Employment Maintenance
By Sandra Day

• Rebecca was hired as a receptionist for a large company and her main responsibility is handling the switchboard. In her employment interview, she said she had more switchboard experience than she really did have.   She is now having difficulty operating the switchboard but is afraid to admit her lack of skills.

• Rob was hired as an inventory clerk in a retail store.   Since he began his job, the boss has advised there will be staff cutbacks due to a decrease in sales.   Ron has been told he will now be expected to help in the shipping department when he completes his assigned tasks. Rob knows his department does not have enough work to keep everyone employed. Some of the new tasks he is required to perform are not jobs he is familiar with. He is afraid he will not meet expectations and lose his job.
  
  :: Sandra J. Day

• The company Betty works for requires that she learn new computer skills and improve her typing speed. She is afraid of failing, and begins to be absent from work especially on training days. She is aware that if she doesn’t learn the new software programs and type faster her job is in jeopardy. She has been cautioned on her absences.

As employment maintenance is becoming more of a concern to clients desiring to reattach to the workforce, we provide video and discussion sessions on an as required basis facilitated by a Job Coach to address issues such as teamwork, communication skills, conflict resolution and demonstrating how you can sell yourself more easily in an extremely competitive job market. In the past few months, we have talked with a number of unemployed workers who were fired or laid off suddenly from their short and long term employment.