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I got to thinking about this subject while reading daily newspaper accounts of the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that occupied headlines throughout Spring of 2010. Eleven oil platform workers lost their lives, and many more were injured in the accident leading to the environmental catastrophe, which is still being played out as I write this in mid-June.

As consultants, we are seeing a dramatic increase in embezzlement and employee theft. During tough economic times employees can experience more financial problems; throw in some drugs or an enabled employee and you have a formula for disaster. Now that things are tougher and you’re watching every penny, don’t be surprised if you find employee theft.

Are we about to encounter some new labor challenges in the face of what many describe as a “jobless recovery”? The evidence is gathering that it may well happen. And the roof-contracting industry may be among the first affected.

I recently received a flurry of e-mails with news reports about a roofing contractor and his foreman in California being charged with involuntary manslaughter in the 2008 death of one of their workers. These charges were announced by the San Francisco District Attorney in April 2010. Co-workers and associates expressed shock at the news. 

So, everyone out there making more than $250,000 a year is going to end up subsidizing the rest of us who make less. Let’s pretend we can squeeze enough out of you folks alone to pay off our federal debt - just as it’s necessary to believe in Peter Pan if you want to visit Never Land. 

Recently we bore witness to a couple of major events in the supply-chain sector of the roofing industry. Beacon Roofing Supply, the first consolidator of roofing distributors to go public, was called out by NASDAQ (where their stock is traded under the symbol BECN) and recognized in a bell-ringing ceremony. 

Increased call volume is a storm side effect that every roofer looks forward to. However, most of those calls will also involve another element that can impact your success after a storm - insurance companies.

When was the last time you thought about violence in your workplace? Many employers would say “never.” But did you know that a recent study on workplace violence found 57 percent of respondents reported a violent incident at their workplace?

Unfortunately there are no directions that fall out of the womb with a newborn child, and most of us learn to be good parents through trial and error. Managing people is much the same. When you hire or promote your first foreman, salesperson and office administrator, there are no directions with that addition. 

I’ve been employed across the country as an expert witness in a number of construction injury cases over the years. As an OSHA Standards-based consultant, I am typically hired by law firms which represent the injured or deceased worker.