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Onboarding Gen Z with Purpose

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Opinion

Opinion

By Sam Borsari

HR professionals understand how critical the first 90 days are for a new hire. A thoughtful onboarding experience can make a significant impact on retention and long-term success. This is especially true for Gen Z employees.

To better understand how employers can improve their onboarding approach, I turned to LinkedIn and my own personal network. Going straight to the source, I asked current Gen Z workers to share their onboarding experiences thus far: what worked, what didn’t, and what helped them get up to speed quickly.

Here’s what they think are the key components of a successful onboarding process for Gen Z new hires.

Intentional introductions. Gen Z values having relationships with their teams and colleagues. However, this can be intimidating for someone who is new to the workforce and doesn’t yet understand workplace dynamics, especially when interacting with more senior employees. Having scheduled sit-downs with people across departments (built into the onboarding schedule) can ease that tension, support introductions, and help the new hire feel valued and welcomed right off the bat. It also gives Gen Z employees a clearer understanding of the organizational structure and key players.

Open door policy. For many Gen Z new hires, you may be their first full-time employer out of college. They are going to have questions, especially if they care about doing the job well and growing in their career. Knowing that the company has an open door policy gives them a safe space to learn, make mistakes, bring new ideas to the table, and adjust more quickly. It also helps them feel less isolated if they are struggling because they know they have a support system. Encouraging them to come to you with questions, concerns, or even just to talk things through can make a big difference.

Mentorships and shadowing. Having dedicated one-on-one time with a seasoned employee (particularly someone in their department or role) was also mentioned as a major factor in onboarding success. Starting a new role comes with a lot of information. You are learning the job functions, culture dynamics, daily processes, etc. It can be overwhelming, especially for someone new to the workforce. Having someone to shadow during the first few weeks helps ease that transition and gets them up to speed faster. Shadowing allows the new hire to see the role in action. They can observe how situations are handled, ask questions in real time, and better understand decision making.

Constant feedback and check-ins. This goes without saying, but Gen Z strongly values frequent feedback. Regular check-ins help them understand where they are doing well and where they can improve. This is especially important early on, when they are still in the learning process. Ongoing feedback provides direction, builds confidence, and reinforces that they are on the right track. It also shows that there is support behind them as they learn the role.

No assumptions. Gen Z, like any emerging generation, faces numerous stereotypes and assumptions on things like presumed work habits. It’s important not to lean into those. Instead, ask your new hires how they learn best. If you want them to adapt quickly, think about how you can provide the right tools and support during their onboarding process. Do they learn best hands-on, through shadowing, or through more structured training?

While you don’t need to completely change your onboarding process for your Gen Z hires, it’s important to recognize that even small adjustments can make a meaningful difference in how quickly they adapt, build confidence, and adjust to your organization.

 

Sam Borsari is a member experience specialist at the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast. This article first appeared on the EANE blog; eane.org

Reducing Energy Costs Is Crucial

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Opinion

Opinion

By Brooke Thomson

 

The 3,400 member businesses — large and small — of Associated Industries of Massachusetts are uniquely aware that we need more energy to moderate energy prices and keep our companies and our economy competitive.

For businesses, energy costs are part of everyday economic reality. That’s why AIM supports initiatives to develop new energy resources, improve interconnections, and reduce the cost of energy for customers.

Massachusetts employers pay some of the highest commercial and industrial rates in the country. These high energy costs act as a hidden tax on economic growth and prosperity.

Employers pay that tax every time they run a centrifuge in a research lab in Cambridge, turn on a computer-controlled manufacturing cell in Worcester, admit a patient for surgery in Springfield, drive a truck down the Turnpike, or welcome guests into a hotel or restaurant on Cape Cod.

It’s no secret that, when other states attempt to recruit Massachusetts companies, the cost and reliability of energy is at the top of their reasons for leaving. And at a time when competition is at an all-time high, Massachusetts literally cannot afford to have high energy costs, making our key industries less competitive.

At AIM, we understand that our geography in New England creates embedded obstacles to energy competitiveness. But that is why we know that one energy solution or source alone is not going to solve these reliability or cost problems.

To stay competitive, keep the lights on, and keep costs moderated, Massachusetts needs, as the governor stated, an “all-of-the-above” approach that enlists a range of energy generation assets, including natural gas, infrastructure and storage options, and technologies that make more efficient use of the system we have.

The development of these energy assets is particularly pressing at a moment when the industries of tomorrow — AI, quantum, electrified transportation systems, and innovative power storage solutions — are placing unprecedented demands on our electric grids.

AIM has long supported the development of new, clean sources of energy alongside the existing power generation facilities. Both are essential to keeping the lights on in our homes and to keeping our businesses humming.

The governor is right to address the full portfolio of generation options — solar, wind, nuclear, geothermal — as well as demand-side management to generate savings of $10 billion.

That $10 billion represents a significant potential benefit for companies struggling to manage surging bills for electricity and natural gas. It also represents real benefit for the people working for our companies, skilled employees who wonder whether they can afford to continue to live, work, and raise a family in Massachusetts.

The business community remains committed to working with Gov. Healey and other elected officials to find solutions to cost issues like energy and housing. We appreciate the Healey-Driscoll administration’s willingness to include the business community in the joint effort to make Massachusetts more affordable and competitive.

 

Brooke Thomson is president and CEO of Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM). This is a speech she delivered at a March 16 press conference with Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, and other officials announcing an initiative to bring new sources of energy to Massachusetts.

Opinion

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Opinion

Redefining Resilience as a Strategy

By Allison Ebner

Let’s be honest. If you’ve sat through more than one team meeting where someone says “we just need to be more resilient,” you’re not alone in resisting the urge to roll your eyes. Resilience has become the business world’s favorite buzzword: a catch-all response to every challenge, disruption, and crisis that lands on our desks. Yet, despite all the talk, burnout is rising, turnover remains stubbornly high, and leaders everywhere are quietly exhausted. So, if resilience is the answer, why aren’t we feeling it?

The truth is, we’ve been thinking about resilience all wrong.

Today’s business landscape isn’t just hectic; it’s relentless. Employers are navigating workforce shortages, economic uncertainty, rapid technological change, and a compliance environment that seems to grow more complex by the day. Asking your people to simply “be resilient” in the face of all that isn’t leadership — it’s avoidance. And your employees know the difference.

For years, resilience has been framed as a personal trait: something you either have or you don’t. The message, often unspoken but always present, is that, if you’re struggling, you simply need to toughen up, dig deeper, and push through. It’s a narrative that puts the entire burden of survival squarely on the individual, and it’s doing more harm than good. Real, lasting resilience is more like a muscle that you have to keep training for it to keep working.

Here’s the reframe that changes everything: resilience isn’t a personality trait. It’s an organizational design strategy.

The most resilient companies aren’t filled with people who never struggle. They’re built with systems, cultures, and teams that are deliberately designed to bend without breaking. They communicate with transparency when things get hard. They create psychological safety so people can raise concerns before small problems become big ones. They invest in their people not just when times are good, but especially when times are uncertain.

This kind of resilience doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built intentionally, one leadership decision at a time.

So, what does a truly resilient organization look like in practice? It looks like a leadership team that communicates early and often, even when they don’t have all the answers. It looks like managers who are trained to have hard conversations with care and directness rather than avoiding them until it’s too late. It looks like HR professionals who are empowered to shape culture proactively rather than simply respond to crises reactively.

It also looks like scenario planning — not because you can predict the future, but because organizations that have thought through the what-ifs are far better equipped to respond decisively when the unexpected happens. Resilient leaders don’t just absorb disruption; they anticipate it, prepare for it, and build teams that can navigate it together.

And perhaps most importantly, it looks like knowing the difference between when to hold the line and when to pivot. Stubbornness is not resilience. The willingness to adapt — to let go of what’s no longer working and move toward what is — is one of the most underrated leadership skills in today’s environment. This can be very scary stuff! But it’s time to take a few calculated risks.

Here’s a hard truth for the leaders reading this: you cannot be your organization’s sole source of resilience. If you are absorbing every disruption, shielding your team from every difficulty, and carrying the weight of uncertainty alone, you are not building a resilient organization — you are building a dependent one.

Real resilience must be distributed. That means developing your people leaders so they can navigate hard conversations, uncertainty, and change without coming to you for every answer. It means creating a culture where challenges are surfaced early, discussed openly, and solved collaboratively. It means trusting your team enough to let them struggle productively and supporting them through it rather than rescuing them from it.

So, is unshakable resilience real? Yes, but not in the way we’ve been sold. It’s not about being unaffected by the chaos. It’s about building something strong enough that the chaos becomes manageable, maybe even predictable. It’s about leading with transparency, investing in your people, designing systems that support rather than drain, and refusing to mistake busyness for strength.

The antidote to resilience theater isn’t toughness. It’s intentionality. And that’s something every organization — regardless of size, industry, or budget — can build starting today.

 

Allison Ebner is president of the Employers Assoc. of New England. This article first appeared on the EANE blog; eane.org

Gen Z at Work: the AI Paradox

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Opinion

Opinion

By Samantha Borsari

Generation Z is often coined the generation of ‘digital natives’ — quick to adapt, drawn to smart devices, and thriving in a world of new technology. In many ways, this reputation holds true. Today, Gen Z is leading the way in AI workplace adoption, with 47% reporting they use it weekly to assist with their workload.

However, a strange paradox is beginning to emerge.

Beneath the surface of this technological fluency lies a quieter truth — a growing sense of unease and uncertainty. While Gen Z is known to be one of the most adaptable generations, many are sharing feelings of discomfort and even anxiety at the speed and scale at which technology (specifically AI) is evolving, especially in the workplace. In a recent Forbes report, a survey of nearly 3,500 Gen Z workers showed that 41% reported feeling anxious about emerging technologies like AI. This reveals that, while Gen Z is highly engaged with AI, they are equally concerned about its impact.

Why is this happening? There are several factors that could be driving this apprehension.

• Assumed Expertise. It’s often assumed that Gen Z employees will instinctively know how to use new technology. However, quick adaptability does not equal instant mastery. This assumption often builds unspoken pressure and overlooks the reality that Gen Z-ers, much like any other generation, also require training and time to build confidence with a new tool like AI.

• Critical Thinking Concerns. As early career professionals, many in Gen Z are concerned that an overreliance on AI could interfere with their core developmental skills like critical thinking, problem solving, and professional judgment. They’re asking themselves, ‘will AI support or harm my professional growth in the long run?’

• Job Security Anxiety. Gen Z currently makes up a large percentage of entry-level roles, which has instilled a new fear that AI is coming for their position next. If AI replaces all ‘starter’ jobs, how will Gen Z be expected to find opportunities to establish themselves and their career?

• Technology Fatigue. Seventy percent of Gen Z workers have reported feeling overwhelmed by the amount of new technology that is rotating through their organization. The pace of change is taking a toll, especially when there is no clear strategy or training from upper management.

This goes to show that high adoption does not mean high confidence. More importantly, it shows that comfort with technology does not mean immediate mastery or even high sentiment with the product itself.

There is no clear-cut solution to resolve all of these concerns. Let’s face it: every generation is dealing with their own conflicting thoughts on AI and the future of technology. It seems to be a love-hate relationship. That said, there are several ways employers can help mitigate the apprehension and negative sentiment Gen Z is experiencing toward AI.

Organizations should avoid assuming that being a ‘Gen Z digital native’ means they can figure it out on their own when it comes to new technology. Instead, organizations should be prepared to offer support and structured training to all employees, regardless of their age and presumed tech fluency.

To address concerns around AI’s impact on core developmental skills, organizations can work to strategically design workflows where AI supports work functions without replacing key decision-making processes. Managers and supervisors can also reinforce learning by engaging in more frequent coaching sessions, asking Gen Z employees to walk through certain problems or explain how they arrived at a conclusion.

At the same time, employers can ease Gen Z anxiety around job security by building greater transparency around the role AI will play within their organization’s long-term plans and talent strategy. Lastly, to limit technology fatigue, organizations should conduct regular evaluations of their technology stack to ensure all employees receive proper training on existing platforms and to reduce overlapping tools.

Taken together, these approaches can help turn AI from a source of anxiety and discomfort into a tool designed for positive growth. Gen Z has the skills needed to adapt quickly to new and emerging technologies; they simply need the support to feel more confident in using it.

 

Samantha Borsari is a member experience specialist at the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast. This article first appeared on the EANE blog; eane.org

Why Proper Recycling Matters

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Opinion

Opinion

By Sean Hogan

In the fast paced world of IT, cybersecurity often brings to mind firewalls, encryption, and phishing scams. But one of the biggest threats to your data security could be sitting in plain sight, stacked in a dusty corner of your office.

Whenever we onboard a new client at Hogan Technology, we find it almost every time: a room or closet overflowing with obsolete equipment. It becomes a tech graveyard filled with old desktops, servers, printers, copiers, battery backups, fax machines, label makers, access points, and firewalls.

Technology changes fast. A typical desktop or file server lasts about six years, but best practices call for a refresh every five years to maintain performance and security. Many manufacturers limit warranties on equipment older than that, which leaves you exposed when hardware fails.

We churn through a lot of gear in this industry, and it is not just computers. Printers, access points, and other peripherals pile up as businesses upgrade. That mound might look harmless, just junk taking up space, but it poses a serious physical cybersecurity risk.

Cyberthreats are not limited to software. Physical access to hardware can be just as damaging, especially when devices contain stored data. Nearly every piece of equipment in that forgotten pile has local storage of some sort, whether a hard drive, SSD, or embedded memory. Obsolete tech poses risks in numerous ways:

• Data remains long after use. Old devices retain confidential information ranging from employee records and finances to emails and proprietary files. If these devices are not handled correctly, that data can be recovered and exploited.

