Baking & Snack - May 2022 - 92

WORKPLACE IMPROVEMENTS
eries are considering automating their primary packaging.
These numbers are similar for secondary packaging
as well (22% and 20%, respectively).
By automating repetitive and strenuous tasks, workers
are moved into positions they'll enjoy more and stay
in longer.
" For so long automation was considered a bad thing
because you're replacing people, " Mr. Quigg said. " We're
not replacing people; we're just putting them in jobs
they're more fulfilled by. "
Automating these jobs can help bakers both save on
and retain labor, but they may also pose new challenges
that have to be considered, Mr. Brixey noted. For example,
automating the packaging or shipping process will
require bakers to rethink their carrier.
" Are you going to be in boxes or baskets for the future?
Are you going to have to return to those? " he asked.
" Many people start to have the conversation about automating
post-packaging, and they really haven't considered
if they're in the right material handling for the long
term. Automation equipment is designed very specifically
for whatever your material handling is. "
More Than a Bakery
offers flexible hours
to maximize its
workforce.
Tim Arvin
Winning the workplace
Automation is one half of the equation in solving workforce
woes, but bakers must also create a culture that
prioritizes the needs of their employees in a way many
haven't before.
" The days of punching in a time clock and being a
" THE DAYS OF PUNCHING
IN A TIME CLOCK AND
BEING A NUMBER WILL
CAUSE YOU TO NOT HAVE
PEOPLE WORKING FOR
YOU. IT'S JUST THAT
STRAIGHTFORWARD. "
Bill Quigg, More Than a Bakery
number will cause you to not have people working for
you, " Mr. Quigg said. " It's just that straightforward. "
At More Than a Bakery, Mr. Quigg said the focus is on
the fulfillment of the whole person. Employees are called
family members, and every week Mr. Quigg meets with
them to discuss the company's mission and values.
" In that meeting, I tell them the most valuable thing
they can possibly give us is their time, " Mr. Quigg explained.
" They can take that time and use it anywhere
they want to. Because of that they really value what
they're doing and who they're working with. If your job
doesn't have purpose, it's not going to be a good prospect
for them or for us long term. "
Employee strikes at large companies like Kellogg
Company, Battle Creek, Mich.,
and Starbucks, Seattle, have made
it clear workers expect more from
their employers, whether it's better
pay, flexible hours or the right
to form a union. The bakeries that
succeed are the ones that meet
these evolving needs.
For example, after receiving
feedback from his employees, Mr.
Quigg implemented three-day
weekends. However, this required
12-hour shifts, which excludes
many subsets of the labor market,
such as single parents. To fix this,
More Than a Bakery began offering
part-time jobs.
" The part-time job starts after
school begins and ends right before
school gets out, so that single
parents in particular can come and
get really nice pay and a job that
fits their lifestyle, " Mr. Quigg said.
More Than a Bakery is in a col92
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