Hendrickson International

Magnus Hendrickson started manufacturing commercial trucks in 1913 to meet the demand for robust, durable vehicles. The company introduced the first tandem suspension in 1926.

From the beginning, Hendrickson's only business has been to serve the needs of the commercial vehicle industry. This focus, bolstered by an unrelenting pursuit of technological leadership, made them the world leader in the design and manufacture of high quality truck, tractor, and trailer suspensions, liftable suspensions, steel leaf springs, bumpers, and stamped components for the heavy-duty transportation market.

Since its acquisition by The Boler Company in 1978, Hendrickson has grown five-fold. Today, Hendrickson is a major supplier to every North American heavy-duty truck and trailer OEM, as well as many manufacturers in Europe, Australia, Mexico, Japan, and Latin America.

This growth led Hendrickson to re-evaluate their management incentive program.  Astron Solutions conducted a customized Incentive Compensation Audit that revealed the current program’s strengths and weaknesses.  The results enabled Hendrickson to fine-tune their program, all the while keeping their employees’ needs and wants in mind.
 

 

Stop Pulling Your Hair – Effective Ways to Alleviate Workplace Stress

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Someone once said, "Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you haven't fallen asleep yet."  For employees and managers working in high-stress environments, that quote isn’t too far from the truth.  Statements such as “I’m so stressed out,” “I had such a stressful day at work,” and “The stress is killing me” have worked their way into our workplace vernacular. 

What exactly is stress?  In the HR.com article “All Stressed Up and Nowhere to Go?”  stress is defined as “two simultaneous events: an external stimulus called a stressor, and the emotional and physical responses to that stressor (fear, anxiety, elevated heart rate and blood pressure, rapid breathing, muscle tension, and so on).  Positive stressors, like a challenging ski run or a poetry contest, can inspire you to achieve.  In common language though, ‘stress’ describes our internal reaction to negative, threatening, or worrisome situations.”

According to the HR.com article, “Learn to Manage Stress Before it Manages You and Your Company,” by Joe Piscatella, Founder of the Institute for Fitness and Health, stress is taking its toll on workers at all levels of an organization.  “Corporate America – employees and executives alike – are feeling stressed and overworked.  Just think about the 60-hour workweeks, long commutes, chirping cell phones, late night emails, single-parent households, increased organized activities for kids, and an uncertain economy,” explained Piscatella. 

The issue of workplace stress should not be taken lightly.  Accumulated stress can take a drastic toll on a person’s health.  In the Business Week article, “You Don't Have to Put up With That Pounding Head,” our country is in the throes of a ‘cranial’ crisis brought on by stress-induced headaches that costs about $50 billion a year in absenteeism and health care, not to mention lost productivity.” 

Even more disturbing is the fact that, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 60% to 70% of all disease is stress-related. 

Stress has found a permanent place in our lives and it’s not leaving anytime soon.  Simply taking a trip to the Caribbean or lighting a few aromatherapy candles may be a quick fix, but it cannot eliminate stress.  The trick is learning how to manage it.  Here are a few tips for alleviating stress:

•         Get moving – “Start engaging in regular physical exercise 3 - 5 times a week for 30 minutes, like jogging, walking, swimming, biking, dancing, etc. Exercise releases mood-enhancing chemicals, like endorphins, the mind-body’s natural painkiller and mood calmer.  Briskly walking 2 - 3 miles allows us to experience a tangible sense of accomplishment and control.  When everything is up in the air, exercise helps us feel grounded,” explains Mark Gorkin, “The Stress Doc” in his HR.com article, “Stress Doc’s Top Ten Stress Tips.”  Many companies recognize the importance of exercise and have instituted fitness programs or discounts on gym memberships.  At the very least, a brisk walk around the block can do wonders for easing stress.

•         Set the mood – According to the Workspan article, “Workplace Stress:  How Do Employees Get Relief?” companies should strive to create a more relaxed working environment.  “Where morale is high, the absentee rate is lower.  WRQ Inc., a software company in Seattle, prefers to help employees get through high-stress days with on-site massages to alleviate tense and sore neck and shoulder muscles,” states the article.  The result was positive.  “We’ve noticed that when employees are more relaxed, they’re more productive,” said Susanne Buti, WRQ’s director of public relations. 

•         Make it convenient – Feeling like there aren’t enough hours in the day to not only obtain finished products, but also run personal errands, is a major contributor to stress.  Many organizations have brought in on-site services, such as dry cleaners, day care, car wash, and gift shops.  Amgen Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, has incorporated all of these features and more.  “We absolutely feel that these benefits contribute to the fact that our turnover rates are very low and that staff feels they are well taken care of by Amgen,” said Brigitte Walker, Amgen’s benefits manager.

•         Laugh a little – Although work is serious business, don’t forget to take the time to laugh.  Laughter can provide an overall sense of well-being while releasing tension in the shoulder, neck, and face muscles.

Fortunately, there has been some good news this year about workplace stress.  According to an April 2004 Newsline article “Employee stress levels have decreased markedly, with those in the category of ‘high stress’ dropping some 14 points", according to the StressPulse survey by the ComPsych Corporation.  Hopefully, with this news, and the previous tips, employee stress will be one less thing to stress about.