• Dumpster diving and theft. Discarded or unsecured tech can be scavenged. Cybercriminals know that unscrubbed drives hold valuable data. One overlooked hard drive can expose your network.

• Supply chain weakness. Even when not in use, equipment stored on site creates opportunities for insider threats or break-ins. Outdated hardware may also have unpatched vulnerabilities if someone reconnects it by mistake.

That pile is not just clutter. It is a potential entry point for data loss. Ignoring it is like leaving your front door unlocked.

We take a holistic approach to cybersecurity that includes the physical side of protection. Our recycling program manages your end-of-life equipment with strict security and environmental responsibility.

Specifically, we inventory obsolete devices during onboarding or routine audits. Our team collects everything securely with minimal disruption. After data scrubbing, drives and storage media are physically shredded by certified partners. Scrub plus shred removes any chance of data recovery.

Remaining components are recycled through certified e-waste programs that reclaim valuable materials and keep harmful substances out of landfills. The client then receive certificates of destruction and recycling reports to support compliance requirements and audit needs.

By recycling in this way, you clear space, strengthen your security posture, and support a cleaner environment.

With data breaches in the news daily, ignoring the physical side of cybersecurity is a risk you cannot afford. That forgotten pile of equipment could be the weak point that leads to expensive consequences.

 

Sean Hogan is president of Hogan Technology Inc.

How to Support Employees with Diabetes

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Opinion

Opinion

By Dr. Ana Stankovic

Type 2 diabetes is more than a personal health challenge. It’s a growing workforce challenge, too.

Diabetes costs the U.S. economy approximately $413 billion annually, including more than $106 billion in lost productivity. With more than 38 million Americans living with diabetes and nearly 95% of those cases being type 2, the condition can impact productivity, increase healthcare costs, and affect employee well-being.

This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for employers. With the right tools and support, employers can play a pivotal role in helping their workforce manage and even work to improve their type 2 diabetes.

Here’s how a strategic investment in employee health can help drive measurable outcomes and long-term savings for employers and their workforces.

Why should employers take action? Employers have a unique opportunity to influence the trajectory of type 2 diabetes within their workforces. In Massachusetts, 8.5% of adults are currently living with diabetes, and an estimated 31,000 more will be diagnosed each year.

By investing in proactive, data-driven health strategies, organizations can help employees work to improve their condition, prevent disease progression, and reduce potential and costly complications of type 2 diabetes. This not only benefits individuals, but it may help lower healthcare costs and boost productivity.

There is a business case for type 2 diabetes management. When employers take a strategic approach to type 2 diabetes care, the results can be transformative. Programs that combine technology with clinical support have shown measurable improvements in employee health outcomes. Programs like this may enable employers to lower financial risk while supporting employee health. These efforts may also contribute to higher employee satisfaction and retention, which are critical metrics in today’s competitive labor market.

Supporting whole-person wellness is key. Supplemental benefits can support better overall health outcomes. For example, people living with diabetes are at higher risk of certain oral health conditions like gum disease, but regular dental visits can help prevent or treat gum disease. Diabetes can also increase the risk of vision loss, but most diabetes-related vision loss can be prevented with early detection and treatment. Yet, 60% of people with diabetes do not get annual eye exams.

Integrating, or bundling, dental and vision benefits can help give a clearer picture of overall health, close gaps in care, and may lead to better overall experience and lower long-term healthcare costs.

By incorporating evidence-based diabetes management programs and integrating supplemental benefits, employers can demonstrate a commitment to employee well-being while driving measurable impact, better outcomes, and lower costs.

 

Dr. Ana Stankovic is chief medical officer of UnitedHealthcare of New England.

Double Your Impact as the Year Ends

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Opinion

Opinion

By Colleen Shanley-Loveless

 

As we approach the end of the year, I find myself thinking about the extraordinary generosity that fuels our work at Revitalize CDC. Every repaired roof, every safe home, every child or senior supported through our health, education, nutrition, and digital navigation programs — each of these success stories begins with someone choosing to invest in their community.

Right now, you have a powerful opportunity to make that investment go twice as far.

Through the Massachusetts Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC) program, any donation of $1,000 or more to Revitalize CDC earns you a 50% refundable state tax credit. That means a $1,000 gift effectively costs you only $500 after the credit. A $10,000 gift costs $5,000 while delivering the full benefit to the local low-income families who need it most.

This is one of the most generous community investment incentives in the country. And it’s open to individuals, businesses, and nonprofits, including churches, regardless of the state in which you file taxes. On top of the state credit, your gift also qualifies for a federal charitable tax deduction, increasing your overall savings.

When you give to Revitalize CDC, 95 cents of every dollar supports direct program expenses. This demonstrates exceptional efficiency, an achievement reached by fewer than 1% of nonprofits nationwide.

Your contribution provides flexible, immediate funds that allow us to respond to urgent needs, keeping seniors and veterans warm and safe in their homes, ensuring families have healthy food, helping residents gain digital access, and strengthening the neighborhoods we all share.

When you give through CITC, you’re not just making a donation — you’re creating stability for a family, dignity for a neighbor, and resilience for an entire community.

To sum up, your CITC gift provides:

• Considerable tax savings;

• Eligibility for individuals, businesses, and nonprofits, including churches;

• A federal IRS charitable deduction; and

• A refundable credit, meaning excess credit comes back to you even if you owe little or no tax.

This is a moment when your generosity truly has the power to transform lives. Please consider making your CITC-eligible donation today at www.revitalizecdc.com. Double your impact. Save on your taxes. Strengthen your community.

And, as always, please consult your professional tax advisor for guidance specific to your situation. Email me at [email protected] if you have any questions. Together, we can ensure that every neighbor, every family, has the chance to live in a safe, healthy, and stable home. Thank you for standing with us.

 

Colleen Shanley-Loveless is president and CEO of Revitalize CDC.

The 2026 View from Gen Z

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Opinion

Opinion

By Samantha Borsari

 

As we head into 2026, Gen Z is signaling that a few workplace practices could use a refresh. At the top of the list: the notion that fully remote work is the ideal and that performance reviews should be limited to an annual conversation.

For Gen Z, personal connection is a critical component of being engaged with their work. Contrary to popular belief, Gen Z actively wants to establish relationships with their colleagues and feel a sense of community.

While fully remote setups have been popular among some generations, Gen Z is showing less of an appetite for this type of model. In fact, one recent report states that they are the “least likely generation to prefer exclusively remote work.” The reason for this lies in the fear of isolation and social disconnect that is often associated with this type of model. For many, concerns about mental health outweigh the appeal of a fully remote schedule.

For 2026, Gen Z would rather see hybrid work options. One recent report states that 83% of surveyed Gen Zers would choose the hybrid model over others. Why? Hybrid work strikes the right balance between in-person collaboration, where they can build relationships, learn on the job, and feel like they are a part of the culture, and also providing them with the remote flexibility that supports work-life boundaries.

Many Gen Z professionals are also vocal about wanting their colleagues, not just themselves, to come into the office more. For them, the value of in-office time comes from shared energy and social learning. While not all organizations can accommodate such schedules, it’s still important to acknowledge these emerging trends. Your Gen Z employees aren’t pushing for fully remote work, but rather seeking more connection through in-person opportunities.

The traditional model of annual performance reviews is another topic of contention for Gen Z as we move into 2026, as many feel this approach is slightly antiquated.

Gen Z wants more personalized, consistent feedback from their supervisors. Why? So they can progress in their careers more quickly, correct mistakes faster, and stay on track with their responsibilities. Waiting for the highly anticipated annual review is not seen as effective for this group; rather it’s seen as backward-looking.

What most Gen Z employees would like to see is an open-door policy and real-time feedback. Frequent, personalized check-ins boost their engagement and support their growth because they experience this style as coaching rather than criticism.

These check-ins don’t need to be long or formal; even brief touchpoints can go a long way. This might look like quick digital messages through tools like MS Teams or Slack, or short weekly meetings to review projects and address concerns. The goal here is to show intention and transparency with communication. Gen Z doesn’t want a rating at the end of each year; rather, they want coaching and real-time feedback to help them get better as the year goes on.

Heading into 2026, it’s not about rejecting remote work or traditional reviews, but about adapting them to create more connection, clarity, and authenticity. What matters most for Gen Z in the year ahead is fostering a culture where they can grow and genuinely feel valued.

 

Samantha Borsari is a member experience specialist at the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast. This article first appeared on the EANE blog; eane.org

Opinion

By Contributor
Opinion

Radical Kindness in the Workplace

By Allison Ebner

In our workplaces, we talk a lot about innovation, agility, and results in leadership circles. But there’s one strategy that often gets overlooked, dismissed as soft or secondary: kindness. Not the passive, conflict-avoidant version of niceness that lets problems fester, but radical kindness — the deliberate choice to lead with empathy, respect, and genuine care, even when it’s difficult.

In today’s workplaces, where tensions run high and perspectives often clash, radical kindness isn’t just a pleasant ideal; it’s a strategic imperative. As leaders, we set the tone for how our teams navigate disagreement, handle stress, and treat one another. The question isn’t whether we can afford to prioritize kindness. It’s whether we can afford not to.

Radical kindness is not about creating false harmony or avoiding tough conversations. It’s not about being permissive or lowering standards. Radical kindness means approaching every interaction with the assumption that people are doing their best, that their perspectives matter, and that respectful dialogue can coexist with high expectations.

When people feel genuinely valued, they take smart risks, share ideas freely, and collaborate more effectively. When they don’t, they shut down, disengage, or leave. The culture we create as leaders directly impacts our bottom line. Here are some specific behaviors that make radical kindness tangible:

• Assume positive intent first. When someone disagrees with your decision or misses a deadline, your first response sets the tone. Starting from the assumption that they’re trying to do good work — rather than that they’re incompetent or difficult — completely changes the conversation. Instead of “why didn’t you get this done?” try “help me understand what got in the way.”

• Listen to understand, not to respond. In your next meeting, try this: before offering your perspective, repeat back what you heard from the other person. This simple act — “so what I’m hearing is you’re concerned about the timeline because of the resource constraints, is that right?” — demonstrates respect and often de-escalates tension before it builds.

• Acknowledge the person behind the opinion. Before diving into why you disagree with someone’s approach, recognize the validity of their concerns or perspective. “I can see why you’d feel that way given your experience with the last product launch” goes a long way toward keeping dialogue open, even as you chart a different course. This isn’t about compromising your position — it’s about honoring their contribution to the conversation.

• Share your own uncertainties. When leaders admit “I’m still thinking through this” or “I was wrong about that,” it gives everyone permission to be human. Vulnerability from the top creates cultures where learning matters more than being right. Intellectual humility is one of the most powerful forms of radical kindness because it levels the playing field and invites collaboration.

• Notice the small moments. Greet people warmly when you see them. Ask about their weekend and actually listen to the answer. Notice when someone seems off and check in privately. Celebrate small wins publicly. These micro-moments accumulate into culture. They signal that people matter, not just their output.

Radical kindness doesn’t mean eliminating different viewpoints. It means making disagreement productive rather than destructive. The healthiest teams I’ve seen have vigorous debates about ideas while maintaining absolute respect for people.

The beautiful thing about radical kindness is its multiplier effect. When you consistently model this behavior, it gives others permission to do the same. One kind interaction can shift someone’s entire day, which shifts how they treat their colleagues, which shifts team dynamics, which shifts organizational culture.

Leading with radical kindness requires courage. It means staying open when it would be easier to shut down. It means extending grace when you’re frustrated. It means believing in people’s potential even when they’re struggling.

But this is exactly the kind of leadership our workplaces need right now. In a world that often rewards cynicism and self-protection, choosing radical kindness is the most reliable path to creating teams where people do their best work, treat each other well, and actually want to show up each day.

 

Allison Ebner is president of the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast. This article is abridged from one that first appeared on the EANE blog. It can be read in full at eane.org.

Food Security Programs Serve Vital Role

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Opinion

Opinion

By Community Action Pioneer Valley

As Gov. Maura Healey called on the Trump administration late last month unfreeze SNAP benefits (an issue that remained unresolved at press time), Community Action Pioneer Valley’s Center for Self-Reliance food pantries in Greenfield and Shelburne Falls were preparing for an unprecedented surge in need while facing their own funding crisis.

More than 1.1 million Massachusetts residents — including thousands in Franklin & Hampshire Counties — were set to lose their SNAP benefits. Simultaneously, the Trump administration has been targeting Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funding for elimination, threatening the very resources that allow the Center for Self-Reliance to operate.

The crisis highlighted the importance of regional food security programs. In the most recent program year, the Center for Self-Reliance provided free, nutritious food to 3,341 neighbors across Franklin County, distributing 184 tons of food — the equivalent of 25 meals per person. The food pantries served an average of 1,400 people per month, with 27% of those served being children.

Unlike some food pantry distributions, the Center for Self-Reliance operates as a client choice food pantry open four days a week, allowing shoppers to select their own groceries, produce, and frozen meat. Forty percent of all food distributed is fresh produce.

“Dignity starts at the front door,” said Cheo Ramos, program coordinator. “When people can shop for what they want and need, rather than receiving a pre-packed bag, it honors their autonomy and ensures food doesn’t go to waste.”

The CAPV food pantries serve a diverse community, with staff speaking Spanish, English, Portuguese, Russian, and Moldovan to better connect with participants. A team of 25 volunteers donated 2,972 hours of time last year, helping make the program possible.

The Center for Self-Reliance’s partnership with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and other suppliers allows it to stretch donated dollars remarkably far.

“For every dollar you give me, I can turn it into three,” Ramos explained. But this efficiency depends on CSBG funding, which covers essential operating costs, including staff, facilities, and the infrastructure that makes bulk purchasing and food distribution possible.

