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Monday, September 18, 2023

Lean Tips Edition #209 (#3346 - #3360)

For my Facebook fans you already know about this great feature. But for those of you that are not connected to A Lean Journey on Facebook or Twitter I post daily a feature I call Lean Tips.  It is meant to be advice, things I learned from experience, and some knowledge tidbits about Lean to help you along your journey.  Another great reason to like A Lean Journey on Facebook.


Here is the next addition of tips from the Facebook page:

Lean Tip #3346 – Make the Problem Relatable and Put Yourself in Their Shoes

It’s critical to frame the problem in such a way that your colleagues and management relate to and identify with the problem. Remember, you’re aiming for a reaction like “Ack, you’re right! That is such a pain! You have a solution? Tell me!” Your colleague might identify with the fact that the company has an issue keeping track of project timelines and therefore they get tons of last-minute requests.

Your boss, on the other hand, might identify with the amount of company time and money being lost due to poor project tracking and low productivity. Know your audience, understand what matters to them, and speak to the problem and the possible solution in a relatable way. 

Lean Tip #3347 – Actively Listen, Measure if Possible, and Then Listen Some More

Being clear about the problem means actively listening to those around you. As you explain the problem, do your colleagues have a different view? Do they have an additional but related problem? Can the problem be measured through an employee survey or analytics? It is vital to listen to your colleagues and to management as you discuss the problem because you may very well uncover a new layer that you had never originally considered which requires you to modify your solution.

Lean Tip #3348 – Secure a Change Sponsor, Not Just a Change Cheerleader

If you are the sole person inside your organization pushing for change – whether it be a new tool, tech or process – it will fail. As the change management process teaches, long-term and sustained change inside a company requires someone at the top to “sponsor” the change, not just be its cheerleader.

A sponsor is someone inside the company, usually a manager or executive, who helps communicate, manage, and be accountable for the change. This person doesn’t need to be the CEO or oversee all the tiny details, but they do need to enjoy a high degree of social capital – meaning they are highly connected, valuable to the organization, and tend to enable cooperation and collaboration between teams. All organizations have these people. Find the person that everyone listens to, the person who is highly credible and authentic, the person who is willing to go the extra mile, and secure them as your sponsor.

Lean Tip #3349 – Communicate Clearly Before, During and After

Communication is key to the success of any change inside an organization. If your organization is lucky enough to have a communications team – or better yet, an internal communications team – engage them early and work with them often to help strategically get messages out to employees within the organization.

There is such a thing as over-communicating. No one will appreciate a daily update about how your new tool is changing the lives of your team. Pick a communication frequency that makes sense for the magnitude of the change you are trying to implement and sustain.

Lean Tip #3350 – Don’t Fall So in Love With Your Idea That You Forget About the Most Important Thing – The Problem.

It’s important to remember one thing: as much as you love your idea, your tool, or your new solution – if you’ve followed the steps, and it’s clear your suggested change is not working, it’s ok to abandon it and reassess. Don’t make the mistake of continuing to figuratively beat people over the head with something that isn’t working. Take the feedback, regroup, refocus on the original problem, and try again. 

Lean Tip #3351 – Personalize Tasks.

Make sure the tasks you assign to each person play to their strengths. When people are set up for success, they are more motivated to achieve. Like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, nothing will get done if you have a big-picture person working on detail-rich tasks. Be clear with each person about how their work is vital to the outcome. Then set measurable goals and let them know how they will be held accountable. If appropriate, let the individuals take part in defining the work they will be undertaking.

Lean Tip #3352 – Follow Up and Stay Connected With Employees

Stay connected to ensure that everyone is clear about the mission that they are working toward. Keep an open-door policy as much as possible. If that's not feasible, consider making yourself available via email or during certain hours of the day. It's important that employees let you know when challenges arise. That's not to say you should listen to every gripe and complaint, but you can let everyone know you are empathetic to their concerns and are willing to work with them to find solutions. Further, encourage employees to bring a solution with them when making you aware of a problem.

