While June is National Safety Month, at L&P, our top priority each day is ensuring the care and safety of our team members. We value putting people first, and that starts with our leaders listening to our teams and working together to create a better, safer Leggett.
Recently, leaders visited several branches to conduct safety focus groups and listen to our teams on how we can improve safety processes in our facilities.
Leaders meet with the Ennis Spring team in Ennis, TX, to discuss safety.
“Our branch and employees were honored and impressed to see the support and appreciation from the executive team,” said Mary Estrada, EHS Manager at Ennis Spring. “They showed gratitude to our partners by being present and listening to their concerns. They had very constructive conversations and showed that they truly care about our people and their safety.”
June is Pride Month! Around the world, people are coming together to commemorate and celebrate LGBTQ+ activism and culture.
At L&P, we strive to create a culture where everyone feels safe to be their authentic selves and accepted for who they are. Today and every day, we want you to know that you belong here.
Happy Pride from L&P!
Supporting The Trevor Project
Pride Month is also a time to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. At L&P, we made a contribution to The Trevor Project—the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ youth. Because they are often stigmatized in society, LGBTQ+ youth have an increased risk of dying by suicide when compared to their peers.
Pride Month Resources
Interested in learning more about Pride Month? Check out the following resources:
Pride by Google Arts & Culture: Learn about Pride marches throughout the years, the Stonewall Uprising, LGBTQ+ artists, and more.
Beyond the Rainbow by Google Arts & Culture: Learn about Pride experiences and the Pride flag, including how it was created, what it represents, and how it has evolved over time.
Throughout the month of June, we’re spotlighting safety and belonging at L&P!
Our employees are at the heart of everything we do, and we’re committed to fostering a workplace culture that is safe, both physically and psychologically, for everyone. We want all of our employees to bring their authentic selves to work and feel heard, seen, and valued.
During the next few weeks, we’ll share about how our teams are promoting safety and belonging at work.
Throughout the month of May, we’re sharing mental health resources and tips. This week, we’re spotlighting mindfulness—a tool that can help us cope with and reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the practice of being intentionally aware of what’s happening within and around us. It’s paying attention to our thoughts, feelings, bodies, and surroundings. When we practice mindfulness, we have an opportunity to accept the thoughts, feelings, and sensations that we experience without attaching labels — like “good,” “bad,” “right,” or “wrong” — to them.
What are the benefits?
Mindfulness can improve our mental health. When we are anchored to the present moment, we tend to spend less time worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. Studies show that regularly practicing mindfulness can reduce stress, increase our ability to focus, make us more resilient, increase happiness and joy, and help us cultivate self-compassion and compassion towards others.
How can I practice mindfulness?
Mindfulness can be practiced anytime, anywhere, and while doing anything. If you’re interested in trying mindfulness, check out these common exercises:
Mindful Breathing: This exercise gives us a chance to focus on the breath and the sensations that accompany breathing.
Mindful Walking: Like to walk outside? This exercise invites us to be immersed in the present moment while walking.
Body Scan: This exercise draws attention to different areas of our bodies.
Mindful Eating: We tend to multitask while eating and eat quickly. Mindful eating can help us savor our food.
References
“Less Stress, More Happiness: How Mindfulness Can Combat Stress.” Healthy E-Living Blog, 12 Apr. 2021, www.chestercountyhospital.org/news/health-eliving-blog/2021/april/how-mindfulness-can-combat-stress.
“Mindfulness Defined.” Greater Good Magazine, The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness/definition.
Today, we remember those who lost their lives while serving in the United States military. We are grateful for their service and dedication to securing our freedom.
Throughout the month of May, we’re sharing mental health resources and tips. This week, we’re spotlighting strategies for coping with the Sunday scaries.
With the weekend approaching, many of us are ready to relax and set aside work until Monday. But, when Sunday rolls around, many people experience apprehension that comes from anticipating a new work week. You may know this feeling as the Sunday scaries.
According to research, the Sunday scaries typically creep in around 3:58 PM on Sunday and last throughout the evening. Fortunately, there are strategies to make the transition from the weekend to work a little easier. Check out these three tips:
Make a To-Do List for Monday — If you can’t stop thinking about what you need to accomplish at work, you can try to create space to relax by writing down work priorities for Monday.
Stick to a Sunday Evening Routine — Our minds find comfort in consistency. Consider adhering to an evening routine that’s filled with easy and enjoyable activities.
Make Monday Special — Having something to look forward to can help ease anxiety. On Mondays, consider treating yourself to something special.
References
Good, Candace. “How to Beat the Sunday Scaries.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, LLC, 23 Sept. 2021, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/own-your-present/202109/how-beat-the-sunday-scaries.
“What Are the ‘Sunday Scaries’?” Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, 8 Dec. 2021, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/sunday-scaries/.
Recently, Christina Ptasinski, Chief Human Resources Officer, Laura Manley, HR Director-North Region, and Rita Pruscino, VP-HR Bedding, met up to tour and meet the teams at our Sterling Steel location in Illinois. It was perfect timing, too, as Sterling Steel was celebrating their HR Manager’s, Cary Robbins, birthday!