If SNAP benefits freeze and CSBG funding is eliminated, the Center for Self-Reliance will face an impossible situation: serving dramatically more people with dramatically fewer resources.

How can you help? The Center for Self-Reliance is calling on community members to donate funds at www.communityaction.us/giving, which can be stretched further than food donations; volunteer time at the Greenfield location to help with food distribution and/or making deliveries; spread awareness about the crisis facing food security programs; and contact elected officials to protect SNAP benefits and CSBG funding.

Supporting Adolescent Mental Health

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Opinion

Opinion

By Dr. Nicole Brady

As summer winds down and the school year approaches, many parents watch their teens prepare for major life transitions. Some are getting ready for college, while others are starting jobs, taking gap years, or navigating the uncertainty that often follows high school graduation.

No matter what path your child is on, one thing remains true: this stage of life is full of physical and emotional shifts, and mental health should be part of the conversation.

The late teens and early 20s are a time of major neurological and emotional development. According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, 75% of all lifetime mental illnesses begin before age 24. This may make early adulthood a critical window for both challenges and opportunities for support.

Mental health concerns among young people may be more common than many realize. Recent data from UnitedHealthcare’s College Student and Graduate Behavioral Health Report shows 60% of college students self-report experiencing mental or behavioral health challenges, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and suicidal ideation or intent.

The report also found that, while 20% of college students said their mental health had declined since high school, only about 10% of parents reported noticing the same. This disconnect underscores the importance of communication and awareness, as many parents may be unaware of the full extent of their child’s mental health challenges and how they may evolve over time.

It’s normal for young adults to seek independence, but that may not mean they stop needing support. Research shows that supportive parenting, characterized by warmth, open communication, and clear boundaries, is a vital protective factor against mental health problems in adolescents and young adults.

Moreover, data from UnitedHealthcare found that both college students and college graduates who engaged in more frequent conversations with their parents about their mental health reported higher rates of positive outcomes, including feelings of support, feeling heard and understood, and strengthening their relationship with their parents.

While your day-to-day role in your child’s life may have shifted over time, your guidance is still essential. You can still be a steady, comforting presence and a reminder that they don’t have to navigate adulthood alone. Here are three ways to help stay supportive through the back-to-school transition:

• Initiate the mental health conversation. Start casual, open-ended conversations about how your young adult is feeling, not just what they’re doing. The goal isn’t always to problem-solve, but to signal that emotional check-ins are important and OK. If you’re not sure where to start, try asking questions like: “what’s been on your mind lately?” “What’s something you’re excited, or nervous, about right now?” “How are you doing, really?”

• Normalize seeking help from a professional. Whether your student is struggling now or not, introduce the idea that support may always be available and valid. Talk about options like campus counseling centers, teletherapy platforms, or local providers. If your child is on a family insurance plan or a student plan, share information on how they can learn about their benefits, find a provider, and seek help. Framing mental health care as a routine, not a last resort, may help reduce stigma and build openness if they need it later.

• Keep showing up for your child. Young adulthood, especially college life, can feel overwhelming. Your persistent presence — through texts, short calls, or moments when you’re together — may offer a powerful reminder that they are not alone. If you notice changes in mood, behavior, sleep, or social habits, don’t hesitate to gently check in.

Whether your child is headed to a dorm, starting a new job, or exploring what comes next, the transition beyond high school is a significant one. As a parent or caregiver, you’re in a unique position to help. By keeping mental health on the radar and offering consistent, compassionate support, you can help them move forward with confidence and care.

 

Dr. Nicole Brady is chief medical officer at UnitedHealthcare Student Resources.

Setting Workplace Expectations

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Allison Ebner

Let’s be honest — every generation entering the workforce faces a little heat, and today, Gen Z is in the spotlight.

Born between 1997 and 2012, this group is full of innovation, energy, and digital smarts. But employers are noticing something else: a lack of familiarity with basic workplace etiquette. Things like missing deadlines without notice, texting during meetings, or using overly casual tone in professional emails are showing up more frequently.

But here’s the catch: it’s not just Gen Z. The pandemic blurred the lines of professionalism for everyone. From remote veterans hopping on Zoom late to leaders shooting off short emails w ith no context, we’ve all let a few workplace habits slide.

Why does this matter? Etiquette isn’t just about manners — it’s about respect, clarity, and trust. These are cornerstones of great teams, no matter your role or age. It’s clear that, as employers and HR professionals, we need to hit the reset button on workplace etiquette expectations. Here are a few suggestions on how to get this started:

• Normalize etiquette refreshers. Take five minutes in a team meeting to review expectations — like when to respond to emails or how to participate in hybrid meetings. You really do have to state the obvious’and be very specific about expectations.

• Encourage mentorship (in both directions). Pair experienced employees with new hires and invite Gen Z to share insights on communication styles and digital tools. Create work teams across generational boundaries so they can share and learn from one another.

• Make sure your leaders are modeling good behavior. Nothing is less motivating than being told to behave one way and your boss does the exact opposite. You will never make progress if your people leaders aren’t demonstrating the behaviors you want from the team.

• Define your non-negotiables and discuss them often. Every organization has them — absolute rules that cannot be broken in the workplace. One example of this is fighting or loud arguments between co-workers in our workspace. Another might be no texting during team meetings. Be clear and communicate these frequently to your entire staff.

• Incorporate etiquette standards into your performance management process and your one-on-one meetings. To demonstrate how serious you are about professional standards, tie it to compensation. Creating consequences for failing to meet these expectations will help you hold people accountable to their behavior. You can also reward great behavior as it happens by incorporating a spot bonus program using gift cards or time off.

• Create a safe space for questions. Make it easy for anyone to ask, ‘what’s the norm here?’ without fear of sounding inexperienced.

The bottom line? Workplace etiquette isn’t about being perfect — it’s about being intentional. In today’s diverse, fast-moving work environment, getting back to basics is a win for everyone. Whether you’re just starting out or leading the team, it’s always the right time to sharpen your soft skills and create a culture of trust and inclusion.

 

Allison Ebner is president of the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast. This article first appeared on the EANE blog; eane.org

Think Large for Economic Development

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Opinion

Opinion

By Peter Abair and Jeff Daley

Massachusetts needs large acreage sites for employment-generating opportunities. This growing need presents an opportunity for Western Mass.

Released earlier this year, “Large Site Demand and Capacity in Massachusetts,” a report published by MassEcon, yielded several significant findings. While several highly desirable industry sectors, such as clean energy, data and AI, and advanced manufacturing, are driving demand for large acreage availabilities around the nation, Massachusetts has a limited number of 100-plus-acre sites available. Many of the large sites in the marketplace here lack sufficient energy, water, and sewer infrastructure. This lack of viable large acreage sites places Massachusetts at a competitive disadvantage in landing significant business prospects.

In a survey of real estate professionals in Massachusetts featured in the report, 80% indicated awareness of large facility requirements that failed to find suitable sites in the Commonwealth. Despite validated demand for such spaces in Massachusetts, the issue of lack of development acreage is under-considered by most municipal and regional planners. This is also troubling, as assembling land and delivering required infrastructure for large acreage sites requires rigorous planning at all levels of government, as well as consensus among host community members for such development.

In total, the report identifies just 12 large sites available in Massachusetts. Of these, the two in Western Mass. are smaller in size, at 70 and 40 acres each. The report identifies two potentially developable sites in the Pioneer Valley, also less than 100 acres in size. Neither site is currently in the commercial real estate marketplace.

So, what is the opportunity for Western Mass.?

• The region is well-located between two major economic powerhouses, Greater Boston and Metropolitan New York.

• It has robust infrastructure, served by two major interstates and rail, and includes several municipal power providers.

• It possesses strong research and educational institutions.

• It has a considerable workforce.

• Its quality of life and relative affordability are notable.

• It also has land.

The MassEcon report identified contiguous land parcels around the state that, theoretically, could be assembled for commercial development, amounting to 1,700 acres. Half of this acreage is found in Western Mass.

If such sites are prepared, will opportunities come to the region? We say the answer is an emphatic yes.

In a global economy in which industries are constantly evolving, often in new directions, at a rapid pace, Massachusetts is involved in a global site location competition. With all the state’s competitive advantages, it is a target for significant investments by employers. To win the competition for the best projects, it will need to have large acreage sites prepared and ready for these opportunities. This requires considerable planning and investment.

While Western Mass. has not always shared in the growth of the state’s most robust industries, there is no reason it can’t become a leader in assembling large sites for new economic development opportunities. For emerging large site requirements, developable acreage and ample infrastructure are the most important facility location determinants.

Massachusetts has a strong history of success in planning economic development in significant spaces. Kendall Square in Cambridge was once a tired landscape of former soap factories. It now reigns supreme in life sciences with more than12 million square feet of lab space. At the time of its base reduction/closure, Devens seemed an isolated site with little economic upside. Today, it stands as one of the greatest military base conversions ever, with more than 6,000 now employed across a spectrum of cutting-edge industries.

The Pioneer Valley is well-suited to host significant-sized new employers. The opportunities are at the region’s doorstep. They need only the space to grow.

 

Peter Abair is executive director of MassEcon, and Jeff Daley is president and CEO of Westmass Area Development Corp.

Investing in the Future of Western Mass.

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Opinion

Opinion

By Emily Haber

When it comes to serving the needs of Western Massachusetts, our state government has a mixed record. It often directs its finite attention and resources inside 495.

However, one wildly successful program enables business leaders to deliver state funds directly to communities throughout the region. The Community Investment Tax Credit provides a 50% tax rebate on donations to nonprofit organizations known as community development corporations, or CDCs.

These organizations, 12 of which are in Western Massachusetts, provide people with safe and affordable places to live. They provide transportation in areas that lack buses or trains, equip workers with the skills that local companies need, and make other vital investments in local economies.

Launched just over a decade ago under Gov. Deval Patrick, the Community Investment Tax Credit has gained momentum under Govs. Charlie Baker and, now, Maura Healey. In its first 10 years, the program delivered $134 million to community development projects throughout Massachusetts.

In the past three years alone, CDCs in Western Massachusetts assisted nearly 2,000 entrepreneurs, educated more than 3,000 homebuyers, provided more than $29 million in grants and loans to small businesses, and built more than 200 homes.

Recognizing the undeniable success of the program, the governor and lawmakers recently expanded it as part of the Affordable Homes Act, increasing the allotment of tax credits to $15 million per year in 2025. Earlier this month, the state issued $2 million in new credits for Western Mass.

Signs of CDCs’ impact are everywhere. In Great Barrington, CDC of South Berkshire recently converted an inn into 16 month-to-month rooms with a common kitchen to house new employees of Berkshire Health Systems — Berkshire County’s largest employer. Franklin County CDC, which works in all four Western Mass. counties, assisted 365 entrepreneurs and lent $3.4 million to businesses.

In Northampton, Valley CDC is converting a long-vacant nursing home into 60 affordable apartments and installing geothermal heating and cooling systems. In Springfield, Way Finders is redeveloping distressed properties and making them available to first-time homebuyers.

Meanwhile, Quaboag Valley and Hilltown CDC are running rural vans that are a lifeline to seniors and other residents. The Community Investment Tax Credit supports countless other programs that help make Western Mass. more vibrant.

In a diverse region with more than 100 cities and towns, the program gives organizations leeway to meet the unique needs of local employers and communities. The state holds CDCs accountable so donors can feel confident that their investments will truly enhance the local economy.

Taking advantage of the program is simple: individuals, companies, or foundations that donate $1,000 or more to a qualifying CDC are eligible for a tax rebate of 50% — in effect, a matching donation that doubles the impact of a gift. The program is open to all. Those who do not pay Massachusetts taxes or owe less than the amount of the rebate receive a direct payment from the state.

From food to advanced manufacturing to biotechnology to tourism, Western Mass. possesses tremendous economic potential and is poised for growth. Yet, to fully take advantage of the opportunities ahead, the region needs to address shortfalls in housing, transportation, and support for small businesses, among other challenges. At a time of national and global uncertainty, the Community Investment Tax Credit offers the opportunity to invest close to home so that Western Mass. can thrive for generations to come.

A list of qualifying CDCs in Western Massachusetts is available at macdc.org/western-mass-cdcs.

 

Emily Haber is president and CEO of the Massachusetts Assoc. of Community Development Corporations.

Have a Safe, Non-impaired Summer

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Opinion

Opinion

By Mothers Against Drunk Driving

 

As families get set to fire up the grill, hit the highway, and head out on the water for the Fourth of July, Mothers Against Drunk Driving encourages everyone to make safety part of their plans. The organization’s “Safe Summer” campaign is a season-long effort to prevent impaired driving, protect teens, and keep the roads and waterways safe. Here are some tips to remember.

1. Make a Plan Ahead of Time. Whether you’re heading out to a barbecue, beach trip, or boat excursion, figure out how you’re getting home safe before the drinks start flowing. Use a rideshare app, designate a sober driver, or make a plan to take public transportation. Don’t wait until the last minute to make a decision.

2. Don’t Drive Boats or Recreational Vehicles Impaired. A boat is a vehicle, and so are jet skis, golf carts, all-terrain vehicles, and bikes. Alcohol is the leading factor in fatal boating crashes, and boaters are likely to become impaired faster than drivers, thanks to motion, sun, vibration, and engine noise, which intensify alcohol’s effects. Avoid alcohol entirely when operating any vehicle, on land or water.

3. Always Wear a Life Jacket. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, 85% of people who drowned in recreational boating incidents were not wearing life jackets. Wearing a life jacket is one of the simplest ways to stay safe on the water.

