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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (April 19, 1991)
SpilyayTymoo Warm Springs, Oregon April 19, 1991 PAGE 7 Reduce absenteeism with example There are many reatont why employee donl come to work. They have (he flu. Their cousin got I married. The car wouldn't start. The cat died. The babysitter quit. The moon it full. j Of course, most tick leave ii j legitimate: people stay home be- cause they're sick. But abuses do j occur. Fred is absent once a month usually on a Friday or Monday. Matilda is deathly ill one day and back at work the next. Looking fit ;t a fiddle. Harry iokes about taking "mental health days" and J then proceeds to get lick when the ' crunch is on. Many of the things that keep people from coming to work are beyond your control as an ordi nary mortal who happens to be a ; supervisor. You canH regulate the ; phases of the moon, nor can you ; schedule this year's influenza epi j demic for a more convenient time. ; This docs not mean, however, ; that there is nothing you can do ; about absenteeism. The fact is that ; people are more likely to call in ; sick when they dont feci their ; attendance really matters, when ; they And their working conditions ; unpleasant or stressful, or when i they feci taken for granted. Any : thing you can do to prevent or '. offset such feelings will have a ; positive effect on attendance. Here ,' are some guidelines. I. Make sure that everyone ! knows the sick leave policy-and I that you always stick to it. Is sick I leave unpaid if it comes directly before or after a paid vacation? Is a doctor's statement required after three days' leave? Is the company doctor or nunc supposed to check any person returning after five days of sick leave? Employees need to see that the lupcrvisor-that the company is serious about sick leave. They're more likely to call in sick only when necessary if they know that someone really cares about their attendance. 2. Set an example. No one ex pects to come to work when they're truly ill. But if you're on the job in spite of your allergies or a stubbed toe, your employees will know that the same level of commitment is expected of them, too. 3. Ask that employees who call in sick talk directly to you. When you get their calls, ask what the problem is and how long they expect to be away from work. Tell them that they will be missed and that you hope they get well quickly. If you are sincere, your com ments will have a positive effect on attendance. People will miss fewer days because they will return to work sooner. It's also a fact that an employee who has to tell the super visor he can't come in a more likely to have a good reason for doing so. 4. Keep an eye out for patterns in the absences that do occur. Is an employee taking sick leave every Friday during hunting season? Is someone else gone one Wednesday afternoon every month? If you do find a pattern, see if it's related to a recurring job duty. The employee may have a particular responsi bility that he doesnt like or is trying to avoid. 3. Slay informed about what's happening in each person's job. If you do, youll be better able to arrange to have her duties covered if she gets sick. More important, you wonl be caught unaware if some work-related problem is a bout to cause an absence. On this point, donl overlook the value of "supervising by walking around. "Get on your feet and visit every work area-every employee every day. It's important to make contact and show that you're in terested. Ask each person, "how are you?-How's the job going?" Unless there is a problem, you wont have to spend more than a couple of minutes with most em ployees. But they are much more likely to feel responsible for their jobs-and to minimize sick Icave-if they know you're genuinely in terested in their work and how they feci about it. 6. Take the time to get to know your pcople-and stay current on the things that matter to them. Ask them about their families. Know the names of spouses and children. Listen when they talk about per sonal problems or worries. You don't have to solve their problems or give advice. Listening and car ing are what's needed. People come to work not only for the wages but also to be with people who treat them as people. 7. Make it a point to welcome back each person w ho's been gone. Greet him in the morning or at the beginning of the shift. Shake his hand and tell him you are glad to see him back and well. Ask how he is feeling and listen if he wants to tell you about being sick. Listening says you care. Information Provided By: OSU Warm Springs Extension 1134 Palute Street PO Box 430 Warm Springs, OR 97761 (503) 553-32383239 Overnight camp fosters Independence Nutritional tips still tasty ? Trying to cut the cream in your ;:coffee? Start with light cream. If . that tastes okay, experiment with a ; light cream whole milk combo. : Soon, you might even find that : whole milk, or better yet, low-fat 'milk, suits vour purpose. Limit your use of nondairy creamers, : though. Most are made with oils '. that are even more saturated than heavy cream. Go green! Salad greens, tangy and fresh, are a dieter's delight: A l'4-cup calories-but lots of vita mins C and A, good amounts of potassium and even some B vita mins. There's a little iron and calcium, too, and practically no sodium. And the darker the green the better source of vitamin it is. Stepparents try harder Soup is a dieter's Inend, and now new research finds that low calorie soup is just as hunger-soothing as high-calorie soup. At John's Hopkins University, researchers fed two groups of volunteers