Lean Tip #3353 – Nip Resistance in the Bud.

Be aggressive in addressing instances where you see resistance. This is important for two reasons. First, small problems have a nasty habit of ballooning into bigger ones. Second, you don't want unhappy employees poisoning the minds of other employees who have already bought in.

Lean Tip #3354 – Be Transparent About the Process

Employees often become stressed when they feel a sense of uncertainty around organizational changes. One of the best ways to alleviate any anxiety or feelings of uncertainty is to clearly lay out what employees can expect throughout the change process. If you’re introducing a new initiative, share the timeline and key milestones. If you’ve already introduced a new initiative and it’s hit a snag, provide an update on the timeline so employees don’t feel like they’re being left in the dark.

It’s also helpful to try to explain what any new processes or work will look like from the employee perspective. You’ve shared the “why” to help employees understand the initiative from a high-level organizational perspective, now share what it will look like in terms of the employees’ day-to-day work. Will employees need to adjust any of their normal procedures or processes? Does the new initiative take priority over existing projects? Be clear about how it will impact employees.

Lean Tip #3355 – Solicit Feedback

Meet with your team, present your idea and ask for their input. Some may bring up points you never thought of. There's no point in putting forward a proposal if you discover disadvantages you hadn't considered. On the other hand, some objections may boil down to "I don't want to learn a new system" or "The old way's good enough." If we always thought like that, we'd still be hiding from sabertooth tigers in dark caves.

Lean Tip #3356 – Visual Management Board Belongs to the Team

As a manager, you may have a burning desire to create our own vision of an information center or visual management board in the middle of your factory or workplace. It is important to resist the temptation. However, lean metrics and visual management

A monthly “cross” for quality or safety can replace complex metrics. The aim is to highlight off target performance in order to prompt problem-solving discussions.

the goal of visual management boards is for front line teams to understand operational performance and engage in improvement.

Therefore your role as a manager is to coach your teams to understand their performance and measure it themselves. This starts with a conversation about “what does a good day look like”? Ask the team how they measure performance. They may have simple indicators such as numbers of jobs completed or boxes packed, which make sense to them.

Lean Tip #3357 – The Board is Not Wallpaper, It’s About Conversation

If you think just putting information on a Visual Management Board on the wall will get people to engage, then you will be disappointed. I see many big immaculate visual displays sprawling across entrance halls and walkways with literally dozens of metrics displayed. Here is the bad news: no one looks at them. In many cases, the job of printing the graphs and posting them is delegated to an administrative staff member and not even the business leaders notice or read the graphs.

We call this type of visual management board “wallpaper” because that is the only function they serve. The boards need to be the focus of structured daily conversations about how the team is going, what are the barriers to improvement and how these barriers can be overcome. Therefore visual management boards go hand in hand with daily meetings.

Lean Tip #3358 – Boards Need to be Accessible and Close to the Workplace

The purpose of visual management boards is to be a reference point for discussions around team performance. Therefore the boards need to be located near where the teams work. That means in a safe location (not a forklift aisle) in the workplace where noise is sufficiently low to allow a conversation and where the board will not be obstructed by materials or machinery.

People stand up during their daily meetings, so there needs to be sufficient space to enable the team to meet in front of the board. Lighting also needs to be good enough to read what is on the board.

Lean Tip #3359 – Less is Most Certainly More With Visual Management

When you’re designing and developing your visual management program it can be easy to throw everything at it, but we would recommend taking a less is more approach. Ensure that you’re only using your visual management boards to track measures that drive results. Decide on an acceptable timeframe to read the status of your key measures and constantly monitor and change your visual management to ensure that it is within that timeframe.

Lean Tip #3360 – Establish the Right Mindset and Get Your Team Ready for Change!