 

4. Plan Ahead When Heading to a Concert or Festival. Summer concerts and music festivals are all about good vibes, but many take place in remote areas with limited transportation options. If you plan to drink or use substances, don’t risk driving. Use a rideshare app, designate a sober driver, or find out if the venue offers shuttles or public transit. Do your research ahead of time so you’re not stranded later. Go with friends who look out for each other, and make a group pact to get home safe.

5. Talk to Your Teens About Making Safe Choices. Summer break means more young drivers on the road and a higher risk of crashes involving teens. Parents play a critical role in keeping them safe. Start the conversation early about the dangers of underage drinking, peer pressure, and the importance of making smart choices behind the wheel.

6. Be a Proactive Host. Hosting a Fourth of July party? Think ahead to help your guests get home safely. Make sure there are non-alcoholic drink options, encourage designated drivers, help people book a rideshare, or offer a place to crash if needed. A little planning goes a long way.

7. Drive Defensively and Report Impaired Driving. Even if you’re sober, others may not be. Buckle up, drive defensively, and expect the unexpected, especially near lakes, beaches, and party zones. If you spot someone driving impaired, don’t stay silent. Call 911. One call could save a life.

Foster Parents Deserve Support

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Marianna Litovich

 

May is Foster Care Awareness Month, an opportunity for child-welfare advocates and professionals to shine a light on our work in the hopes that folks will be interested, learn about the challenges and rewards of what we do, and engage with us — because everyone can do something to make a difference.

Currently in Western Mass., there are almost 2,000 children in foster care as a result of their family’s inability to meet their needs. These families are typically plagued with social welfare concerns, poverty, substance misuse, and lack of social support, which renders them unable to care for their children.

If a relative or other known adult in the child’s life (such as a teacher, coach, or friend) cannot be identified to care for them while their parents attempt to rehabilitate, they will end up on the doorstep of someone like me — a foster parent who will welcome them, embrace them into the fold of their family, and care for them as long as is necessary. It can be an overwhelming commitment, one my spouse and I made for 15 years.

Despite my training as a psychologist, I was overwhelmed and surprised by how taxing being a foster parent can be, and how much the journey can impact one’s mental health and well-being. A handful of years into our journey, I also started a nonprofit to support other foster families, creating a community of folks all in the daily trenches of foster care. Through All Our Kids Inc., I met countless families who were struggling in the same ways, dealing with the same things, taxing their mental health through the same means.

The challenges of foster care are numerous. It can be complicated and messy and frustrating, pushing many of us to question whether we’re really cut out for this. A lot of people assume the hardest part is managing children’s behavior, or the uncertainty regarding if and when you’ll say goodbye to a child you love. These are hard, but typically not the deal breakers.

Working with hundreds of families over the years, I’ve learned what actually pushes people beyond their tolerance is the stress of dealing with the system: managing appointments, court dates, home visits, lack of response from overworked social workers, juggling all the therapies, the bureaucracy of getting permission for mundane things like haircuts and out-of-state travel, customer-service representatives at a child’s health insurance company … the list goes on and on. These cumulative stressors can really take a toll on a foster parent’s mental health. We need support. And it’s more simple than it sounds.

These days, our society is more open about mental health, giving ourselves and each other permission to seek help through therapy and medication. I applaud these strategies and employ them myself. But they do not reduce the stressors that wear us out and spread us thin. For that, we need to look to each other.

During Foster Care Awareness Month, I encourage everyone who is not a foster parent, and is able, to seek out a foster family and offer one piece of support: cook a meal, mow the lawn, offer a ride, offer childcare … anything that puts actions to the words, “you’ve got this, and we’ve got you.”

You’ll be amazed at the impact a small act of support can have on a family struggling to manage it all. You could, very literally, be keeping a family together. Sometimes the most powerful medicine is support from each other.

 

Marianna Litovich is the founder and executive director of All Our Kids Inc.

Developing Executive Leaders Is Key

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Opinion

Opinion

By Kim Dunn

Have you ever met someone who described themselves as a ‘lifelong learner?’ If you have, then you likely know why the ongoing development of executives is critical to your organization’s success.

In today’s fast-paced, ever-evolving business landscape, executive-level leaders face immense pressure to guide their organizations toward success while navigating complex challenges. The ability to make strategic decisions, foster innovation, and inspire teams is crucial — and it all begins with continuous development of leadership.

Executive development is not merely a luxury; it’s a necessity. Leaders at the top often set the tone for organizational culture and performance. By investing in the growth of executives, leaders strengthen their ability to adapt to new market trends, embrace diverse perspectives, and foster resilience in the face of uncertainty.

Leaders often feel they are responsible for having all the answers, and they put enormous pressure on themselves to be everything to everyone. In reality, we know that no one leader knows everything. We can, however, increase our knowledge while sharing experiences and challenges with peers. Developing yourself through peer learning can enhance essential skills such as emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and decision making, all of which are indispensable for effective leadership.

Facilitated peer-group conversations can provide leaders with a unique platform to connect, learn, and collaborate. Executive roles can be isolating, as individuals in these positions may feel reluctant to share vulnerabilities or challenges within their organization. Peer groups offer a safe space to exchange ideas, seek advice, and gain valuable insights from others who have faced similar situations. These conversations foster a sense of community and spark innovative solutions that might not emerge in isolation.

When executive development and peer-group interactions are prioritized, organizations reap the benefits. Leaders become more agile, insightful, and equipped to tackle both internal and external challenges. Investing in the development of executive leaders is not just an investment in individuals, it’s an investment in the future of the organization. By cultivating a culture of growth, collaboration, and shared wisdom, businesses empower their leaders to thrive and lead with purpose.

If you or someone you work with is an executive who would benefit from actively participating in an executive peer group, the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast will offer an executive-coach-facilitated executive peer group starting in June. Visit www.eane.org/executive-peer-group for more information and to register.

 

Kim Dunn is a strategic human resources consultant with the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast. This article first appeared on the EANE blog; eane.org

The Power of Purposeful Purchases

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Shalini Bahl and Iman Fenina

 

With intention, consumers can make a powerful impact. Recent boycotts of companies like Amazon, protesting issues such as labor practices, environmental impact, and corporate greed, have highlighted the power of consumer action. But for such initiatives to succeed long-term, this shift needs to expand beyond occasional boycotts toward shopping in alignment with our values. It isn’t just about what we’re refusing to buy — it’s about what we actively choose to support.

What if we could reimagine our relationship with consumption? This past semester, students at the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst explored this idea, finding answers close to home. North of UMass in the Mill District and in the heart of downtown Amherst, they identified six exemplary establishments that redefine marketplaces to nourish consumers and communities.

Located in the Mill District, Carefree Cakery is built on a foundation of fair-trade ingredients, health-conscious options, and empowerment for women and minority employees. Caring for the community, both locally and globally, this bakery is also committed to offering allergen-friendly desserts, making inclusivity at the heart of what they do.

“I’ve had people come in saying, ‘my kid has never had cake before because he’s allergic to eggs, and I can’t get that anywhere,’” founder and master baker Alysia Bryant said. “That’s why we’re here.”

If you’re like most people, you probably enjoy a good cup of coffee. But did you know that producing a single cup takes 140 litres of water? Also located in Amherst’s Mill District, Futura Coffee Roasters takes this issue head-on, sourcing their beans from regenerative farmers and investing 3% of sales back into sustainable practices. Unlike chains that have turned to limiting seating to increase turnover, Futura offers a warm and collaborative workspace.

“We’re part of a tight-knit community of business owners here in the Mill District,” General Manager Camden Mosher said. “Carefree Cakery next door supports us, and we support them by featuring their fair-trade muffins exclusively.”

Ultra-processed foods and excess sugar are a threat to public health, but Kwench in downtown Amherst is offering a refreshing alternative, making all orders with high-quality ingredients sourced from local organic farms. Unlike many competitors, Kwench’s commitment to fresh, whole ingredients delivers superior nutrition free of added sugars and preservatives, while also supporting local agriculture. The business also fosters a sense of community with local artwork, games, and occasional live music, creating a vibrant space that connects Amherst residents beyond just food.

With a focus on BIPOC and fair-trade artisans, and prioritizing composting and reusing materials, Mary Moore Design offers both a haven for mindful personalized interior design services and in-store classes. This downtown Amherst business is firmly rooted in ethical sourcing and sustainable living practices. The business places storytelling at the heart of its approach, with Moore noting that building relationships and calling attention to the stories behind her products is central to her mission.

The fashion industry contributes around 10% of global carbon emissions and is one of the most wasteful in the world. This is the challenge Andréa Marion, owner of the Closet, set out to combat. Her solution? A welcoming boutique in the Mill District offering luxury second-hand clothing at 60% to 75% below market prices, making sustainable fashion accessible to everyone. By promoting clothing reuse, the Closet helps extend the life cycle of garments, and Marion’s personal connection with customers turns shopping into a meaningful, sustainable experience.

Another Mill District gem, 3 Amigos was founded by immigrant families from Latin America who came to the U.S. without knowing English. They’ve created a cultural bridge that preserves Latin American heritage while strengthening community bonds through partnerships with local farmers, meat vendors, artists, and cultural celebrations.

Showcasing dishes from Puerto Rico, Chile, and Mexico, “our ingredients are primarily locally sourced, allowing us to create authentic dishes that stay true to our country’s traditional recipes while we lower our carbon footprint and offer the freshest food possible,” co-founder Matias Martinez said.

Being an intentional consumer isn’t about dogmas and guilt. It’s about staying true to our values. In a world defined by environmental urgency, inequality, and political division, our purchasing choices are an investment in the future we want to create. Choosing differently becomes an act of both rebellion and love — for ourselves and our community. These six small yet impactful local businesses exemplify how our choices can sustain not only local communities, but also foster a more sustainable, equitable, and connected future.

 

Why Learning Cultures Are Winning

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Pam Thornton

The landscape of work has shifted dramatically between the technology tornado of advancing AI, evolving employee expectations, and increased competition for top talent. Despite this whirlwind of changes, one truth remains constant — employee development is the cornerstone of long-term organizational success. The organizations that fail to prioritize learning are going to risk falling behind.

The critical question HR leaders should ask themselves right now is: what is our organization’s learning mindset? A learning mindset goes beyond offering training programs or tuition reimbursements. It is a deeply rooted organizational belief that continuous development is essential to business success. This means fostering a culture where curiosity, adaptability, and upskilling are not just encouraged, but embedded into the daily operations of the business.

Companies that embrace a strong learning mindset recognize that skills have a shorter shelf life than ever, and that traditional training models just can’t keep up. To remain competitive, employees must continuously learn and adapt.

The workforce today wants more than just a job. Employees are prioritizing growth and development. A 2024 LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report reported that 94% of employees would stay longer at a company that invests in their learning. If we do this right, we can retain the employees we work so hard to hire and foster a culture of learning that also fuels innovation in our organization all at the same time.

So, how does your organization measure up?

A weak learning mindset is evident when training is treated like a checkbox activity rather than a strategic investment in employee growth and organizational success. Learning opportunities are often limited to compliance-based or generic programs, leaving little room for personalized development. This opens employees up to feeling unsupported in taking time for learning and development, which can lead to disengagement and can really stifle innovation.

Organizations with a strong learning mindset foster an environment where leaders actively support and participate in learning initiatives, setting the tone for continuous development. Employees have a personalized training plan that aligns with their unique career path, ensuring growth is integrated into performance goals and a professional-development plan.

HR leaders need to take an active role in shaping an organization’s learning mindset if we want to build one. Learning can be embedded into everyday work through microlearning, certificate programs, mentorship, and peer coaching on the job.

Empowering leaders as learning champions is crucial. When leaders model curiosity and invest in their own development, they reinforce the organization’s commitment to growth. HR can support this by implementing leadership development programs that emphasize coaching, feedback, and a continuous learning mindset. Recognizing and incentivizing employees who proactively invest in their development will further solidify a culture where learning is valued and prioritized.

The future belongs to learning organizations. The most successful companies will be those that support a strong learning mindset at every level. The question isn’t whether your organization offers learning opportunities, it’s whether learning is truly embedded in your culture.

So, ask yourself again: what is your organization’s learning mindset? The answer could determine your ability to attract, engage, and retain top talent in an increasingly competitive world.

 

Pam Thornton is director of Strategic HR Services at the Employers Assoc. of the Northeast. This article first appeared on the EANE blog; eane.org

DPU Prioritizes Energy Affordability

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Penni Conner

Eversource commends the Department of Public Utilities for listening to customer concerns about affordability and taking the difficult action on Feb. 28 to order a reduction in the proposed 2025-27 Energy Efficiency and Decarbonization Plan. This is the most immediate step the state can take to provide long-term rate relief to customers and ensure that the pace of the energy transition in Massachusetts is affordable and attainable.

To be clear, we are steadfastly committed to the Mass Save programs, which are essential to meeting the Commonwealth’s decarbonization goals and provide significant benefits to customers and the state as a whole, but this winter’s higher-than-normal natural-gas bills make a revision to this plan imperative at this time.

This is how the collaborative process is intended to work — a wide variety of diverse stakeholders come together to develop a plan aimed at achieving Massachusetts’ ambitious clean-energy targets, and that plan then receives a thorough regulatory review to ensure all aspects of the program respond to customer needs and strike a balance between meeting statewide climate goals, establishing program affordability, providing robust access for customers, and enhancing reliability.

We appreciate the invaluable collaboration of the wide variety of diverse stakeholders on the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council who unanimously supported the proposed plan, as well as the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, the Attorney General’s Office, and countless other community, business, and labor stakeholders who provided their input through this process — and we look forward to our continued work together to deliver the nation-leading energy-efficiency programs that reflect our broad support of efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, improve air quality, and advance electrification while also driving down energy usage for customers.