to mato soup, telling each to eat as much as they wanted. One group ate high calorie soup, the other, low-calorie soup. Each group felt full after eating about the same amount with the high-calorie eat ers consuming 146 calories and the low-calorie eaters only 17. If your child could design a perfect summer, it would probably include plenty of playmates, new things to do every day, and a place to cool off when the summer sun gets too hot. Year after year kids discover such perfect summers at day or overnight camp. At overnight camps, in particular, boys and girls learn something about themselves, their environment, and even about their parents by spending a few weeks a way from home. The moth er of 8-year-old Rachel discovered that firsthand. After her first summer at over night camp, Rachel ordered her mother out of the bathroom while she showered. "She wont let me wash her hair anymore," her moth er complained. "Isn't that one of the reasons you sent her to camp?" I said. Indeed, it should be. Camping fosters independence in its parti cipants, while giving your child a feel for group living. Camp broadens social skills and often taps resources your child never had to call on before. Your child will learn to get along with new types of people too. Rachel, for example, often gets a much needed break from cliquish school friends by reuniting with her sum mertime camp friends. In addition to the social benefits, a summer spent in the mountains or woods heightens your child's awareness of the relationship be tween humans and nature. ' The primary problem faced by kids at overnight camp usually is homesickness. It's a natural feeling for a child away from family and friends, but the condition is rarely incapacitating. The staff at any good camp will be prepared todcal with campers who are upset. Your best approach to home sickness is to start dealing with it at home. Tell your child what to expect, stressing the positive. Many camps offer suggestions and guidelines; some even orientation programs. Visit prospective camps, prefer ably while they're in session. If it's not possible to do that, find out how long the camp has been in operation, how staff are recruited, and the kinds of activities that are offered. Ask about the age range of the counselors, the staff-to-campcr ratio and the nature of the faci lities. Get the names of people who have sent their children to the camp and contact them. Children as young as 7 can enjoy overnight camp, if they're ade quately prepared. The younger the child, the shorter the camping session should be. A veteran camper of 8 or 9 should be able to handle at least three weeks par- . ticularly if he or she is familiar with the camp and knows other kids there. For more information, write: The American Camping Associa tion. Dept., BUG, Bradford Woods. 50000 SR 67 N, Martins ville, IN 46252-7902. High pressure, pint jars for fish Snow White's wicked step mother is an exception to the rule in a typical stepparent. The myth persists, however be cause we have grown up. with stereotypes about stepparents. But the vast majority of stepparents don't harm their children. In fact, they want very much to be good parents. The typical stepparenting mis take is in not being too demanding or mean-spirited, but in believing that, if they try hard enough, they can make everything right. When that doesn't happen, they feel frustrated and guilty. -Professionals who work with children need to be sensitive to their own attitudes toward step parents. They need to ask if they automatically expect the worst. Stepparents need to realize that stepfamily stress and difficult re lationships with children are typi cal. Rewards can come with time and good communication. Canning is a popular way to preserve fish and if done properly, it will be high in quality and safe to cat. Only fresh seafood should be preserved. The fish and shell fish must be kept cool on ice or re frigerated immediately after catch ing and canned as soon as possible. Fish should only be canned in pints or half-pints, there are no safe processing times for q uart jars. All fish must be canned in a pressure canner. The high temperatures reached under pressure are ne cessary to destroy the bacteria that causes spoilage and food poison ing. All pressure canners must be vented (exhausted) for 10 minutes. After venting, close the petcock or place the counter weighted gauge over the vent to pressurize the canner. Begin counting the pro cessing time when the pressure builds to eleven pounds for dial Rent to own may be costly What seems like a "good dear renting a 19 inch color television for only $ 1 1 .25 per week-can be a tremendous waste of money over the year and a half it takes to become the TV's owner. When you consider that a $350 TV may cost nearly $900 in rent, the deal may lose some of its appeal. Look at the bottom line before buying televi sions, furniture, or other products through rent-to-own programs. Al though the weekly or monthly figure may seem low, it must be multiplied out to calculate how much will be spent until the pro duct is owned. Another disadvantage is that a rent-to-own agreement is not the same as a loan. There is no ex tension of credit or buildup of equity. If a consumer rents for a year and then stops, the $600 spent on rent is lost. In general, renting should be used over the short term; buyers are better off comparison shopping for a loan or credit terms. canners and ten pounds for weight ed gauges. For canning at elevations about 1,000 feet, adjustments need to be made for weighted gauge canners. Dial canners need adjustments above 2.000 feet. Check