It’s important that your business see’s problems as helpful to the organization. Many companies see problems as something to be hidden away, that they’re a source of embarrassment, or that it will only lead to blame. If you’re reading this then you should be the one to take ownership of changing your businesses culture to see every problem as an opportunity for improvement. Businesses that are serious about continuous improvement must love their problems and see visual management for what it is, a way of easily indicating where they need help!


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Friday, September 15, 2023

Lean Quote: Create an Energized Workplace

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.


"Organizations should be deliberate in creating opportunities for employees to feel fulfilled in their work.  —  Dr. Alexander Lovell, Director of Research and Data Science at the O.C. Tanner Institute

As organizations continue to adjust to a new era of work and manage the uncertainty of a subsiding global pandemic and looming economic recession, what employees want most: connection, community, and fulfillment. A sense of community is more important now that employees are returning to the office and searching for fulfillment and connection, but unfortunately, many organizations' current programs are failing to meet evolving employee desires.

O.C. Tanner Institute collected and analyzed input from over 36,000 employees, leaders, and practitioners from 20 countries and reports that:

Nearly 
1 in 3 employees don’t feel fulfilled at work which makes them:

  • 399% more likely to actively look for another job
  • 340% more likely to leave the organization within a year
  • 47% less likely to put in a great deal of effort to help the organization succeed
  • 71% less likely to promote the organization as a great place to work

Each year O.C. Tanner measures changes in the six core elements of workplace culture that together determine employee decisions to join, engage with, and remain at any place of work. They call them Talent Magnets because of their power to attract and connect people to their teams and organizations:

1. Purpose
An organization’s reason for being besides profits. It’s the difference it makes in the world, why the company exists. Employees need to feel connected to the purpose and understand how their job contributes to it. Once they do, their work takes on meaning. Organizations should clearly articulate the connection between work and purpose.

2. Opportunity
The chance to develop new skills, contribute to meaningful work, feel challenged, have a voice, and grow. Opportunity is more than the lure of promotions and pay increases. It’s about preparing and empowering employees to make decisions, inviting them to the table, and offering them projects that will expand their skills and relationships.

3. Success
The thrill of accomplishment, innovation, breaking barriers, playing on a winning team, and experiencing victories. Employees must find success at the individual, team, and organizational levels, and it should be nurtured and publicly celebrated.

4. Appreciation
Feeling valued for one’s contributions and being recognized for one’s worth. Appreciation is essential to employees—people need to know their leaders and peers notice and are grateful for their efforts and contributions. Appreciation is most effective when it’s delivered in timely, personal, and meaningful ways.

5. Wellbeing
Caring about the employee as a whole—their physical, emotional, social, and financial health. Wellbeing ensures employees can be their strongest, most capable, most authentic selves at work. A comprehensive approach to wellbeing requires leaders to create an environment of inclusivity, work-life integration, and connection.

6.  Leadership
The mentoring, coaching, inspiring, and facilitating that allow individuals, teams, and, ultimately, organizations to succeed. Great leaders co-create a shared purpose for their teams and empower their employees to do great work. As the most influential of the six Talent Magnets, leadership cultivates the other five.

Successful organizations are the ones reconnecting with their people by adopting a community mindset where employees find meaning in their work, believe that they belong, and experience greater personal fulfillment.

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

The Seven Characteristics of Servant Leadership



Servant leadership can help foster trust, accountability, growth and inclusion among workers. This will lead to increased productivity and happier customers and will help your business flourish.

The results of servant leadership are exponential: by leading as a servant, you multiply success and satisfaction — personal and professional, for you and your colleagues — above and beyond the limits of traditional leadership outcomes.

Servant Leaders, whose vision is to make people better in various ways, naturally exhibit many ideals in their day-to-day leadership of their people. Here are seven important elements of servant leadership:

 Strong character. A servant leader maintains integrity, makes decisions based on ethics and principles, displays humility, and seeks to serve a higher purpose in the organization.

