Keeping Workers in the Loop When Implementing Automation
Article from MHI Solutions Magazine
At manufacturing plants and warehouses plagued by high turnover, it might seem like employees don’t truly value their jobs and happily would jump ship to make a few bucks more somewhere else. That outlook tends to change, however, upon the first sign of new automated material‑handling solutions in the facility, as workers begin to fear that they’re being replaced by machines.
As just about any employee can attest, nothing makes you appreciate a job more than the threat of losing it.
“Especially if you have a tenured group that has done things a certain way for a long time, implementing automation can bring a lot of fear, and it really boils down to concern about their jobs,” said Dawnya Gay Brown, project engineering manager at MHI member St. Onge. “Organizations worry about employee engagement because change can create upheaval…