with the Warm Springs Extension office for bulletins. Happy Walking! Would you like to walk off XA pound by next week? Here's how... Research shows that your weight multiplied by .73 equals the number of calories your body uses when you walk a mile. For ex ample, if you weigh 140 pounds your body burns 102 calories for every mile you walk. If you burn 1,750 calories you will lose A pound (3,500 calories are in one pound of fat). So, allowing a rough average of 100 calories per mile, that means you need to walk 17'4 miles a week or 2XA miles a day to lose 'A pound. Now figure out how much walking you need to do to lose xh pounds. Happy walking! Summer camp offers opportunities, activities Spring car care necessary tool 4-H Summer Week grades 7-12 An exciting opportunity is being extended to attend 4-H Summer Week at Oregon State University June 17-21. Those attending will choose among 90 different classes. Fresh tracks will allow an in-depth look at a 4-H area of interest, including career possibilities, sub- ject matter and decision-making. Cost $125. Partial scholarships are available. Application deadline April 19. Natural Resource Camp ages 14-18 Spend a week expanding your knowledge and sharpening your skills in natural resources through wise use and planning. The camp will be held June 16-21, Sunday Friday at Hancock Field Station, Lower John Day Valley, cost $ 1 20. Partial scholarships are available. Applications are at the Extension Office. Application deadline for the camp is April 19, with selec tions made by May 1 5. The camp is limited to 25 campers. Camp Counseling grades 9-12 Do you enjoy the outdoors? Do you enjoy 4-6 graders? Can you tolerate mosquitos and a little dirt? Do you want to know yourself better and enjoy a challenge? If you answered yes, Camp Counseling may be your next great adventure. To participate in camp you must attend the Camp Coun selor Workshop June 23-27. Appli cation deadline is April 15. Appli cations are available at the Exten sion Office, cost $10. Planning to get married? Discuss money, finances Couples planning marriages should discuss finances and issues of money before the wedding. Some ideas to start the discussion ; are outlined. It's likely that beneficiaries need to be changed on life insurance, and pension. A new will, or revi sions in the current will, may be necessary to include provisions for the new spouse. Study your options for medical : and dental coverage. Read the bro : chures explaining your present : coverage and talk with the benefits : officer where you work. If only one : spouse is employed, what has to be done to include the new spouse under the employed spouse's in surance? If both spouses are employed and have health benefits available, review the benefits and costs. De cide whether each spouse will con tinue to be covered his or her own plan, or if one will be covered under the other spouse's plan. Make a list of property, in cluding real estate and other in vestments. Also make a list of debts, including obligations such as child support from a prior marriage, that either is bringing into the marriage. How are these to be handled? What if any property is to be mingled? . Whose responsibilities are the debts? As you plan your future budget don't overlook the money needed to pay for debts brought into the marriage, warns Alice Mills Morrow, OSU Extension family economics specialist. Finally, discuss your financial goals and develop a budget for the first year. Talk about how the money will be handled? Will in comes be pooled? Will incomes remain separate? Who is responsi ble for such tasks as bill paying and record keeping? There is no way to handle money in a marriage. How the partners feel about how the money is managed is important. Money management should enhance the relationship and value each part ner's contributions. When a couple marries, each brings to the marriage attitudes, values, and feelings about money. The attitudes, values and feelings of wife and husband are usually not identical. It takes time, effort and communication to arrive at a common understanding. You've finally gotten through the winter with yourself and your car in one piece. You had been careful to have your cooling system checked and serviced back in Oc tober. You put your snow tires on before the snow was piled too deep for you to go out of the house. You even made sure you used winter strength windshield solvent. In deed, you did everything by the book. Now that spring is coming, you figure you can sit back and con gratulate yourself. Right? Well, congratulations might be in order, but you'd better not ig nore your car. While it is true that winter driving demands the most from your car, hot weather makes its own special demands. And while a breakdown in the dead of winter is potentially more dangerous than stalling out during a summer's drive, why neglect your car at all? Proper and timely car main tenance will probably save you money in the long run, by pre venting more costly repairs that arise from prolonged neglect. Spring car care involves three major steps: Repairing problems caused by winter driving; prepar ing for the warm weather driving ahead; and finding a good auto mobile technician to do the jobs that are too complicated for you to do on your own. After three months of ice, snow, sand and potholes, your car is bound to need some sprucing up. Any problems that you failed to repair last fall will probably be worse now, after a hard season of driving. But the first thing you will notice is your car's overall appearance. A good spring cleaning, inside and out, is in order. Your car's finish