 Puts people first. Successful servant leaders demonstrate care and concern for others and help employees meet their goals while encouraging personal growth.

 Excellent communicator. Communication skills are integral to any business leader, but especially a servant leader. Make a point of listening to and speaking with workers and inviting their feedback.

• Strong collaborator. Servant leadership means keeping an eye on the future and anticipating anything that might impact the organization. Maintain a positive vision and take decisive action when necessary.

• Has foresight. The servant leader must be a visionary, able to imagine possibilities and anticipate the future, with the courage to take action when necessary.

• Strategic thinker. Servant leaders must be comfortable navigating complex environments and be adaptable to change.

• Leader with moral authority. It is critical to establish trust and confidence in your workplace. Establish employees’ trust and confidence by adhering to quality standards, accepting and delegating responsibility, and fostering a culture that makes room for accountability.

Servant leadership is not a leadership style or technique as such. Rather it's a way of behaving that you adopt over the longer term. It has the potential to inspire high employee accountability and loyalty, management must still exhibit leadership qualities. Ultimately, servant  leadership does not allow for much control over employees, so managers must be confident in the abilities of both their team members and themselves.


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Monday, September 11, 2023

Leading with Integrity



One of the keys to a positive and productive work environment is having leaders who act with integrity. Integrity in leaders refers to being honest, trustworthy, and reliable. Leaders with integrity act in accordance with their words (i.e. they practice what they preach) and own up to their mistakes, as opposed to hiding them, blaming their team, or making excuses. Integrity also involves following company policies, appropriately using company time and resources, and respecting one’s colleagues and direct reports. It is important to remember that a leader’s behavior reflects on not only their own reputation, but also on the reputation of the organization.

Integrity provides several benefits to both leaders and the organizations. For instance, research has linked greater integrity with increased workplace performance. Additionally, leaders with integrity foster greater trust and satisfaction from their direct reports, who are more likely to follow suit. Employees serving under high integrity leaders demonstrate more positive workplace behaviors and fewer negative workplace behaviors. Moreover, employees who trust their leaders to have integrity are likely to work harder, perform better, and have greater company loyalty.

In assessing your level of integrity, ask yourself the following questions:

1.    I always act with positive intent

2.    I do not avoid answering questions truthfully, even when the issue is tough ex. layoffs

3.    I own up to my mistakes and take steps to not repeat them

4.    I am willing to say what I’m thinking, even when I’m in the minority

5.    I treat others fairly and respectfully regardless of position/title

6.    I lead by example

7.    I always fulfill my promises/commitments

8.    I’m respectful of others’ time and am always punctual

9.    I call others out when the work values are not supported

10. I don’t make excuses for poor behaviors or actions displayed by myself or others

11. I address disruptive behaviors and conflict quickly and respectfully

12. I am not easily influenced by those more senior to me when things seem "off" and have the confidence to be true to myself

13. I encourage collaboration for the attainment of results

14. I make an effort to build a work culture that encompasses trust

15. I give credit when and where credit is due

When your organization has leadership committed to integrity, it can identify priorities and goals to measure improvement. This framework will make it easier to reference issues related to business integrity in your regular reporting as well as quickly address any issues as they arise. This is a culture that will permeate throughout the organization, influencing your internal reward structures, interactions with customers and suppliers, and your relationships with investors.


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Friday, September 8, 2023

Lean Quote: Leadership Starts with Integrity

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.


"It is true that integrity alone won’t make you a leader, but without integrity you will never be one.  —  Zig Ziglar

Most leaders think their followers put vision or communication or problem solving skills first. Of course, all of those attributes are important, but what difference do they make if you are not trusted? Does it matter what vision you provide if there is little trust that it’s best for all? Does it matter how well you communicate if what is said can’t be trusted? Does it matter how charismatic you are if only a handful are willing to follow you?