At the same time, this winter’s bills have posed serious challenges and concerns for our customers that reinforce the critical need to maintain affordability and reliability as top priorities in our collective pursuit of the Commonwealth’s energy transition. We will be closely reviewing this order with those priorities top of mind as we work collaboratively to develop a revised plan that best serves all customers and communities.

Massachusetts has been number one in the nation for energy efficiency under previous plans that had lower budgets for these programs, and we’re confident that we can keep the Commonwealth at the national forefront of energy efficiency and decarbonization with a revised plan.

Moving forward, we’re as committed as ever to the collaboration and hard work that will be required to provide impactful, long-term rate relief to customers while also advancing a clean-energy future that addresses climate change. Energy efficiency is just one of many important pieces on that broader path to decarbonization, and collective buy-in is essential for the various solutions that will be needed to achieve our shared goals, including addressing the region’s energy-supply challenges.

Along with a 10% reduction to the total bill through the local distribution adjustment charge that Eversource proposed late last month, customers began seeing lower rates effective March 1. Total estimated bill impacts through the off-peak months for customers as a result of these adjustments are not yet available and will be provided in upcoming regulatory filings. 

Eversource encourages customers to take advantage of the many options available to help them manage their energy bills with financial assistance, flexible payment plans, and energy-efficiency programs.

 

Penni Conner is executive vice president of Customer Experience and Energy Strategy for Eversource.

The Evolving American Work Ethic

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Allison Ebner

 

The American work ethic has undergone significant transformations throughout history, shaped by economic shifts, cultural influences, and technological advancements. From the basic roots of early America to the rise of the gig economy in the 21st century, the way Americans perceive and engage with work has continuously evolved, and we are experiencing seismic shifts in the relationship between employees and their attitude about work.

The foundation of the American work ethic can be traced back to the early settlers, who emphasized diligence, self-reliance, and frugality. These values, rooted in religious beliefs, became central to the country’s cultural identity. As the U.S. transitioned from an economy built around agriculture to an industrial one in the 19th century, work took on new forms. Factory jobs demanded long hours and strict discipline, reinforcing the notion that hard work was the path to success and upward mobility.

The 20th century saw the rise of corporate America, bringing with it the standardization of the workday. The 9-to-5 schedule became the norm, providing structure and stability for millions of workers. Labor unions played a critical role in advocating for fair wages, reasonable hours, and improved working conditions, leading to the establishment of labor laws that continue to shape employment today. The mid-century period was marked by a belief in company loyalty, where long-term employment with a single employer was the ideal.

With the advent of computers and the internet in the late 20th century, the nature of work began to shift dramatically. Automation and globalization disrupted traditional industries, leading to the decline of manufacturing jobs and the rise of knowledge-based work. The increasing demand for productivity and connectivity blurred the boundaries between work and personal life. As a result, the conversation around work-life balance gained momentum, challenging the notion that success could be achieved only through relentless work.

A big shift was felt in the early 21st century, brought about by the gig economy and characterized by freelance and contract work. Platforms like Uber, Upwork, and Fiverr allowed workers to have more flexibility, but also introduced new challenges, such as job insecurity and lack of benefits. This shift reflected changing attitudes toward work, where autonomy and purpose became as important as stability and financial gain.

Today, the American work ethic continues to evolve in response to technological advancements, generational shifts, and cultural changes. Millennial and Gen-Z workers prioritize meaningful work, mental health, and work-life balance more than previous generations. The rise of remote work, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has further reshaped workplace expectations, emphasizing flexibility and results over rigid schedules.

As artificial intelligence and automation continue to redefine job roles, the American workforce must adapt once again. Lifelong learning, adaptability, and innovation will become the cornerstones of the new work ethic, ensuring that the American spirit of hard work remains relevant in an ever-changing world.

So how should we, as employers, move forward to attract, retain and motivate our workforce? My first piece of advice for the Baby Boomer and Gen-X C-suite leaders is to let go of the notion that the work ethic of yesterday is coming back. That ship has sailed, and the faster we can embrace this perspective, the more effective we can be at creating our optimal workforce of tomorrow.

How do we create engagement with employees today, where productivity and accountability are part of the successful equation?

• Foster a positive work culture. Create a work environment with transparent and open communication, where expectations are clearly outlined and there are rewards and incentives for hitting goals.

• Provide growth and development opportunities. Employees are more engaged when they see a clear path for career advancement. Offering professional-development programs, mentorship, and upskilling opportunities ensures that workers remain motivated and committed to their roles.

• Emphasize purpose and mission alignment. Employees want to feel that their work has meaning. Organizations that connect employees to a greater purpose and align their roles with company values tend to have higher levels of engagement and productivity.

 

Allison Ebner is president of the Employers Assoc. of New England. This article first appeared on the EANE blog; eane.org

Opinion

By Contributor
Opinion

Effective Communication Is Key

By Sam Borsari

Emerging human-resources (HR) professionals are faced with a rapidly changing business environment, which has greatly emphasized the value of effective communication. Hybrid and remote workforces have become a reality for many, which means there are greater communication barriers than there were several years ago. Additionally, the shifting workforce brings generational differences that must be addressed.

Emerging HR professionals need to ask themselves, ‘how am I communicating with intention to maintain expectations, engagement, and culture for those working in various capacities?’ To make matters more challenging, these professionals are also learning how to navigate a seemingly complex political environment, which has triggered swift employment-law changes. Clearly communicating these updates while working to reduce internal conflict is essential to mitigate risk and ensure understanding.

Coinciding with effective communication, emerging HR professionals should focus their attention on developing their emotional intelligence (EQ) — the ability to recognize, understand, and manage both their own emotions and their relationships with others. EQ is comprised of self-awareness, self-management, motivation, empathy, and social skills.

While this may seem apparent to some, emotional intelligence is essential for emerging HR professionals, as it helps foster trust among their employees and strengthens internal relationships. By having a high level of emotional intelligence, emerging professionals will be able to lead by example and encourage a culture of collaboration and open communication. It will also allow them to better manage difficult conversations with more confidence.

Emerging HR professionals are in a unique and exciting position. They bring fresh eyes and a new perspective to pre-established processes. However, implementing change within an organization as an emerging professional comes with challenges, especially when it comes to gaining the respect and influence of senior leaders. This hurdle can create a mental roadblock, limiting the individual’s ability to drive change and showcase their potential leadership capabilities.

This is why honing influence and relationship-building skills is essential for emerging HR professionals. While this doesn’t happen overnight, developing business acumen and learning to align HR initiatives with broader business goals is a way to start. These skills will allow emerging professionals to have a voice at the table and a chance at greater success within their HR role.

If emerging HR professionals aren’t initiating change themselves, they are at the forefront of managing it, whether due to evolving employment laws, shifting business landscapes, or changing workplace expectations and/or culture. This is now more apparent than ever. Emerging HR professionals must be able to guide their team through transitionary periods and help them navigate uncertainty. These moments present a valuable opportunity to demonstrate leadership ability and resiliency even in high-pressure situations.

This makes adaptability and change management incredibly important skills to develop. To build on this, emerging professionals should focus on staying up to date with compliance changes, embrace the idea of continuous learning, and develop strategic procedures to support their organization through periods of transition.

 

Sam Borsari is a member experience specialist with the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast. This article first appeared on the EANE blog; eane.org

Understanding and Managing Contracts

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Opinion

Opinion

By Sean Hogan

 

In the bustling world of modern business, contracts form the backbone of countless transactions, agreements, and partnerships. Yet, many businesses remain unaware of the myriad contracts that exist within their operations, particularly those for software and services. This oversight can lead to significant financial and operational pitfalls.

Contracts are not merely formalities; they are binding legal agreements that dictate the terms of business relationships. These documents encompass a wide range of commitments, from software licenses and service agreements to leases and supplier contracts. Unfortunately, the complexity and volume of these contracts can often lead businesses to lose track of their obligations, especially when it comes to the fine print.

A common feature in many business contracts, particularly for software and services, is the auto-renewal clause. These clauses are often buried in the small print, easily overlooked during the initial review. An auto-renewal clause stipulates that the contract will automatically renew for another term unless the client explicitly opts out, usually in writing, within a specified period.

Many businesses fall into the trap of neglecting these clauses, leading to unintended renewals. These renewals can range from a minimum of one year to as long as three to five years, depending on the contract. The implications of such automatic renewals can be profound, locking businesses into costly agreements that may no longer serve their needs or align with their strategic goals.

The financial impact of auto-renewals cannot be overstated. Consider a scenario where a business has multiple software subscriptions, each with an auto-renewal clause. If these contracts renew without the business’s knowledge, the company could find itself incurring substantial, unexpected expenses. These costs can quickly add up, straining the company’s budget and diverting funds from more critical projects.

To mitigate the risks associated with auto-renewals, businesses must implement robust contract-management practices. Tracking contracts involves maintaining a detailed and organized record of all agreements, including their terms, renewal dates, and termination clauses. This level of oversight ensures that businesses remain aware of their contractual obligations and can take proactive steps to manage renewals effectively.

Engaging legal counsel can provide invaluable support in managing business contracts. Legal professionals have the expertise to review contract terms, identify potential pitfalls, and negotiate favorable terms on behalf of the business. Their insights can help businesses navigate the complexities of contract law and ensure that their interests are protected.

Finally, fostering a culture of contract awareness within the organization is crucial. Employees at all levels should be educated on the importance of understanding and managing contracts. This includes training on how to read and interpret contract terms, recognizing the significance of auto-renewal clauses, and knowing the procedures for contract termination.

By promoting contract awareness, businesses can empower their teams to take an active role in managing contractual obligations. This collective effort can lead to more informed decision making, better risk management, and ultimately, a stronger financial position.

 

Sean Hogan is president of Hogan Technology Inc.

Build a Future-ready Workforce

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Opinion

Opinion

By Allison Ebner

 

As organizational leaders and HR professionals, we are going to continue to be challenged in the new year and beyond with a roller coaster of issues as we try to match our workforces to the complex needs of our organizations and the demands of our clients and consumers. It will take an incredible amount of innovation for us to remain competitive not only within our industry landscape, but also in our employee-engagement strategies.

Nearly every industry will be experiencing significant labor-force challenges with pending retirements from the Boomers and Gen-X, and we’re also facing a transformational time in work experience and career expectations from our Millennial and Gen-Z employees. So as an organizational leader today, how should you best prepare for the coming disruptions? Here are three strategies to consider as we turn the corner into 2025:

1. Prioritize investments in continuous learning and development for your staff. Business, technology, and talent trends are moving at the speed of light. By creating a continuous learning model for your staff, you are empowering them to be resilient thinkers who can make better decisions for themselves, your organization, and your customers.

How do you approach this? Conduct an optimization assessment of each role or department in your organization. What competencies would help a team member perform at their peak? Keep it simple with a list of technical skills, power skills (formerly called soft skills), and future skills. Once you identify the list, create a learning pathway that helps you skill-build in each area.

2. Focus on building leaders with high levels of emotional intelligence. This will make or break you. Period. Full stop. It’s hard to describe just how much this matters in our work ecosystems today, but I’ll try to do just that. If you can create people leaders with this competency — even to a high degree, not perfection — you will slay your competition and crush your employee-retention goals.

We no longer have a workforce that will tolerate moderately decent managers. They have to be better. They need to instill a sense of urgency to get the job done right, combined with empathy, accountability, and the ability to teach resilience practices. This is key because our world is going to continuously evolve and change. We need to build teams that can inspire and motivate our future workforce through change and chaos and turn these uncertainties into opportunities.

3. Strengthen the bonds between technology and your people. The fifth industrial revolution has arrived, and it’s the evolution of people and machines working together to build our organizations and move us forward. Whatever industry you’re in, you can use technology to propel innovation and create a workplace the optimizes technology while enhancing the human experience.

It’s also all about your customer experience. If we want to win the battle for market share, grant funding, venture capital … whatever it is that makes you tick, you’ll need to have a strategy that includes providing your talent with the best tech tools to give you an advantage.

By embracing a mindset of continuous learning, combined with leveling up your people leaders and blending technology in your current work practices, leading organizations can pivot from a traditional model aimed at scalable efficiency that grew out of our industrial past to one that is far more suited to a world in which speed, agility, and innovation rule the day, and in which people expect more meaning, choice, growth, and autonomy at work.

 

Allison Ebner is president of the Employers Assoc. of New England. This article first appeared on the EANE blog; eane.org

Know the Signs of Imposter Scams

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Opinion

Opinion

By JARED LAWRENCE

 

From phony calls threatening to shut off power to bogus emails and even imposters pretending to be employees, scammers posing as Eversource representatives are becoming increasingly more sophisticated. While their deceitful tactics may vary, the goal is always the same — to steal money and personal information.

Eversource is joining utilities across the country in reminding customers to be vigilant and recognize the signs of suspicious behavior.

These bad actors have it down to a science, and they can be incredibly convincing — instilling a sense of urgency so customers feel like they don’t have time to check if the person is legitimate before following their demands. We remind our customers that, if you notice any red flags, don’t be afraid to hang up or shut the door on someone who may be trying to scam you, and then call us immediately at (877) 659-6326 to verify the status of your account.

As customers shop for third-party suppliers to lower their energy costs, another con to be aware of is people coming to the door and using deceptive marketing tactics to convince customers to switch energy suppliers.

With the holiday season in full swing — a time when scam activity typically intensifies — customers are reminded of the following tips to stay safe:

• Eversource representatives do not require the use of prepaid debit cards, such as Green Dot MoneyPak, Vanilla, or Reloadit. They will also never ask customers to pay using a Bitcoin ATM.

Eversource representatives never require customers to go to a department or grocery store to make a payment.