has been dulled by road chemicals and harsh weath er; the inside of your car is likely to resemble a closet, with gloves, ice scrapers, cups and other items strewn out. Thoroughly washing, waxing and vacuuming your car is a very good starting point. You not only see immediate results (always satis fying in this age of 20-year subway projects and 30-year mortgages). you actually decrease your chances of being involved in an accident. Studies have shown that a dirty windshield is distracting: Our eyes tend to focus automatically on the flecks and streaks on the wind shield, instead of looking far ahead to spot potentially dangerous road situations. And you do not need any studies to tell you how distracting a cluttered dashboard and floor board can be just try stopping your car with a soda bottle lodged between the brake pedal and floor, or cigarettes, gloves and loose change sliding around the dash. But the greatest benefit of start ing your spring car care with a general spring cleaning is probably psychological. You cross the thresh old from passivity into action; you have taken that first step. Sub sequent projects should be easier to do. Winter driving has probably been difficult on your car's battery. You should remove the cables from the terminals and scrub all parts with a strong wire brush and baking soda and water. (Use a pen knife to scrape away any corrosives from the inside of the clamps). Rinse everything with water. Buy new clamps if your old ones are almost eaten through. Recon nect the cables to the terminals (in the proper order). If you have an older, self-maintenance battery, add water as necessary. Potholes can take their toll on your car's suspension and steering. Have you felt a difference in the car's steering, handling, and ride? You can test your shock absorbers quite easily. Go to the front of your car and push down each fender. If you car bounces more than once, worn shocks may be indicated. A qualified technician can install shocks, a project sometimes too difficult for do-it-yourselfers. Be cause having a friend follow you in hisher car to check your align ment is not always an accurate gauge, you should take your car to a good shop for testing if you feel that something is wrong. Since winter driving is so taxing on your car's engine, spring is a good time for a "tune-up" (a popular somewhat outdated term. given today's sophisticated cars). And you benefit by getting your car ready for the vacation season. If you have noticed slower ac celeration or rough idling, you probably need a tune-up. While smaller, older cars are relatively simple to adjust (points, plugs, and condensers), many people lack the necessary equipment. And newer cars have compu terized ignition systems that re quire testing equipment that home mechanics will seldom have. Your cooling system will be asked to work hardest during hot summer months: The number-one summer breakdown problem is over heating. If you drained your coolant last fall, chances are that everything is still sound. After the car has thoroughly cooled, remove the radiator cap and check the fluid level. It should be about one half inch from the top. (New cars with plastic reservoirs have a line etched on them that indicates the proper level.) In any case, change your anti freeze once each year. Remove the radiator cap, then loosen the drain valve (located at the base of the radiator) and allow the old fluid to empty into a basin. Microwave meatloaf VA lbs. ground beef 3 slices white bread, torn into pieces Va cup milk 2 eggs Va cup chopped onion 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp. salt tsp. pepper Combine all ingredients. Spread in 9x5 inch ungreased loaf dish. Microwave at High 16 to 21 min utes, or until center is firm and has lost its pink color (internal tem perature 145 to 150) rotating dish after half the cooking time. Let stand five minutes. Serves six. 13 to 25 minutes VA lb. beef. Varies with moisture. Next, flush the system with lots of water for a few minutes. Tighten the drain valve, then add the ap propriate amount, and mix anti freeze and water, usually 5050. Start the engine and run it long enough to reach operating tempera ture (usually around 10 minutes). Leave the cap off during this procedure. Recheck the coolant level. Often you must add more fluid because trapped air will have escaped, lowering the fluid level. Install the radiator cap securely. Check all of your hoses and belts for condition and tightness; frayed belts and cracking hoses should be replaced immediately. And while you are under the hood, why not check the level of your engine oil and brake, power steering and transmission fluids? Consult your owner's manual for help in locating parts and informa tion about replacement specifica tions. If the oil filter and oil pan lug nut are readily accessible, you can change your oil and filter in about 20 minutes. Your brake, transmission and power steering fluids should sel dom fluctuate. If after having added fluid, you notice a lower level again within a few days, you should have your car examined by a technician qualified to do brake, transmission or steering work. Don't forget your air filter or windshield washer solvent: Sum mer driving is often very dusty. Buy an air filter (about $4 to $7) and keep a jug of washer fluid in your trunk. With planning and motivations, you can repair the damage winter has done and get your car ready for months of enjoyable summer driving. It's photo time! 4-H Photography Weekend is scheduled for April 26, 27, 28, 1991 at the Klamath County Extension Building, Klamath Falls, Oregon. Tentative schedule.