Integrity gets lost…one degree of dishonesty at a time. There are no varying degrees of integrity. A leader is judged to have integrity or not based on what is seen. Minor lies can become a major problem. As minor as lies may seem, employees do not forget integrity mistakes.

There are 4 key ways a leader can earn employees trust:

  1. Keep your promises. You don’t have to promise things just to make employees feel good. They are more interested in being able to depend on what you promise than in feeling good. Just keep the promises you do make and trust will follow.
  2. Speak out for what you think is important. Employees can’t read your mind. If employees have to guess how you feel about something, they may guess wrong. Tell them how you feel and why. This builds respect.
  3. Error on the side of fairness. Be fair to all.  Things are not always clearly right or wrong. Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions that affect many people. Sometimes those decisions include having to de-hire some employees. Be fair at all times – regardless of the type or decisions you have to make.
  4. Do what you say you are going to do. Just let you “yes” be yes or your “no” mean no. When you say you’re going to do something, your employees should be able to “consider it done.”

It all starts with integrity. Your employees will follow only if you have earned their trust!

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

How Leaders Can Ensure Team Safety and Goal Attainment

Image Source: Unsplash 

As a business leader or manager, it’s your job to ensure that your team can meet and exceed their goals and milestones and to do so as safely and stress-free as possible. Yes, feeling a bit on edge can help some employees to drive results, but they shouldn’t be so uneasy that it affects their work and well-being. You can combine safety and goal attainment in many ways and bring your company to the next level, by starting with these tips.

Set Reasonable Goals And Cut Out Unnecessary Tasks

It’s natural for a business to want to set lofty goals and expect work to be done as quickly as possible to maximize profit. However, while that strategy might work for the short term, at some point, your employees will get burned out, and you’ll find more errors in the work. Too many errors can cut down on your company’s success over time, and once your reputation takes a hit, it can be tough to come back.

With that in mind, one of the most straightforward strategies to reduce human error is setting reasonable deadlines. Bring in your team, see if they feel rushed, analyze if it affects their work, and make the proper adjustments. If you must adjust your corporate guidelines and extend deadlines a few more days, but errors become practically nonexistent, then you’re on the right track. Another idea is to create an overall long-term goal but then add numerous short-term goals that are easier to meet along the way. Then you’ll know everyone’s on the right page.

While you’re analyzing the workflow, look at the tasks that make up the overall project and find the repetitive assignments that bog down the employee’s days. When workers are forced to spend time doing monotonous, repetitive tasks, they can tend to get burned out. If they don’t think what they’re doing is making a difference, they may stop putting forth the same effort or showing up altogether. Burnout is not only bad for business but also for the employee’s well-being. Plus, it can lead to issues down the road, including depression.

If you still need to complete these repetitive tasks as part of your business, then a solution may be automation. Computers can do monotonous tasks and do them well. They never get tired or complain, so it’s a worthwhile investment if it makes sense within your industry.

Take Stress Out Of The Equation

The burnout we’ve discussed begins as stress and often accompanies feelings of being overworked or underappreciated. The solution is to create a positive work environment so everyone is happy, and in turn, they’ll be more productive.

Stressed workers can put themselves and others at risk. Stressed employees may be so distracted that they can accidentally cut corners or forget to take the proper precautions to keep themselves safe, like failing to wear a hard hat or misusing electronic equipment. Stress can also lead to poor decision-making under pressure.

To reduce stress and increase productivity, managers can allow employees to take stress management training sessions. You can also host team-building activities so they feel more comfortable at work and with each other. The best way to ensure that the team is safe and productive is to be transparent and have open communication across the board.

As a leader, you need an open-door policy and allow the employees to come to you when they need help or have suggestions. Keeping communication channels open and providing employees with different ways to check in can also be a good way to boost team morale, especially if this feedback is used to refine workflows and give everyone the chance to participate.