• Customers should never provide personal, financial, or account information to any unsolicited person on the phone, at the door, or online, even if they seem legitimate.

• Eversource does not solicit door-to-door or on the phone on behalf of third-party energy suppliers.

All Eversource employees carry photo identification; field workers wear clothing with the company logo and drive company vehicles.

• Customers who are scheduled for disconnection due to non-payment receive several written notices, including an alert on their bill, that includes information on how to maintain their service.

• Customers who doubt whether a call, in-person interaction, text, or email is legitimate should call Eversource directly at the number on their bill to confirm the authenticity of the contact.

• Customers should not search for Eversource’s phone number or website through a search engine. You can find contact information, including the website, on your Eversource bill.

Visit Utilities United Against Scams at www.utilitiesunited.org for more tips and helpful information to stop scams.

 

Jared Lawrence is the founder of Utilities United Against Scams and senior vice president for Customer Operations and Digital Strategy at Eversource.

 

Consider Calling In a Coach

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Pam Thornton

Our workplaces are more dynamic than they have ever been. HR professionals are coaching and developing employees every day as they manage through conflict, problem-solve to create solutions, and prepare the workforce for change that is constantly coming. Coaching is a critical component to organizational success. But knowing when to bring in a professional coach to help can make the difference between reaching new levels of success or falling short of your team’s potential. How do you know when it’s time to call in reinforcements?

When you’re considering coaching for your employees, timing and willingness are everything. Not every employee is ready for a coach. Before you embark on this journey, you need to gauge coaching readiness, which is the level of openness and alignment needed for coaching to truly succeed. Answer important questions like, is the employee open to feedback? Are they motivated to change? If they aren’t, they may not be ready for coaching.

Coaching can be extremely effective in many situations. It’s used in times of leadership transition, to improve performance, and to build and develop employees and a high-performing culture, just to name a few.

Leadership transitions are an ideal time to call in a coach because they align employee ambitions with company objectives, setting everyone up for long-term success. A coach can assist new leaders in developing critical skills like strategic thinking, people management, and effective communication. This can reduce the learning curve and allow them to build the confidence they need to thrive in their new role.

Sometimes, employees struggle in specific areas that impact their performance. These could range from time management to communication skills or conflict resolution. A coach can provide tailored guidance, helping the employee address these gaps through targeted exercises, feedback, and actionable goals. This kind of intervention allows the employee to focus on areas of improvement without affecting the overall team dynamic or productivity.

High-performing employees often want to see a path forward within their current organization. Investing in a coach to support these individuals as they work toward their career goals demonstrates that you’re committed to their growth. Professional coaches can assist with skill development, goal setting, and achieving clarity around career aspirations. This proactive approach improves retention by showing employees that they are valued and supported on a personalized level.

Organizations aiming to create a culture of high performance can benefit immensely from coaching programs. High-performance coaching encourages employees to set ambitious goals, challenge themselves, and overcome obstacles. Coaches bring strategies for cultivating a growth mindset, empowering employees to see setbacks as opportunities.

Coaching isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, however. The best time to bring in a coach is when employees face challenges that require new perspectives or skills. Whether preparing for leadership, addressing performance gaps, or building your culture, coaching can be a powerful tool to empower your team.

We need everyone rowing in the same direction as we navigate these rough waters of constant change in our workplaces. Investing in coaching enhances team dynamics, fosters a culture of continuous growth, and can build resilience across your organization as you pave the way for future success.

 

Pam Thornton is director of Strategic HR Services at the Employers Assoc. of the Northeast. This article first appeared on the EANE blog; eane.org

Envisioning Holyoke as a College Town

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinon

By James E. Samels, Arlene L. Lieberman, Michael Moriarty, and Jacob Brewer

 

Long before bowl games and Sweet Sixteens, college towns celebrated their venerable roots at places like Harvard in Cambridge; Yale in New Haven, Conn., and Princeton in Princeton, N.J. Consider the proliferation of neoclassical destination college towns across America over the last century — campuses like Amherst, Boulder, Champagne, Durham, Ithaca, Madison, etc.

Destination college towns typically attract students, faculty, families, and year-round visitors because they offer something for everyone. Destination college towns may be small, yet they thrive — with great public schools and prep schools, vibrant downtowns, family discovery centers and tourist attractions, upscale amenities, on-campus concerts, charming villages, and safe, walkable neighborhoods.

With a proud history as the largest paper manufacturer in the U.S., the 15 neighborhoods that now make up Holyoke are among the most diverse in the Commonwealth. With a strong Irish and Latinx population, it is no surprise that Holyoke is home to the second-largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the U.S. and Fiestas Patronales, the region’s largest showcase of Puerto Rican music, cuisine, and culture. Volleyball lovers rejoice as they enter Holyoke, the birthplace of American volleyball and home to the Volleyball Hall of Fame at Holyoke Heritage State Park.

Founded in 1971, OneHolyoke CDC is a community-development organization dedicated to improving housing for Holyoke residents. Since its establishment, the organization has created more than 160 new homes in the Flats, Churchill, and South Holyoke neighborhoods; rehabilitated hundreds of apartments; and provided thousands of home-improvement grants to homeowners through the Neighborhood Improvement Program.

OneHolyoke builds new homes, improves and manages a portfolio of multi-family buildings, and, in partnership with the city, offers loan and grant opportunities to property owners who need to improve their properties. OneHolyoke has a particular focus on the value of home ownership, both for the families it serves and for the social and financial well-being of the city of Holyoke.

OneHolyoke CEO Michael Moriarty’s hope is that “young people will grow up and love being from Holyoke.” That can be difficult for those growing up in poverty, but we (as a community-development corporation) can certainly take the edge off.

There are a lot of good things happening in Holyoke. Housing, residential, and mixed-use win-win partnerships drive non-tuition revenue streams for both college campuses and towns; hence, destination college towns are less dependent on conventional tuition revenue. Both colleges and towns highly value non-tuition revenue from consumer market demand, tourism, retail, entertainment, and auxiliary enterprises.

“As an institution of opportunity, Holyoke Community College sees itself as an economic and workforce-development engine within its region and in the city it calls home,” HCC President George Timmons said. “I am proud to be the fifth president of HCC, and I am committed to the growth of our community through excellence in education, which meets the needs of our citizens and of area businesses. HCC looks forward to the development of creative partnerships and innovative projects to further the needs of the individual to get a job, to get a better job, and to learn how to do the job better, all right here in Holyoke.

“I am confident that Holyoke has numerous opportunities for growth,” Timmons added. “We recognize that a focus on workforce skill development and the encouragement of an entrepreneurial infrastructure can move the city forward. Holyoke is where we are located, college is what we do, and community is who we are.”

To this end, destination college towns deploy underutilized and underleveraged real-estate assets. These high-value assets collateralize off-campus residential growth opportunities and create a downtown renaissance. Beyond downtown, these partnerships build new, intergenerational residential living and learning communities located at underutilized historical homes and buildings.

Towns know that public-school rankings and reputation drive up property values. Thus, destination college towns value highest and best use. This means creative mixed uses like student, faculty, and staff housing; artist lofts; design and media studios; bookstores; cafes; organic bakeries; multi-ethnic bistros; boutiques; gift and memorabilia shops; microbreweries; live entertainment; and bowling, billiards, and axe throwing.

As a practical matter, colleges and universities are among the largest local employers and economic forces that drive downtown redevelopment. These destination college towns ignite active participation in town-gown relations, with school superintendents and municipal officials participating in on-campus events and college officials serving on municipal boards and community organizations.

In the end, destination college towns are built on mutual respect, economic interdependence, and collegial sympatico — the kind of partnerships that are sustainable and impactful in the near future and over the long run.

 

James E. Samels is president and CEO of the Education Alliance. Arlene L. Lieberman is senior associate of Samels Associates, Attorneys at Law. Michael Moriarty, executive director of One Holyoke, and Jacob Brewer, graduate of the University of Chicago and Alliance Research fellow, are contributors to this article.

 

Businesses Need Educated Workforce

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Edward Lambert

Voters across the Commonwealth will decide on Nov. 5 whether to keep the MCAS as a high-school graduation requirement or to toss it without any real replacement that will ensure a high-school diploma actually means something in Massachusetts. Springfield’s business community must stand up and take notice.

While it is never a good time to lower standards, doing so when we are facing increasing national and international pressure to maintain our state’s economic competitiveness would be misguided at best and foolish at worst. The MCAS requirement not only helps strengthen our public education system, but also helps prepare our future workforce and improves our ability to attract and retain talent from our own backyard.

As part of the Knowledge Corridor, Springfield and its surrounding area host many colleges and universities. Education-adjacent jobs drive much of the city’s employment opportunities. Additionally, Baystate Health’s corporate offices operate out of Springfield. Other healthcare facilities, including Mercy Medical Center, bolster the area’s healthcare employment market.

Still, even with the city’s reliable employment industries, the overall employment rate is dismal, with 8.7% of Springfield residents facing unemployment, a leap above the national 5.3% average.

A well-rounded education can counter that. Now more than ever, Springfield needs an educated workforce to capitalize on the robust education, financial, and healthcare jobs that have long sustained the community. Requiring a passing MCAS score ensures public schools are producing graduates with the knowledge and skills needed for success in these markets.

MCAS data helps address and combat the inequities in our school systems that stunt student growth. Without it, we cannot accurately determine which students need the most support.

Question 2 states that, instead of passing the MCAS, students would be required to complete coursework certified by a student’s district as “demonstrating mastery of the competencies contained in the state academic standards.” While this language suggests that the state standards will still apply, as we’ve learned from our teachers in our high-school statistics and research courses, if you don’t have uniformity in how you assess something like achievement, then you don’t have a single standard. Only a common assessment can assure that.

In spite of some concerns raised when the MCAS graduation requirement went into effect, graduation rates eventually went up, dropout rates went down, and student achievement increased for all groups of students, leading Massachusetts to its first-in-the-nation status. Establishing a single, statewide standard for graduation has been central to that success.

If Question 2 passes, interpretation of the standards and whether they have been met will vary from district to district, school to school, and even within schools. In fact, just look at recent research and reports of grade inflation through and since the pandemic that has been detrimental to students, leading them to believe, incorrectly, that they are ready for college or a career.

Since the business community relies on an educated workforce to grow and compete in the 21st century, we must vote no on Question 2 and support targeted investments in our school system, including access to internships and other workforce opportunities.

As it stands, the MCAS remains the best barometer for determining whether or not students are learning at grade level. It shows where we’ve helped our students and where we’ve failed them. If we are dismayed by declining or stagnant test results, we shouldn’t tear up the test just because we don’t like what it reveals.

If our schools’ curriculums meet the same standards mandated by the state, our students should be able to pass the MCAS. If they aren’t, we should use the results to improve their performance and prepare them for a successful college and career path.

 

Edward Lambert is executive director of the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, a nonprofit organization of employers created to promote improvement in public education. He is also a former mayor and school committee member in Massachusetts.

Our Wild West Workforce

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Allison Ebner

The phrase ‘wild west workforce’ is not original. In fact, I’ve used it before to describe the landscape that HR professionals were managing during the pandemic. And although we are well past 2020 and the peak of COVID, we are most definitely experiencing strange times today.

The generational shift in our workplaces (think ‘silver tsunami’) is driving change at a rapid pace, and it’s just going to keep coming at us like a whirlwind. A recent report from Newsweek indicated that six in 10 employers that hired a Gen Z candidate over the past six months have already let that employee go. They don’t work hard enough, according to the company execs. They want too much downtime and flexibility and have no idea how to show up and work for 40 hours per week.

I had to chuckle. I remember when my daughter got her first job after graduating from college. “They want me to work eight hours a day, 40 hours a week … doing this?” Yup — my husband and I told her to suck it up and get moving. And she did — for two years, until she decided to start her own business and work for herself. By the way, that’s working out very well for her. She’s working at least 60 hours per week, but it’s on her terms, and it’s doing work that she loves.

Welcome to the new world of work. Millennials and Gen Z will make up 70% of the workforce by the year 2030. They are demanding some changes from employers, and I’m here to tell you — it’s not smart to ignore them. The Baby Boomers are on their way out of the workforce, scaling back their roles and eyeing retirement. Guess what? The Gen-Xers are right behind them! And since Gen X is the smallest generation, many of our current managers are included in this quickly evaporating pool of leaders. So, what should we do next?

First, we have to understand that our workplaces will be changing. And if we don’t embrace some of the things that our newest employees are looking for, we’ll be doing everything ourselves! Flexibility is key, and so is innovation. And by the way, paying your dues is very ‘out’ now. We need to be listening to all ideas, engaging staff at every level and incorporating some of the ideas from the next generation of workers. We also need to provide them with the training and education that they didn’t get in high school or college. (Lots to say on this topic, but that’s a different article.)

Soft skills are now power skills. Communication, critical thinking, emotional intelligence — you own this. Help your employees understand how they fit into your organization, guide them on how to be successful, ask them what they need to do their jobs more effectively, and tell them what you need in return. Update your onboarding process, build mentorship programs, and create ways to reward the behavior you want to see more of. Make sure your managers have the new skills required by today’s people leaders to drive productivity in this new world of work. If they don’t, your organization will suffer.

This ride is going to last a while, so lean in — fasten your seatbelts and get ready for the future of work. We can’t stop progress — it’s here! The EANE team is ready to support you with whatever you may need. Give us a call to discuss your priorities and the resources needed to build an exceptional workplace in 2025.

 

Allison Ebner is president of the Employers Assoc. of the Northeast. This article first appeared on the EANE blog; eane.org

 

Housing Stability for People with Disabilities

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Jennifer Gilbert and Angelina Ramirez

 

Massachusetts has a housing crisis. But we’re seeing how the push for solutions is having positive results.

