Education Workforce Quality
The Education Workforce Quality initiatives positively impact the number of qualified candidates entering the regional workforce who are ready to be high performers for 21st century global business organizations. The Chamber moves toward this goal with leadership from the Education Workforce Quality Committee and its subcommittee, the Illinois College Access Network, and participation in the Illinois Business Education Coalition. The Chamber's public policies on education and workforce are updated annually in the Chicagoland Business and Legislative Advocacy Agenda. The Chamber has an active partnership with Scholarship Chicago. Workforce talent problems and solutions are offered in collaboration with organizations having specific related mandates and expertise. A current collaboration is on When Work Works, with the Families and Work Institute and Institute for a Competitive Workforce (ICW) – an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Information from experts and best practice models are disseminated. For more information, please contact Peggy Luce or at (312) 494-6745.
Workplace Initiatives Division
The Workplace Initiatives Division is designed to bring to the attention of Chamber members and appropriate Chamber committees newly identified emerging workplace issues and recent innovations in workplace practices relevant to companies' positive performance and profitability and make recommendations for future Chamber action on each issue and practice. Workplace Excellence and the Drug Free Workplace Programs are under the umbrella of the Workplace initiatives Division.
Workplace Excellence - Maximizing the Engagement and Performance of Employees
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L to R: Bruce Piller, KPMG; Al Capitanini, Italian Village; Jay Coulker, Shorebank; Maria Lin, Northwestern Memorial Healthcare; Paul Benson, Right Management and Chair of the Workplace Excellence Committee
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The Workplace Excellence Program is designed to increase the number of large and small businesses in the region that are recognized as attractive places to work by highlighting best practices and by addressing emerging workplace issues. Workplace Excellence is sponsored by Right Management Consultants. Our two major initiatives are:
- Informative Forums - The forums are designed to provide business owners and managers access to information about developing workplace excellence through low-cost best practices in the market today (including employee benefits, training and development, culture and environment). For more information on the next forum, please refer to the Calendar of Events.
- Right Workplace Award - Employees are our greatest asset and therefore a path to business success. This initiative is the first award ever seeking to recognize companies that demonstrate a connection between profitability and innovative people practices. The award is named after the driver behind the Workplace Excellence Program, Right Management Consultants, the world's leading career transition and organizational consulting firm. We encourage ALL members to complete the application and share your organization's story. Winners will be featured in future forums, newsletters, articles and press releases to Chicagoland media. For more information contact Todd Berens via email or at (312) 494-6730.
Drug-Free Workplace - Where Health, Safety and Profitability Meet.
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Over 70% of all illicit drug users are employed. Small and medium-sized firms employ 80% of the U.S. workforce where drug testing policies & programs aren't in place. Absenteeism, increased health care costs and decreased productivity due to alcohol and other substance abuse cost your company $1,000 per employee per year. |
You can minimize the chance of having to deal with a serious job performance problem in the workplace, and in the process support a better quality of life for your employees, by implementing a drug-free workplace policy in your company. It will reinforce the message to your employees and customers that a positive work environment is a high priority. The Chamber can provide you and your company with information and support about Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Treatment, Drug and Alcohol Testing, Employee Assistance Program Providers, and Drug Free Workplace Consulting Services. We can also direct you to attorneys that are very knowledgeable in business and labor law as it impacts Drug Free Workplace policy issues.
Services/materials available from the Chamber include:
- Policy Writing - We can provide you with a copy of a standard drug-free workplace policy and we can meet with you to help customize the policy to your specific company situation.
- Supervisor Training and Employee Education - Materials and the advice of trained professionals are available to help you structure training and education for supervisors and employees.
- Technical Assistance - The expertise of drug-free workplace professionals is available to help you troubleshoot specific problems and/or strategize a program.
- Illinois Drug Free Workplace Act Compliance Package to assist in quickly becoming IDFWA Compliant.
- Communications Materials - Materials available to help you educate your employees include:
- Workplace Posters stating "This Is A Drug-Free Workplace."
- Parent Tip Booklets for employees to take home and encourage discussion of the dangers of substance abuse with their children.
- Booklets intended to educate supervisors and managers about the costs and effects of drug and alcohol use in the workplace, and how to respond to situations where substance abuse is suspected.
The Drug-Free Workplace program is funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services.
For more information, contact Todd Berens via email or at (312) 494-6730.
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