Short Supply
By Susan Minichiello
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the incidence of flu is on the rise throughout the country "with most states reporting widespread influenza activity." Both the seasonal flu and H1N1 flu are in play, although the CDC says most of the cases right now are H1N1. When you combine the elevated flu rates with the shortage of vaccines, it's no wonder that such over-the-counter preventive products as alcohol-based hand sanitizers are flying off the shelves, and that makers of the products are struggling to keep pace with the demand.
Market research firm Panjiva recently estimated that shipments of hand sanitizers have tripled in the third quarter of 2009 over shipments in the same quarter last year, citing fears of the spread of H1N1 as the presumable cause. And demand is expected to continue to skyrocket due to predictions for an especially severe flu season.
 Consequently, the makers and distributors of Purell, the most popular brand of the germ-fighting gels, are escalating production and are appealing to consumers, retailers and other purchasers not to stockpile the product. Johnson & Johnson produces Purell for the retail market, while GOJO Industries manufactures the product for professional markets, such as hospitals and schools.
"Due to the influenza A (H1N1) virus outbreak this past spring and resurgence this fall, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies Inc. has experienced heavy demand on supplies of Purell," said spokesman Marc Boston in a statement. While Boston acknowledged that the company is doing all it can to increase production through early 2010, there still may be shortages. "Because of this increase in demand, consumers may currently find limited supplies of Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer at certain retailers."
GOJO described the increased demand as "unprecedented" and said its plants are running "24/7." The company is also hiring more workers to boost production and installing additional manufacturing equipment. "Even with increased manufacturing capacity, there is a limit to how much we can produce in a short period of time," GOJO's Chief Operating Officer Mark Lerner said in a prepared statement. Still, GOJO expects the shortage to be short-lived and warns against product hoarding. "There is absolutely no need to stockpile product," Lerner said. "In fact, stockpiling could cause an actual shortage which, in turn, could threaten public health."
The moral of the story is there's no need to panic, no call for storming your local supermarket or drugstore. Remember that the CDC maintains that washing your hands for 15 to 30 seconds is a top prevention tactic and advises the use alcohol-based hand sanitizer only if soap and water are not available. In addition, the CDC recommends the following everyday preventive actions:
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash immediately after you use it. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or upper sleeve, not into your hands.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
- While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
- Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other measures to lessen the spread of flu.
Photo courtesy of Purell/Johnson & Johnson
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Avoiding Liability for Use of Business Equipment
By Glenn A. Duhl, Esq.
 An employee's personal use
of business equipment is not only unproductive, but also could prove to be
quite costly. Employers are seeing increased costs in monthly business expenses--primarily
for desktop computers, laptop computers and PDAs--due to their employees' use
of such equipment for personal reasons. Every employer should have a policy
stating that its business equipment is to be used for business purposes only.
Employers should disclose
that business equipment is owned by the company and that personal use of such
equipment is prohibited. Employees should be made aware that any use may be
monitored and, most certainly, that they should have no expectation of privacy
in using the equipment. Employers have the right to monitor Internet activity,
E-mails and phones/voicemails, and may even use GPS systems and surveillance
cameras in certain situations. Employers have every incentive to make sure that
company vehicles are used solely for business purposes and not for frolics or
detours. While the use of a GPS system to track company vehicles and equipment
can be expensive, the potential savings in terms of avoiding or preventing
lawsuits may well be immense.
Implementing policies and
other steps to deter personal use of business equipment and vehicles is
crucial. Without such protections, employers can be found liable for harassment
claims when inappropriate E-mails are communicated via company computers and
can be found responsible for employee fault for vehicular accidents that occur
when employees deviate from company business.
Moreover, employers must
require that employee cell phone use in a company vehicle or on company time is
hands-free. This recognizes several recent decisions in which employers were
found liable for significant damages due to accidents caused by their employees
while talking on cell phones. Employers should always be cognizant of the fact
that people have a tendency to pursue actions against the person or entity with
the deepest pockets, which in most cases, is the employer.
Employees should be provided
with the company's monitoring and privacy policies. In addition, discussions
and training in furtherance of these policies will give employees a greater
understanding of employer expectations, thereby avoiding confusion, let alone
liability.
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.
Photo courtesy of Candi Electronics
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