The Massachusetts Legislature recently passed a housing bond bill designed to jump-start housing production and make housing more affordable. With this progress, now is a perfect moment to focus intentionally toward the needs of a population where housing instability can upend every facet of life: people with disabilities.

Turning our attention toward supporting this population is especially important because addressing the housing crisis for this population — about 12% of our Commonwealth’s households — requires distinct attention to distinct needs.

First, Massachusetts has some of the oldest housing stock in the country. We may be right to cherish our triple-deckers. They are, however, not easily converted for people who have mobility issues. Just a single step at an entrance or uneven floor levels can mean someone with a cane or walker or wheelchair cannot be housed. It is also a common reason people need to move: how many of us wonder how long we can climb the stairs?

In the western part of the state, there has been even less new housing production. New multi-family buildings are required to have accessible units, but we just don’t build that many. There is an opportunity with new housing production to address the range of needs of households with disabilities, with potential steps such as:

• Requiring, at the local planning level, that developers go beyond the federal housing requirement of at least 5% accessible units in new buildings;

• Requiring more universal access to address the fuller range of housing needs and aging in place; and

• Integrating processes that ensure people with disabilities are aware of and move into accessible housing once built.

Second, the goal must be both affordability and accessibility. Households with a disabled member are more likely to experience poverty. In line with national numbers, only about one-third of people with disabilities in Massachusetts are employed. Many rely on Supplemental Security Income, which is around $1,100 a month. For comparison, the median rent in Springfield is $1,047.

Stavros serves about 9,500 people a year in this population and helps about 200 new consumers a year find housing that works for them. In June, Housing Navigator Massachusetts released the first data on affordable and accessible housing in our state’s inventory of income-restricted housing — the very housing intended to serve low- and moderate-income households. The simple truth is that there is not much of this critical housing type, and the distribution is even more sparse outside Boston.

Even within the category of housing that is affordable and meets ADA access requirements, much is not affordable for the lowest-income households. This housing crunch is even more true for people who need a home that has two or more bedrooms, either because of a family or the need for an attendant or equipment. In Stavros’s service area, we identified only 950 affordable and accessible units, with only about one-third of those (337 units) serving people needing two or more bedrooms.

The data confirmed what many already knew: we need to build intentionally. We need to match dollars that lower the rent with homes in terms of location, layout, and other modifications that work for people with disabilities. Going forward, we must emphasize — down into the details that make the difference — housing that is both deeply affordable and accessible.

For everyone, a stable home is the foundation for everything we do. Now is the time to focus on housing that is affordable and accessible. These two measures add up to homes where people with disabilities have that same foundation and the opportunity to thrive.

 

Jennifer Gilbert is the founder and executive director of Housing Navigator Massachusetts, which offers a free online search tool and data about the Commonwealth’s affordable housing. Angelina Ramirez is the CEO of Stavros, a Western Mass. nonprofit that helps people with disabilities take charge of their own lives. She also serves on the Housing Navigator Massachusetts board of directors.

Thriving in the Third Age

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Kathy Martin

Retirement is changing. We are living longer. We are more active. We can continue working — if we want to — well into our retirement years. We can go on adventures, start new hobbies, volunteer, or continue our education. Getting your AARP card is no longer a dreaded milestone, but access to great discounts. Birthdays are celebrations of possibility and opportunity, not a sign that you are over the hill.

One only needs to compare advertising campaigns from the 1980s to today to see that the retirement experience has been entirely reframed by the choices and behaviors of those in retirement now and those expected to retire in the next three to 10 years — the Baby Boomers. Medicare subscribers increase by 10,000 every day, and that number is expected to double by the end of the decade.

You’ve heard that 40 is the new 50? Well, the truth is that 80 is the new 60. In the landmark Age Wave study, the definition of ‘old’ has been pushed back 20 years. In this study, 83% of adults reported they want to be useful in retirement (compared to the 17% that want to be youthful). In that same study, 66% said retirement is a ‘new chapter’ in life, and 97% said it’s important to ‘stay curious’ and be willing to ‘learn new things’ throughout life.

This data reflects what has been called the Third Age — age 60 and up — when the focus is on personal development and reinvention through a lens of growth and purpose. According to Dr. Ken Dychtwald, goals that once seemed cliché and almost mythical — fun, contentment, and happiness — peak during the Third Age.

We arrive in the Third Age during a time of unprecedented medical innovation that leads to longer lifespan, an understanding of the human body and mind that gives us tools to optimize physical and mental health, and a societal openness to self-reflection, centeredness, and peace as worthwhile individual endeavors. The pressure to produce has been replaced with the freedom to choose.

When we started to explore the idea of honoring individuals in their Third Age, it quickly became clear that so many in the 60+ community are embracing this time in their lives. Glenmeadow’s inaugural Age of Excellence Awards were born out of the desire to recognize and celebrate those who serve as models for us all staying open-minded and seeking fresh experiences.

Isn’t that what we are working toward? The opportunity in retirement to embrace self-determination and spend time on things we enjoy — whether that means hiking the Appalachian Trail, traveling the world, starting that business we’d always dreamed of, reading books, or serving the community — the Third Age is a time to put yourself first in a way perhaps you never have before.

In the best of circumstances, though, retirement isn’t just about doing. It’s about being. It’s not about retiring. It’s about contributing. In “The Summer Day,” poet Mary Oliver asked, “what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Perhaps now it is relevant to ask, “what is you plan to do with your Third Age?”

 

Kathy Martin is president and CEO of Glenmeadow, which recently announced seven winners of its inaugural Age of Excellence Awards: Lawrence Akers, Debbie Gardner, Jeffrey Greim, Ethel Griffin, James Lagodich, Maria Roy, and Karen Tetreault. Learn more about them at glenmeadow.org/age-of-excellence-awards.

The Value of Investing in Training

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By John Henderson

We’ve all heard the famous quote by Henry Ford, “the only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.”

When you invest in someone’s professional growth, how do you measure the return on your company’s investment? There are several models that can help you measure return on investment (ROI). One model that many people use is the Kirkpatrick Model of Training Evaluation. In this model, there are four levels to evaluate:

• Level 1: Reaction. This is simply noting how people directly respond to the training. Were they satisfied? You can measure that by evaluation responses.

• Level 2: Learning. What knowledge and skills did the employee acquire due to the training? This can be measured by observing the employee’s performance after the training — was there improvement?

• Level 3: Behavior. How did the employee’s behavior change? Has there been an increase in productivity, motivation, and employee engagement?

• Level 4: Impact. How has the training impacted the goals of the team and/or organization?

While the Kirkpatrick model is widely used, if you are looking for a more mathematical way to measure ROI, you can use a more traditional formula: simply calculate the dollar return (benefit: have sales increased, have efficiencies increased, has retention increased), and divide it by the cost of the investment (training).

Now, with all that said, let’s look at how to effectively get the most return on training investment.

First, determine the skills gap and identify the appropriate training course for the person to attend.

Second, set them up for success by doing the following:

• Explain to the person why you are sending him or her to the training session. I once had a participant during a break tell me he thinks he was sent to the leadership series because he was in trouble. I asked him if he would be comfortable asking his supervisor why he was selected to attend. When he returned to the next class, he proudly proclaimed, “I’m here because they think I have high potential to be a leader.”

• Provide the person with all the logistical information and an overview of what the content of the training will be.

• Provide the trainee’s supervisor with the same information.

• Encourage the trainee and supervisor to meet after the training is completed to discuss what was learned and how the employee intends to use the newly learned skills.

Investing in your employees’ training can bring great ROI if you make sure to follow the four steps outlined above. Don’t spend your learning and development dollars without ensuring that the participant is prepared and ready to learn.

 

John Henderson is director of Learning and Development at the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast. This article first appeared on the EANE blog; eane.org

Creating a Drama-free Workplace

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Kim Dunn

 

Many organizations face the challenge of creating and keeping their workplaces free from conflict and drama. Although drama comes from many places and in many forms, the only sure way to rid your organization of it is to get to its true source.

Identifying the cause or source is where you get to put your detective skills to work. Digging down to the root of the problem starts with asking deep and meaningful questions to draw out what the true issues are that are creating the conflict. To do this, you will need to become an expert fact finder, which is often easier said than done. In many instances, there is not just one issue, but many, and the path to identifying what has created the tension or conflict between employees is murky and blurred with emotions.

It is interesting that there are some organizational cultures that seem to breed drama and others where there is rarely an issue. My research and experience with managing conflict in the workplace has reinforced that failing to address the following items will almost always lead to workplace drama.

• Inauthentic Leadership. A lack of authenticity creates a belief that management is hypocritical and that they only talk the talk, but do not walk the walk. In this environment, employees lose enthusiasm for their jobs, passion for what the company represents, and, most dangerously, they lose trust.

• Lack of Transparency. Misguided attempts at confidentiality can create the sense that everything is a secret. In the face of lacking information, employees will write their own story, which is almost always dangerous. Remember, employees usually know more than you think they know. Old-fashioned though it may sound, it pays to be open with as much information as possible.

• Not Addressing Bad Behavior. Many leaders hope drama will just go away if they ignore it. We know all too well that bad behavior never goes away on its own. The fact that the drama exists must be acknowledged and accepted so that action can be taken to address it. Inconsistency in dealing with conflict not only leads to the erosion of trust, but also increases the chance that it will return for a second act.

What all of these causes have in common is that they lead to a lack of trust in leadership. When employees do not trust and respect leadership, they will quickly become disengaged.

Drama can be created from many sources, and once you have identified the ‘what’ and the ‘why,’ you can begin to take the action necessary to repair the damage or at least stop the bleeding.

If drama is alive and well in your organization, do not wait to take action to uncover and address the issues that are creating or feeding it. Drama impacts the bottom line because it takes up time, and time costs organizations money. That alone is reason enough to make it a top leadership priority.

In taking the steps to address workplace drama, it is important to remember that not all drama is created intentionally. It can be driven by insecurity, fear, or other emotional issues that have not been identified and dealt with. In many organizations, drama is created because people simply do not have the skills to manage conflict. Not many of us wake up in the morning looking forward to managing conflict; however, not having the skills to deal with it can lead to disastrous and expensive drama-filled workplaces.

The culture that you and the leaders are creating and cultivating in your organization must be a priority. By modeling the behaviors of collaboration, support, and customer focus, you will create a foundation where destructive behaviors are quickly identified and corrected. You can even take it a step further and build these behaviors into your performance-management system, which will help reward the best and address the rest.

The one thing we know for sure is that if conflict, aka drama, is not dealt with quickly, thoroughly, and consistently, it will never go away.

 

Kim Dunn is a Strategic Human Resources consultant at the Employers Assoc. of the Northeast. This article first appeared on the EANE blog; eane.org

Fostering a Culture of Respect

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Opinion

Opinion

By John Henderson

Let’s face it: we are living and working in a socially and politically divisive world that can have a negative impact on a company’s culture. So what can an organization do about this in order to create and sustain a culture of respect in their workplace?

It really comes down to courtesy — being polite and aware of other’s concerns and feelings, and practicing the good manners of saying “hello,” asking “how are you?” and actually waiting for the person to respond rather than continuing to walk by them.

We foster a culture of respect by appreciating everyone for their uniqueness and intrinsic worth as a person — what they bring to the team and organization. We realize that we must create a place where people can be their authentic self at work. We show that we value and support others. And the most important thing is that we accept people for who they are and what they do, but we don’t necessarily need to agree with their opinions or values.

The last one is where many organizations fall short by allowing people’s differences to get in the way of having a productive and positive environment where people feel valued and feel that they belong.

As in real estate, where the most important things are location, location, and location, the things that are most important to creating a respectful workplace are communication, communication, and communication. We must lead by example and communicate openly and constructively.

We must also have embedded in our culture the willingness to effectively address disrespectful behavior, not turn and walk away from it. When communicating, make sure it is clear, specific, and understood by the recipient by asking them to repeat back what they heard and what you agree upon. Most importantly, remember that our non-verbal communication is 70% of what is conveyed.

To foster a culture of respect does not have to be a difficult undertaking. Ensuring that the values and norms of the organization are understood by all is the first step, but living them is the next step that needs to be part of everyday life in your organization.

 

John Henderson is director of Learning and Development at the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast. This article first appeared on the EANE blog; eane.org

Keep Talking About Mental Health

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By State Rep. Aaron Saunders

 

I grew up in a home where it was OK to ask if you were OK, mentally or physically, at the dinner table. This was not common during the 1980s, when a stay in a psychiatric ward could be a mark against you for life, but my dad was a psychologist, and my mother, a teacher.

They knew the importance of conversations with their boys about feelings, expectations, and disappointments and not just a skinned knee and how you got it.

I was reminded of this recently during a visit to the newly renovated adolescent unit of MiraVista Behavioral Health Center in Holyoke. Its recent reopening brought back on line 16 much-needed inpatient beds in Western Mass. for youth ages 13 to 17. The redesigned environment enhances delivery of care and healing for this population, in which recent government data estimates that nearly 50% have had a mental-health disorder at some point in their lives.

Massachusetts, with its Roadmap for Behavioral Health Reform, introduced last year a Behavioral Health Line to call 24/7 and network of community behavioral-health centers that provide broader access to mental-health services for those in crisis. The state, too, has added inpatient psychiatric beds to ease Emergency Department boarding that continues for all age groups.

We, as legislators, need to ensure that there is ongoing funding for such services and adequate reimbursement rates for such beds, as well as for addiction-treatment programs. Mental-health and substance-use disorders co-occur frequently, and it is important for both to be treated.

We also need to continue to consider policies that address staffing shortages and issues like educating students and their families on the importance of mental healthcare.

