Admit it. We take the sub $20/hr production worker for granted.
👉 We celebrate white-collar flexibility, but we’re stingy with it on the plant floor.
👉 We demand unwavering dedication from hourly workers, with no leeway for personal time.
👉 We implement increasingly rigid policies to try to stop the problem, but that only makes it worse.
But what if we stopped waging this war?
Imagine a workplace where:
✅ An afternoon off isn’t the end of the world and doesn’t shut down production.
✅ Workers choose overtime to make more money, not out of fear of being fired.
✅ Orders are shipped on time because you have a group of skilled (and happy) workers who ensure production never misses a beat, even when life happens.
This isn’t just about keeping doors closed; it’s about opening new ones. And the best part is – the companies who’ve realized this are seeing increased productivity, retention, and revenue.
Let’s make manufacturing jobs attractive to a new workforce and stop fighting the losing battle to hold onto “the way things have always been.”
