August Newsletter 2022
Happy Labor Day
The unofficial end of summer. At least that is what Labor Day is known for. Since it feels like summer just started, we aren’t sure we love that moniker.
Although we are pretty much over 95-degree days, so there’s that.
In the spirit of Labor Day, we thought we would provide some fun facts you probably don’t know.
We can thank labor unrest in the American Midwest for the creation of Labor Day. Way back in the 1880s, thousands of workers in Chicago took to the streets to protest poor labor conditions and to demand an 8-hour workday.
The first holiday created due to labor unrest was actually May Day. Now called, International Worker’s Day, it happens on the first of May. Here in the United States, we celebrate our version on the first Monday in September every year. While there have been efforts to move our holiday to May 1, they have been unsuccessful to date.
So, in 1894, Labor Day was created in our country. It is remarkable to note that while Labor Day was considered a conciliatory gesture to organized labor, it wasn’t until 1938 that the Fair Labor Standards Act limited child labor, set a minimum wage, and mandated a shorter workweek, with overtime pay for longer shifts. By the 1940s, the average workweek had fallen to five eight-hour days, which is our current standard.
In short, the history of Labor Day is deeper than barbecues and gatherings, it was born as the first volley from overworked laborers to industry, and it stands today as a tribute to treating workers fairly.
For a great timeline of this interesting holiday, check out this history.com article, good stuff for sure.
More locally, we do our best to take great care of our workforce and are so lucky to have our dedicated team of professionals in your homes each week.
This year, Labor Day occurs on September 5th. We hope you have an opportunity to recharge and spend time with family and friends. We will be closed, reopening on Tuesday the 6th.
Happy Labor Day!
Unclaimed Property
Do you have unclaimed property or funds with the state?
We hadn’t really thought about it until we received a note from the state telling us we might indeed.
We investigated, and sure enough, we had $20 coming from Microsoft. Can’t really tell you why, but we reclaimed it.
From the state website: “The Great Colorado Payback is responsible for reuniting Coloradans with their lost or forgotten assets.”
“Even businesses lose track of property and payments, occasionally resulting in unclaimed property which can be claimed. Corporations, schools, hospitals, and small businesses are also listed among the many individuals whose assets are in the possession of the State.”
“Money or property turned over to the State Treasury for safekeeping always belongs to the owner or heir of the account and there are no time limits for filing your claim. The Colorado State Treasurer currently maintains a list of over 1.7 million names of individuals as well as businesses for whom property is available.”
The good news is it’s free to check and see if there is anything out there with your name on it.
To see if you might have missing property or funds, you can get started here.
Happy hunting everyone!
Knowing vs. Doing
Most of us know the right thing to do. Why don’t we always do it?
This question has been raised many times by academics, business leaders, and self-help gurus.
Quite simply, the knowing-doing “gap” is the difference between knowledge and action.
For example, we read a book, and gather lots of information in doing so, but then fail to implement anything we just read.
Or we go to a cool training class, walk away with a ton of ideas, then go right back to where we were before.
It’s real and it’s hard to overcome. We all know that exercise is good for us, but we don’t always do it. Same with diet.
Also the same in business, where organizations can fall into the same traps.
So now that we know there is a gap, what in the world do we do to bridge it? How do we start to take meaningful action when we get new information?
We found a wonderful piece on Medium that gives some good advice on how to do this. (hint, start small)
As Picasso once said, “Action is the foundational key to all success.”
Here’s to taking more action with the knowledge we have.
“Brushing” Scam
Has anyone heard of “brushing”?
Not your hair or your pet, but a new scam that clever thieves are using to steal your information and use your name for fake online reviews.
From the Whatis.com website: “A brushing scam is an exploit by a vendor used to bolster product ratings and increase visibility online by shipping an inexpensive product to an unwitting receiver and then submitting positive reviews on the receiver’s behalf under the guise of a verified owner.”
“Vendors on Amazon and other websites use the scam to increase visibility for their stores and drive further sales.”
Who doesn’t like free stuff? While it certainly seems harmless, it isn’t.
From the United States Postal Inspection Service website: “While it may appear to be a victimless crime—you did after all get some free stuff—the reality is that your personal information may be compromised.”
“Often scammers obtain personal information through nefarious means and with ill-intentions, and use it for a number of scams and other illicit activities in the future.”
“In other instances, bad actors are using a person’s address and account information to receive merchandise then steal it from the home before the resident is able to intercept it.”
Denver Air Quality
Air quality alerts. We have been getting them for some time now.
It’s one thing to see smog in Denver, but entirely another when we found out that this issue could lead to increased gas prices.
It seems that our state has not been able to cut down emissions fast enough to meet the 2008 federal ozone standards.
Ok, you say, “what does that mean for me”?
Depending on which expert you believe, the pending crackdown on emissions could add $.20-.50 per gallon to our already very high gasoline prices.
In fact, the EPA is planning to redesignate our area and ozone status this fall. In doing so, Colorado will be expected to change to something called “reformulated fuel” which is less volatile than current gas.
The problem is that the current refineries serving Colorado don’t make reformulated gas, and that is made worse by the fact only 40% of our gas is produced here.
Unfortunately, there probably isn’t much we can do about this one, but we wanted to make sure you knew about it.
Monthly Award Winners
Our monthly award winners for July were Sandra Vidales, Guadalupe Caloca, Haydee Espinoza, Nimia Espinoza, and Aurora Dominguez.
In the Team Leader ranks, it was Rosa Chavez and Laura Varela.
We are so proud of our winners, and of all the folks that are in and out of your homes each week.
We are also very appreciative to be a part of your lives and your homes. You provide the platform for our teams to perform, and for that we are grateful.
Please join me in congratulating our best performers for the month of July.
Queen Bee Corner
by Angela
When I receive an inquiry regarding our housecleaning availability and it happens that our schedules are full to bursting, I have been asked why we don’t just bring on more staff.
Logical question from a layperson.
Firstly, the labor force in Denver is insufficient to carry the businesses needing employees.
Secondly, the problem is compounded by our determination to hire employees who actually want to clean houses, who basically see dirty and feel the need to just step in and clean.
These people do not grow on trees.
However, because over the years we have hired only these people, we have gained the respect and trust of our clients, a satisfied workforce, and a reputation that attracts potential clients.
It really doesn’t get any better than that.
Bee