Workers at Worthington Industries in Columbus, Ohio aren't reprimanded for watching the clock--in fact they're encouraged to do it. They only need to look at the new NBA-type “shot clocks” installed in their work stations to see if their productivity rate is a slam dunk.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, under the steel-processing company's new “transformation plan” to become more efficient, huge digital clock displays give workers goal times to complete a task--and let's them know how long they have been working on the task. The goal is to make each worker accountable for reaching departmental goals, which is crucial since the workforce is down 20 percent.

While the timing of employees is not new, “what is relatively new is the prominent display of the clocks, for all workers and managers to see,” explains Peter T. Ward, chairman of the Department of Management Sciences at Ohio State University, in the article. Managers now sit at long desks right in the work area, rather than in an office, and are directly linked to a central manufacturing “nerve center” so productivity and volume are monitored from all facilities.

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The clocks had a successful test run at Worthington's plant in Baltimore, so the idea is being implemented companywide. No word on if workers are “benched” if they underproduce.

Source: Columbus Dispatch

This is the case of a workplace mystery solved in Oklahoma. In October, Workers at the Parole Board in Grady County reported money was going missing from their purses.

At first, not even the employee who reported the missing money or her co-workers suspected that it was stolen. Who would steal with so many police officers around, right?

Still, District Attorney Bret Burns had one of his investigators install hidden cameras and place photocopied money in a previous victim's purse just to see what would happen, the Express-Star reports.

Burns says that within 20 minutes of placing the phony money in the purse, they saw someone take it--and it was one of their own officers.

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Burns tells the newspaper that when the officer was confronted, she at first denied having the money but then admitted to the theft and resigned when the investigator asked her what was in her back pocket.

“What are the odds that … one police officer would steal from another while on duty?” Burns commented to the newspaper. “She is sworn to uphold the law.”

The woman faces a felony charge of concealing stolen property and a misdemeanor charge of larceny. If convicted, she faces 5 years in jail for the felony and 6 months for the misdemeanor.

Source: Express-Star

Everybody loves a sale, but one sale in particular has become so hazardous to retail workers that OSHA has released some guidelines to help keep them safe.

The day after Thanksgiving has become known as Black Friday, a day when holiday shopping seasons gets into full swing. Since some retailers' profitability for the year depends on holiday shopping, they have created big sales events for the day in a hope of finishing the year in the black. Many retailers themselves refer to it as Black Friday. However, huge crowds hungry for a deal can also pose a hazard to retail workers at those stores, according to OSHA.

Last year, a worker was trampled to death while a mob of shoppers rushed through the doors of a large store to take advantage of an after Thanksgiving Day sales event. Citing last year's death and the rise in injuries related to the sales events, OSHA has published crowd control guidelines for retailers to protect workers during major sales events.

OSHA says retailers' plans should include:

• Having trained security or crowd management personnel or police officers on site.
• Creating a detailed staffing plan that designates a location for each employee. Based on the size of the crowd expected, determine the number of employees that are needed in various locations to ensure the safety of the event (e.g. near the door entrance and throughout the store).
• Ensuring that employees are properly trained to manage the event.
• Providing legible and visible signs that describe entrance locations, store opening times, and other important information such as the location of major sale items.
• Preparing an emergency plan that addresses potential dangers facing employees, including overcrowding, crowd crushing, being struck by the crowd, violent acts and fire. Share emergency plan with all local public safety agencies.
• Training employees in crowd control procedures and the emergency plan. Provide them with an opportunity to practice the special event plan. Include local public safety agencies if appropriate.

OSHA also recommends that retailers prevent additional customers from entering the store when it reaches its maximum occupancy level and refrain from blocking or locking exit doors.

"Crowd-related injuries during special retail sales and promotional events have increased during recent years," says Jordan Barab, acting OSHA chief. "Many of these incidents could be prevented, and this fact sheet provides retail employers with guidelines for avoiding injuries during the holiday shopping season."

Source: OSHA's Crowd Control Safety Tips For Retailers

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