Training And Recognition

Once you streamline a solid and safe workflow, you must keep up with it by having ongoing training sessions throughout the year. Train on the best methods to avoid burnout, the ways to complete the most work without stress, and the signs of excess anxiety, so an employee can ask for help when needed.

If your employees are hurt on the job, your team may never meet your goals, so it’s also important to have general safety training once a day or annually, depending on the dangers in your industry. During the training, touch on safety and health policies, emergency procedures, workers’ rights, and how to report hazards. In addition to the general training, provide safety training for specific roles that deal with unique hazards. If your industry is particularly dangerous, then hold regular safety every morning to cover all bases and ask for questions.

You can drive home the importance of safety and goal attainment by implementing one or several employee recognition initiatives to show appreciation for adherence to the rules. There are many safety recognition programs online that you can borrow, such as Safety Bucks, where you provide pretend currency whenever an employee does an act correctly or spots a safety violation. They can turn them in for prices or office perks. Another idea is to hand out safety certificates or host an awards ceremony.

On top of that, you can also publicly recognize employees who find a way to streamline their work, hit deadlines, and provide exceptional quality in their work. Mention them during a group huddle or in the company newsletter. The employee will be thrilled that they received attention, and they will continue to impress. Plus, the other team members will see the recognition and want to work at that level so they can also receive praise.

Conclusion

A company with a strong culture of safety and the right processes in place has a great chance of succeeding and doing so with a happy and driven workforce. Always find ways to prioritize your employee's safety and mental health. You’ll have a satisfied team and they’ll thank you through their work.

About the Author: Luke Smith is a writer and researcher turned blogger. Since finishing college he is trying his hand at being a freelance writer. He enjoys writing on a variety of topics but technology and business topics are his favorite. When he isn't writing you can find him traveling, hiking, or gaming.


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Monday, September 4, 2023

Labor Day 2023



Labor Day is so much more than a Monday off and the unofficial end to summer; here are some fascinating statistics about the holiday’s history, past and present.

Labor Day, which is celebrated on the first Monday of September, falls on September 5 this year. While many people know it simply as the reason for a three-day weekend or the unofficial end to summer, the holiday is actually meant to symbolize and pay tribute to American workers, giving many a much-needed day off.

The holiday was created by the labor movement, which fought to regulate American work schedules and other worker rights, in the late 19th century during the Industrial Revolution in the U.S.

The national holiday has quite the decorated history from its origins to now, when millions use it as an opportunity to travel, party, and shop for holiday deals. Here are some fascinating statistics and fun facts about the holiday’s past and present.

1. The 40-hour workweek didn’t become law until 1940

Today, we know the 40-hour workweek and 8-hour workday as standard, though people in some professions do report working much more than this. However, that standard didn’t come to fruition until 1940, despite the fact that labor unions asked Congress to pass laws limiting workday hours nearly a century earlier.

In 1938, as pressure was mounting on Washington, Congress passed a Fair Labor Standards Act that limited the workweek to 44 hours, or 8.8 hours per day. That was later amended to 40 hours in 1940. However, this move was first requested all the way back in 1866, when the National Labor Union asked Congress to make the 8-hour workday law.

(Source: CNBC)

2. In the 1800s, many Americans worked 12-hour days

In the 19th century, the workers of America had good reason to protest. Many were working six, or even seven, days per week and they’d often be working 12-hour days. Some reports say these employees worked up to 14 hours per day.

Before federal laws were put into place, children as young as five and six could also be found working in mills, factories, and mines across the country. Just to make ends meet, these employees — who were often very poor and had recently immigrated to the U.S. — faced incredibly unsafe working conditions that didn’t provide access to clean air or breaks throughout the day.

(Source: History.com, Chicago History Museum)

3. Oregon was the first state to recognize Labor Day in 1887

New York was the first state to introduce a bill recognizing Labor Day, however, Oregon was the first to officially pass a law creating the holiday in the state in February 1887. Later in 1887, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York all passed laws to make it a holiday as well.

