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True Grit

5/2/2022

 
By Michael Gentry - Labor & Employment Shareholder, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren
Email |  414.298.8715

In November, the New York Times put out an Opinion Interactive called, Where Should You Live. “Everyone’s moving to Texas,” it proclaimed. “Why?” I thought; it’s hot there (ok, it was not quite as cold here at the time as it is now). Try as I might, I could not get the Times’ quiz to validate my choice to live around Milwaukee. So, I investigated the article’s biases. And sure enough, it summed it up well: “Places are shaped by the people who live in them, and people are full of surprises that no algorithm can capture.” That’s right, I think. It’s Milwaukee’s people that make this an interesting place to live and work. As a midwestern transplant, it’s a place that I have been proud to call home since 2010. And, I’d argue, a good place to start and run a business.

Sometimes overshadowed by its neighbor to the south, and often underappreciated, Milwaukee is a cultural powerhouse. Summerfest. Harley Davidson. Annual cultural festivals celebrating Milwaukee’s diverse roots. The recently re-opened America’s Black Holocaust Museum. Likewise, the Bucks-in-six championship certainly did not diminish Milwaukee’s cultural standing nationally.

What’s more, Milwaukee has grit (an intangible quality not easily measured by algorithms). Our kind are more likely than most to endure the cold at Lambeau, or sit outside during winter when a pesky pandemic prevented indoor dining. And the cost of living in Milwaukee (and even in Milwaukee’s surrounding communities) is low when compared to most other metropolitan areas its size. So, Milwaukee’s workforce presents an attractive ROI for employers and Milwaukee should be an attractive option young professionals seeking to build their careers in a vibrant city where they can afford to live near downtown.

As an employment attorney, I have encountered quite a few characters in and around Milwaukee. It’s always the people involved in a deal or dispute that keep things interesting. But the last couple of years have provided an especially challenging context for building good, lasting relationships between employers and their employees. Employers have been put through the ringer —adapting to remote work, constantly shifting state/local/federal pandemic-related restrictions, rising prices (without necessarily increasing margins), hiring and training and retaining workers whom they scarcely if ever see in person while enduring the zeitgeist of the “Great Resignation.”

Each of these issues has presented its own set of legal questions: how do we build company culture when we’re never together? What changes do I need to make to my policies, contracts and offer letters to accommodate our reconfigured workforce? How can I keep my employees safe while still delivering the service that our customers expect? And how can I protect my customer relationships in a market where employees jump from job to job?

Many employers I have spoken to over the past couple of years feel like the ground has shifted such that they’re reluctant to plan for the future —like a builder who has weathered a bad storm. But, by embracing the new realities and refreshing certain employee practices, policies and agreements to rise to the occasion (like remote work practices and refreshed, enforceable contracts and policies) they can put their workforce, their people, in the best position to help their companies succeed. That’s true grit.

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  • JOIN
  • Membership
    • The benefits of joining
    • Member directory >
      • Member Spotlights
      • Talent Solutions Directory
    • What we do >
      • Talent >
        • Ranking Milwaukee County Schools
        • Education recommendations
        • Technology Education & Literacy in Schools (TEALS)
        • Career-based learning experiences
      • Growth
      • Livability
      • Equity
      • Peer metro comparison
    • Cost saving programs >
      • Health insurance plan
      • Office supply discount program
    • Events >
      • 2021 All Member Meeting
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit
      • Talent Solution Series
      • Emerging Leaders Series
      • Global Business Insights Series
      • Member Orientation
      • Replay: The Business of MKE Series
      • Replay: Race Bridge Series
    • For members only >
      • Fall 2022 Impact Report
      • Sponsorship
      • Advertising
    • Need more info?
  • Networks
    • Leadership Council
    • President's Huddle
    • Executive roundtable program
    • FUEL Milwaukee for young professionals
    • Future 50 Awards Program
    • Networking Forum for referrals
    • Region of Choice Initiative
    • Roundtables for high-growth companies
    • World Trade Association
  • Advocacy
    • 2021-2022 Legislative Scorecard >
      • Senate Votes
      • Assembly Votes
    • Recent Legislative Wins
    • Funding Local Governments
    • Miller Park economic impact study
    • Wisconsin State Legislature
    • K-12 Education Recommendations
  • Economic Development
    • Milwaukee 7 Partnership for Economic Development
    • MKE Venture Mentoring Service
    • Milwaukee Development Corp. >
      • Rebuild & Revitalize Program
    • Milwaukee Urban Strategic Investment Corp. (MUSIC)
    • Milwaukee EB-5 Visa program
    • Starting a business >
      • BizStarts
      • New business planning guide
    • More about Milwaukee
  • Metro MKE
    • 2023 Navigate Business MKE
    • Business outlook survey
    • Economic trends
    • Local media listings
    • Major employers in metro Milwaukee
    • Metro Milwaukee demographics
    • Order a publication
    • Relocating a business
  • About
    • Board of directors
    • Career Opportunities at MMAC
    • Staff
    • Milwaukee Commerce magazine
    • Press releases
    • Members of the media >
      • Recent Media Coverage
    • Scholarships for minority students