Yet, there is another barrier — stigmatization — around lessening disabling behavioral-health conditions. Massachusetts has a campaign that seeks to educate that addiction is a chronic illness and not a personal choice, but stigma and misinformation continue to prevent individuals with behavioral-health issues from seeking treatment.

You can’t legislative away all stigma. We all need to be better-educated that mental illness can be treated and that there are steps to be taken to prevent poor mental health from progressing to where it interferes with daily life. This is what I reflected on during my recent visit to MiraVista.

I hear from my constituents of the need for services close to home and, in applying the lessons learned from my parents in asking my own three children about their feelings, I get a look into their day in an age when bullying and pressure to engage in unhealthy behavior can come from anywhere.

We all need to be more open to talking with our families, friends, and healthcare providers about our mental health and that of those in our care, as this, too, is part of the roadmap to raising emotionally healthy children and staying emotionally healthy, too.

 

State Rep. Aaron Saunders represents the 7th Hampden District.

Set Attainable Goals for Mental Wellness

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Dr. Negar Beheshti

In a world where the pursuit of perfection can sometimes overshadow the significance of self-compassion, MiraVista Behavioral Health Center emphasizes the need for New Year’s resolutions that prioritize mental health and are both realistic and achievable. This approach aims to reduce the pressure often associated with traditional New Year’s resolutions and promotes a more holistic perspective on personal growth. The key themes are:

Prioritize self-care rituals. Resolve to incorporate daily self-care rituals into your routine. This could include activities like meditation, reading, taking a warm bath, or going for a nature walk.

Establish healthy boundaries. Set clear boundaries in your personal and professional life. Learn to say ‘no’ when necessary and prioritize activities that contribute positively to your well-being.

Cultivate mindfulness and presence. Make a commitment to being more present in the moment. Practice mindfulness through activities like meditation, deep-breathing exercises, or simply taking a moment to appreciate the present.

Nurture positive relationships. Focus on building and strengthening positive relationships. Invest time in meaningful connections with friends and family, fostering a support system that contributes to your emotional well-being.

Limit screen time. Reduce the time spent on electronic devices and social media. Allocate time for activities to promote mental health, such as reading, engaging in hobbies, or spending quality time with loved ones.

Practice gratitude. Start a gratitude journal and make it a habit to reflect on the positive aspects of your life. Regularly expressing gratitude can shift your focus towards positivity.

Engage in regular physical activity. Choose physical activities that you enjoy and make them a regular part of your routine. Exercise has proven benefits for mental health, releasing endorphins that can boost mood and reduce stress.

Seek professional support. Break down the stigma surrounding mental health by committing to seeking professional support when needed. Therapy or counseling can provide valuable tools for managing stress, anxiety, or other mental-health challenges.

Embrace a healthy sleep routine. Prioritize sleep by establishing a consistent sleep routine. Ensure that you are getting enough restorative sleep each night, as it plays a crucial role in mental and emotional well-being.

Learn a new skill or hobby. Engage your mind in positive and creative activities by learning a new skill or picking up a hobby. This can provide a sense of accomplishment and contribute to your overall sense of well-being.

 

Dr. Negar Beheshti is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist and chief medical officer for both MiraVista and TaraVista Behavioral Health Centers.

Final Rule Will Face Legal Challenges

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Ben Brubeck

 

The Biden administration’s final rule, “Federal Acquisition Regulation: Use of Project Labor Agreements for Federal Construction Projects,” implements Executive Order 14063, which requires federal construction contracts of $35 million or more to be subject to controversial project labor agreements (PLAs).

The Biden administration’s burdensome, inflationary, and anti-competitive PLA mandate rule will needlessly raise costs on taxpayer-funded construction projects and steer contracts to unionized contractors and workers. Absent a successful legal challenge, this executive overreach will reward powerful special interests with government construction contracts at the expense of taxpayers and the principles of free enterprise and fair and open competition in government procurement.

When mandated by governments, PLAs increase construction costs to taxpayers by 12% to 20%, reduce opportunities for qualified contractors and their skilled craft professionals, and exacerbate the construction industry’s worker shortage of more than a half-million people in 2023.

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) will continue to fight on behalf of quality, experienced contractors harmed by this rule and the 88.3% of America’s construction industry who have made the choice not to belong to a union and want a fair opportunity to participate in federal construction projects, but cannot do so because of PLA schemes.

In addition, ABC condemns Biden administration policies independent of this rulemaking that push PLAs on competitive grant programs administered by federal agencies, affecting nearly $260 billion worth of federally assisted infrastructure projects procured by state and local governments, as well as schemes by the Biden administration to coerce private developers of hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of clean energy and domestic microchip manufacturing projects to mandate PLAs. Biden’s PLA policies circumvent congressional intent as none of these policies were passed in funding legislation.

Some background: on Aug. 19, 2022, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council issued its proposed rule implementing Executive Order 14063. In October 2022, ABC submitted more than 40 pages of comments to the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council, calling on the Biden administration to withdraw its controversial proposed rule.

ABC’s opposition was shared by more than 50 members of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, 19 Republican governors, and a diverse coalition of construction-industry, small-business, and taxpayer advocates urging the administration to withdraw its proposal and additional policies promoting PLA mandates on federal and federally assisted construction projects.

At least 8,000 stakeholders across the country — including 2,500 ABC member contractors — submitted comments opposed to this proposed rule during the 60-day comment period. In a September 2022 survey of ABC contractor members, 98% opposed this proposed rule, and 97% said a construction contract that required a PLA would be more expensive compared to a contract procured via fair and open competition.

ABC plans to challenge this Biden administration scheme in the courts on behalf of taxpayers and the majority of the construction industry. In the interim, ABC will continue to oppose its special-interest-favoring policy using all tools in our advocacy and legal toolbox while educating stakeholders about the negative impact of government-mandated PLAs on federal and federally assisted projects.

 

Ben Brubeck is vice president of Regulatory, Labor, and State Affairs at Associated Builders and Contractors.

T-Birds Promote Be the One Initiative

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Henry Howard

 

There is nothing minor about the support the American Legion Department of Massachusetts receives from the Springfield Thunderbirds.

For years the Thunderbirds have supported Massachusetts Legion programs such as Boys State, Junior Law Cadet, American Legion Baseball, and the developing softball program. The hockey team honors a Veteran of the Game and regularly conducts a jersey raffle, with proceeds going to a Legion program.

Department of Massachusetts NECman Jodie Pajak raves about the support. “There’s no question, no feedback, no static when we ask them for anything. There is no hesitation from anybody on their staff. I’ve never been to any establishment where they are that welcoming. They want to be part of the community, and it definitely shows. The relationship is phenomenal.”

The Legion-Thunderbirds partnership was on full display on Dec. 1, the Legion’s Be the One Day. American Legion members set up a booth inside the arena to educate fans about the organization’s primary mission to reduce the number of veteran suicides. Legion family members handed out customized brochures to thousands of fans. Additionally, a special Be the One jersey, signed by the entire team, was revealed. It will be raffled off at the end of the season, with proceeds going to the Veterans & Children Foundation to support Be the One.

The Be the One mission is especially meaningful for Pajak. “Veterans suicide is a cancer that should not be,” she said. “There are way too many resources, way too many programs to help veterans and their families, to help combat these needs and feelings that these veterans develop in their military careers and come across as they try to transition out of service and back to civilian life. You can’t just flip a switch and go from structured to unstructured. You have to have some help. After a few years, you find you just can’t cope. With this program, we hope that they see us and seek us out.”

Be the One was a natural tie-in this season for the Thunderbirds, which have regularly honored veterans. Their nickname, appropriately enough, is related to the Air Force Thunderbirds.

The team “wanted to get more involved with the community, and they are wonderful to work with,” said Pajak, who, along with her husband, Drew, are members of Post 185 in Agawam. “They felt the need, and they did want to help. They have been phenomenal in promoting this as a way to reduce the stigma. We have a partner that loves putting the Legion first.”

The Thunderbirds highlight the American Legion at all 36 home games. The Legion staffs a table inside the arena, promoting timely programs and initiatives. Over the course of a season, that outreach connects the Legion with at least 220,000 fans.

“At this level, specifically, I thought it was crucially important for us to build our business to open our doors to community projects and give it back to a number of programs, specifically the Legion,” said Nathan Costa, Thunderbirds team president. “Part of the vision from the very beginning was how we can do things to make an impact on the community while also trying to do the right thing.”

Ryan Smith, who manages the team’s media, community relations, and broadcasting, said his grandfather served in World War II. “It’s wrenching for me that there are so many of these military folks who come back and, for a variety of reasons, are not able to reacclimate to society,” he said, adding that he is thankful for the freedom he enjoys thanks to generations of veterans.

“This is a chance to thank them for all that they do, because without them, who knows what we could be doing on a day-to-day basis?” he said. “There is no amount of thanks that we can give them for all that they do for us.”

Strong community partners embolden the Be the One mission.

“It should be important to everybody,” Pajak said. “Everybody should be aware. The Thunderbirds are family-oriented and community-oriented. It’s not only veterans; it’s the community itself. It could be your neighbor. It could be your friend. It could be your co-worker that might need some help. They are willing to help us spread the word and make sure that it is known that is it OK to not be OK.”

 

Henry Howard is deputy director of Media and Communications for the American Legion.

Rosalynn Carter Was Beacon of Hope

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Kimberley Lee

 

In the vast landscape of public service, few figures stand as tall and unwavering in their commitment to mental-health advocacy as Rosalynn Carter. The former U.S. first lady carved a legacy defined by compassion, resilience, and an unyielding dedication to destigmatizing mental health. Her journey, spanning decades, has transformed the conversation around mental well-being and left an indelible mark on the global pursuit of mental-health awareness.

Carter’s journey into mental-health advocacy began at a time when discussing mental illnesses was often shrouded in silence and shame. In the 1970s, as the first lady, she fearlessly stepped into the spotlight to challenge societal norms, becoming a powerful voice for those whose struggles were often overlooked. Her early advocacy laid the foundation for a lifelong commitment to breaking down barriers and fostering understanding.

In 1991, she took a monumental step by establishing the Carter Center Mental Health Program. This initiative, born out of a deep sense of empathy, has been a driving force in shaping mental-health policies, conducting groundbreaking research, and providing resources to educate the public. It stands as a testament to Carter’s foresight and determination to create a world where mental health is prioritized.

At the core of Carter’s advocacy was a relentless pursuit of accessibility to mental healthcare. She tirelessly championed policies that recognized mental health on par with physical health, dismantling obstacles that impede individuals from seeking the support they deserve. Her vision extended beyond borders, advocating for a global approach to mental health that transcends cultural boundaries.

A defining aspect of Carter’s impact was her courage in confronting the stigma surrounding mental health. Through personal stories and public discourse, she became a beacon of hope, normalizing conversations that were once deemed uncomfortable. Her ability to connect with people on a personal level inspired others to share their experiences and contribute to the ongoing dialogue.

Beyond the accolades and recognition, Carter’s legacy is one of empathy in action. Her work has not only shifted policies, but has also sown the seeds of understanding and compassion in communities worldwide. In a world where mental health is gaining the recognition it deserves, she stands as a pioneer, a visionary who dedicated much of her life to ensuring that no one feels alone in their mental-health journey.

As we reflect on her profound impact, we are reminded that the journey toward mental-health acceptance is ongoing. Her example serves as both a call to action and a source of inspiration for individuals, communities, and nations to continue the important work of fostering a world where mental health is a priority and compassion knows no bounds.

Our work at MiraVista is very much a reflection of Rosalynn Carter’s significant contributions and commitment as our daily efforts continue with a profound sense of purpose and dedication, directly contributing to improving mental-health awareness and access to services.

 

Kimberley Lee is chief of Creative Strategy and Development at MiraVista Behavioral Health Center in Holyoke.

Brewing Up Something Positive

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Opinion

Editorial 2

 

It has become somewhat of a tradition at BusinessWest to make Veterans Day a time to put a hard focus on those who have served, and also how veterans have helped shape our region’s business community. And over the years, there have been some great stories to tell.

But there are few better than the one involving a relatively new venture called Easy Company Brewing (see story on page 4).

It involves two veterans, Jeff St. Jean and John DeVoie (the latter of Hot Table Fame), who have come together on a very unique enterprise that blends history, entrepreneurship, some great beer, and an admirable willingness to do something to help those who have served their country.

Easy Company Brewing was created to celebrate the service, and many accomplishments, of the fabled ‘band of brothers’ from the 101st Airborne Division, as captured in the Stephen Ambrose book and HBO miniseries.

DeVoie and St. Jean, who have both served with the 104th Tactical Fighter Group based at Barnes Airport in Westfield (St. Jean still does), have long been enamored with the story of Easy Company, and came up with an idea to brew beers that would honor those men while also raising money to support nonprofits that provide services to veterans.

Indeed, following the model of Newman’s Own, 100% of profits are donated to several different nonprofits that support veterans, such as the Tunnel to the Towers Foundation, which has several programs to support first responders and veterans, including a program to build mortgage-free smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders, and another to provide mortgage-free homes to surviving spouses with young children.

Meanwhile, and this is the fun part, the beers being developed by the company follow the story of Easy Company, from their training in Georgia to the south of England, where they trained for D-Day; to the Normandy coast in France; and then to the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.

The company’s efforts are drawing considerable support from individuals and businesses, as well they should. This is a noble mission, and one that deserves the backing of all those who want to recognize and honor our country’s veterans and do their part to help them.

In a way, Easy Company Brewing is making every day Veterans Day, and that’s an attitude worth emulating — by our businesses, our nonprofits, everyone.

We salute their efforts and encourage them to carry on.