 

By the end of the 1880s, Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had also passed laws to make Labor Day a holiday. Twenty-three other states followed suit before Congress made it a federal holiday in 1894.

(Source: U.S. Census Bureau)

4. Other parts of the world celebrate on May 1

Other countries celebrate International Workers’ Day or Labor Day on May 1. May 1 was chosen because it was the anniversary of the Haymarket Affair in Chicago, which was a violent confrontation between labor protestors and the police.

(Source: Britannica)

5. 53% of Americans planned to travel for Labor Day in 2022

As Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, many try to get one more trip in over the long weekend. This year is no exception.

This year’s survey by The Vacationer found that 53% of Americans plan to travel at some point over Labor Day Weekend. Among those traveling, most (36%) said they would be traveling by car. About 14% of respondents said they would travel by plane, and 3% planned to use public transportation.

About half of the survey respondents said that high gas prices would not affect their Labor Day travel plans.

(Source: The Vacationer)

6. Nearly 55% of people said they’d be attending a BBQ or cookout

In The Vacationer’s 2021 Labor Day survey, 54.6% of respondents said they’d be attending a barbecue or cookout for the holiday — the most popular response by a longshot.

Some other popular responses were going to the beach (26% of respondents) or going to see fireworks (23.3%). Some of the less popular activities on the list were attending a sporting event (6.65% of respondents), going to the movies (10.33%), and attending some sort of parade (12.43%).

7. The average American full-time employee works 8.5 hours a day

According to estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American full-time employee works about 8.53 hours per day. The numbers vary a bit depending on how much education a person has and if they work more than one job.

Those with just one job work about 8.07 hours per day on average and those who work multiple jobs work about 8.40 hours, according to the bureau. By contrast, those who are employed in a part-time capacity work about 5.62 hours per day.

(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

8. 57% of Americans left vacation days unused in 2020

According to a survey from WalletHub, more than half of Americans (57%) left vacation days unused in 2020. While it’s entirely possible that some of that unused time off was due to the pandemic and the fact that the travel industry came to a screeching halt in March 2020, Americans left plenty of paid time off on the table in 2021 as well when COVID-19 vaccines were widely available and travel restrictions were loosening up.

On average, Americans left about 4.6 days of paid time off unused in 2021. Those numbers will, hopefully, drop a bit this year, as the U.S. Travel Association predicted that Americans will spend 3.5% more on travel in 2022.

(Sources: WalletHub, Fortune)

9. In 2021, 57% of Americans had also gone more than a year without a vacation

At the time of WalletHub’s 2021 survey, 57% of Americans had also said that it had been more than a year since their last vacation of any sort — and not all time off is being used for relaxing or leisurely activities.

This comes despite the fact that research has found that the large majority (79%) of full-time employees in the country believe that taking time off is important for job satisfaction and overall health and well-being.

(Source: WalletHub, Fortune)

10. 818 hot dogs are eaten per second between Memorial Day and Labor Day

To conclude our Labor Day stats on a tasty note, WalletHub’s 2021 survey found that about 818 hot dogs were consumed per second in the unofficial summer season — between Memorial Day and Labor Day. That’s a whole lot of summer BBQing.

Americans reportedly spent a whopping $7.5 billion on hot dogs and sausages in supermarkets during 2021.

And if you’re wondering which U.S. city consumes the most hot dogs, Los Angeles takes the number 1 spot, beating out other major contenders like New York and Chicago. LA residents consume about 30 million pounds of hot dogs per year.

(Source: WalletHub, National Hot Dog and Sausage Council)

So, whatever your plans are this Labor Day weekend — whether you’re planning a big end-of-the-season beach getaway, attending a parade and fireworks show, or simply planning to spend a quiet day off at home, make sure you say thank you to those who do have to go into work. It’s one small way to keep the original spirit of the working American’s holiday alive.


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