Rowan Chamber adds Employee Perks Club as membership benefit

SALISBURY — The Rowan County Chamber of Commerce announces Employee Perks Club, LLC as a new membership benefit.

The benefit goes along with the Chamber’s “Buy Local” strategy. The club is a web and mobile technology marketplace to allow members to connect with prospects and consumers.

“We are honored to be the first Chamber in America where EPC has chosen to launch their innovative new marketing platform,” said Elaine Spalding, Rowan Chamber president. “Our board of directors strives to add valuable member benefits and this cutting-edge technology and marketing platform EPC brings to our community reinforces our reputation as being a forward thinking and award-winning chamber.”

Based in Knoxville, EPC is a new membership marketing marketplace designed for local chamber of commerce leaders to build and strengthen their communities.

“The Employee Perks Club represents a huge and unique opportunity for the region’s employee base and merchants,” said Lucas Graham, CEO of Employee Perks Club. “Our program offering is a two-sided technology platform that brings consumers and merchants together in a way that will allow merchants to reach consumers when they are actively spending money in their community. The flexible and easy-to-use platform allows merchants to customize their promotional spending based on whatever their business needs are that day. Unlike other platforms, like Groupon, EPC is flexible and driven by the needs and objectives of the local merchants. For the employees, they will be able to see special offers through our proven and proprietary digital and mobile platforms.”

With the Employee Perks Club, the chamber hopes to deliver the highest value to its members.

Delta Xi Omega hosts financial literacy workshop

Delta Xi Omega, the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority’s local graduate chapter, led a “Common Money Mistakes” workshop.

Andréa Hardy, of HF Financial, and Walillian White, of MassMutual Carolinas, led the workshop that focused on managing finances, mitigating financial setbacks, staying on track and making decisions.

The 35 attendees developed a budget for their personal needs and wants, which include taxes, fees, maintenance costs, slow leaks and expenses. Hardy and White encouraged participants to engage in a professional financial service to maintain financial stability.

State’s workplace injury and illness rate drops to historic low

The North Carolina’s nonfatal workplace injury and illness rate for private industry dropped to 2.3 cases per 100 full-time workers in 2017.

The state falls below the national average of 2.8 cases. In 2016, the rate was 2.5.

“With this decline, North Carolina’s rate has hit an unprecedented low,” Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry said. “The downward trend speaks to a safety and health culture that has taken root in businesses throughout North Carolina, and I give employers and employees much of the credit for this drop.”

North Carolina’s Occupational Safety and Health Division focuses on hazardous industries like construction and manufacturing by implementing special emphasis programs, providing free education and training, conducting free safety and health consultative visits and establishing partnerships and alliances.

In construction, the private industry rate was 1.8 cases, compared to 3.1 nationwide. Manufacturing was 2.9 cases, below the national rate of 3.5.

“This is positive news for North Carolina workplaces,” Commissioner Berry said. “The rate accounts for economic growth, which is an important factor when you consider the growth North Carolina has experienced over the years.”

Edward Jones named Best Workplace for Women

Edward Jones, a financial services firm, was considered the Best Workplace for Women by Great Place to Work and FORTUNE Magazine.

Great Place to Work, a global analytics and consulting firm, evaluated more than 50 elements of team members’ experiences on the job, which includes the extent to which employees trust leaders, the respect with which people are treated, the fairness of workplace decisions and camaraderie among the team. 

“This ranking, based upon feedback from our own associates, confirms that we have a wonderful career opportunity for women. Our family-friendly workplace includes generous leave for caregivers and flexible work arrangements,” managing partner Jim Weddle said. “We offer women financial advisors a dedicated network of mentoring and support. Our financial advisors run their own businesses built upon the hard work of developing personal relationships with clients, and our success is measured by helping clients achieve their financial goals.”

Best Workplaces rankings are based on employees’ feedback and reward companies who include all employees.

“This year, we pledged to close the employee experience gender gap by 2020, and these winning organizations are leading the way in achieving this mission, proving that all companies, regardless of their industry, size or complexity, can be great workplaces for women,” said Michael Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work. “Empowering women in the workplace isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s a business imperative.”