The Psychologically Healthy Workplace 

Nordic has become a success in the construction industry by applying tried and true team building techniques in areas other firms thought could never work. Teams made up of union workers in different skill areas get authority and resources in decision-making. The team is tasked with identifying the safest and most efficient approach to completing the project. They are empowered to organize the scheduling of work, choose the equipment they will need, and obtain any other tools required to produce a higher quality of finished product. They maintained an industry-low level of injuries and were able to maintain most of their workers from one project to the next, with little turnover even among the unionized workers.

Another example of the innovative way Nordic attempts to assist both the worker and the community is evident in their handling of an injured worker’s return to work. If the worker is initially cleared only for light duty work, Nordic will encourage the worker to identify a non-profit organization in the community, and spend the time he or she would normally be at Nordic with the non-profit. During the recovery period Nordic continues to pay the worker full wages! The company believes that everyone benefits from such an arrangement.

The non-profit has the assistance of the volunteer, the worker is able to donate time to an agency he or she values, and the company typically ends up with a worker who is more involved in the company and the community.