Check out some of the photos from their visit below!
Left to Right: Ashley Nelson, HR Coordinator, and Cary Robbins, HR Manager, at Sterling Steel
Left to Right: Laura Manley, Christina Ptasinski, and Rita Pruscino
The steel billets undergo a cooling process before being heated up again in the rod mill to produce wire rod.
Cary, Rita, and Laura feel the heat emanating from the billets.
Just in time for some cake and ice cream to celebrate Cary’s birthday.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and at L&P, we support causes that strengthen the fabric of our communities. We recently made a contribution to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA) to help raise awareness about the stigmas surrounding mental illness and offer resources to those who suffer, sometimes silently, with these disorders. The ADAA’s mission is to prevent, treat, and cure anxiety disorders and depression through educational, evidence-based resources, professional practices, and scientific research.
To learn more about the ADAA and explore its resources, visit adaa.org. Also, check out its free upcoming webinars:
Team members from Hanes Industries in Conover, North Carolina, spent their Earth Day giving back to the local community by volunteering for Catawba Valley Habitat for Humanity.
The mission of Habitat Catawba Valley is to help homebuyers build a safe and affordable place to call home. The need for Habitat for Humanity in local communities is greater than ever. The current real estate market makes homeownership difficult for many, especially those whose income falls below the area’s median.
Team Members from Hanes Industries – Conover, Catawba Habitat for Humanity, and the future homeowners.
“Our goal is to put hardworking families into a home, breaking the cycle of renting and unlocking a new type of generational wealth through homeownership,” says Phillip Stepp, Digital Marketing Manager for Catawba Valley Habitat for Humanity. “We achieve this with help from the local community through monetary donations, donations of items to ReStore (a retail store that sells gently used furniture and home accessories), and the hard work from our volunteers and homebuyers.”
The Hanes volunteers visited a neighborhood that is getting a much-needed makeover and assisted in the construction of two different home projects. The team even had the opportunity to work alongside the future homeowners and share their personal stories.
“I volunteered because I understand how it feels to need a helping hand,” says Brandon Phothichack, a team member from Hanes. “I’ve struggled, and I’ve known people who have struggled, and I’ve worked with people who were in the program at Habitat and have succeeded in achieving their dreams of owning.”
Thank you to our Hanes team for giving back to their community and living out our values of putting people first and doing great work together!
Please join us in congratulating our Elite Comfort Solutions (ECS) Corporate Chemicals Supply Chain team for receiving the Above and Beyond Award at the 2023 Mississippi Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (MSESGR) Employer Awards Banquet!
The MSESGR is an office within the U.S. Department of Defense that works to foster support for the U.S. National Guard and Reserve among employers and recognizes outstanding employer support through awards like the Above and Beyond Award. According to the ESGR, this award is given to employers “who have gone above and beyond the legal requirements of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act by providing their Guard and Reserve employees additional, non-mandated benefits. . .” and “who have had at least one of their supervisors/managers recognized with a Patriot Award, and who have signed or agree to sign an ESGR Statement of Support.”
Danny Caldwell, Supply Chain Supervisor/Chemicals, and Brandon Caldwell, Logistics Analyst, accepted the award on behalf of ECS.
From left to right: Major General Janson Boyles (Adjutant General of Mississippi), Brandon Caldwell, Danny Caldwell, and Margaret Burns (MSESGR Chairperson)
Brandon, who serves as a Sergeant First Class in the U.S. Army, nominated ECS for the award because he was inspired by the leadership and patriotism of Mia Rush, Supply Chain Manager, and Danny Caldwell, who’s also his dad. In 2022, Brandon nominated both Danny and Mia for ESGR’s Patriot Award, which they both received individually. Now, ECS is in the running to receive national recognition for their dedication to and support of the U.S. Guard and Reserve.
Three generations of Caldwells pictured from left to right: Cal (Brandon’s son), Danny, and Brandon
“Both Danny and Mia represent ECS with pride, patriotism, and duty to country as non-servicemembers,” says Brandon. “Their personnel and leadership skills place them as champions in my book. I think that the national ESGR may agree.”
Brandon has been serving in the U.S. Army for almost 20 years and holds four military occupational specialties: Aviation Operations Specialist, Logistics Manager, Helicopter Crew Chief, and his current specialty as a Cavalry Scout. Within the next month or two, he will be deployed to the Middle East, and he doesn’t expect to return to ECS until next spring. Mia and Danny want Brandon to know that he has their full support:
Mia Rush
“As leaders, Danny and I work very hard to support our team whenever they have personal events,” says Mia. “With Brandon’s upcoming deployment, we’ve created a plan that includes our whole team and keeps us running so that he can focus on his upcoming and bigger job. We want him to know that we will continue to support him and pray for his safe return.”
We’re full of gratitude to Brandon for his service and to Danny and Mia for putting people first!
