Ohio-based Employers Let Workers Know Their Politics

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2012/11/03/employers-let-workers-know-their-politics.html ^ | November 3, 2012 | Alan Johnson

[Catsrus]

As Election Day nears, more business owners and executives are emphasizing to their employees how important it is to vote in the presidential race — and in some cases, at least subtly, who to vote for.

One Ohio business owner put information about Republican Mitt Romney in employees’ mailboxes and offered to reimburse the ticket price for employees who saw 2016: Obama’s America, a movie critical of Democratic President Barack Obama.

Another executive, Scott Farmer, CEO of Cintas Corp. based near Cincinnati, whose family members are major GOP financial contributors, blasted out an email to 30,000 employees last month in which he outlined his criticisms of “Obamacare” and the impact he believes it could have on his uniform-supply business.

I'm familiar with Cintas, but wasn't aware that it was an Ohio-based business. Not only do the specialize in uniforms, but in every retail store, convenience store or place of business where you see those rubber floor mats - they supply them. I love that the unions are squealing like pigs over this. LOL

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2012/11/03/employers-let-workers-know-their-politics.html

[txrefugee]

Totally fair for employers to warn employees that they may be laid off if Obama wins. There’s even a law called the Warn Act, requiring that government contractors warn employees that they could be laid off. Unions who tell their members who to vote for have absolutely nothing to complain about when employers do the same.

[EBH]

Yes, employers should be able to detail out the issues for their employees. As an owner, I think in some cases it is important to let them know where I stand and ...how it affects our business.

Last week though I had a client comment to me about how much I work. LOL. Normally I just smile and thank them for their business...how little they know how many hours I do put in...on top of what my clients see! They wanted to know when I was going to bring on those two staff people I've been talking about. I said after the election...maybe.

Why after the election she inquired?

I replied, "I have to see how much it is going to cost me to stay in business and how much I am going to need to raise my rates to meet the government mandates. Under 0bama I'm going to have two choices in controlling my business expenses. One ...is not to grow or hire, because I can't afford to pay the employee and the government mandated benefits or Two drastically raise my rates on my clients in order to hire. But then I'll lose clients because the rate needs to go up so much. In fact, I still have to raise rates just to meet the requirements for existing employees."

Client, 'Can't they just go to the exchanges?'

Me, "Sure they can, but I still have to pay the fines...and to me that is an additional business expense. So the rates for clients are going to go up. I see no way around that matter."

What I thought was funny about the whole brief discussion, was the next day...the 0bama yard sign was gone. I don't know if what we talked about made a difference or if I was just the final bit of information the client needed to hear? Note about the client, she is a fancy business consultant for a very large company and a huge 0bama supporter. She threw a party for the DNC convention acceptance speech at her home this year. So when I pulled in the next day and the 0bama yard sign was gone...I sort of smiled. All the other homes still had their signs up, so it wasn't stolen.

Maybe she finally got the message. For all her high-end business dealings...talking to her small business dog walker, injected a firm reality into her progressive economic world.

[GeronL]

That is a great story

[Catsrus]

Most people are economically illiterate when it comes to taxes and Obamacare. They think it sounds like peaches and cream until reality hits them smack in the face. Unfortunately, for some, they will never understand what a horrible law this is - until its too late.

My prayer is that Mitt wins and repeals this boondoggle of a bill. If not - we are doomed as a nation.

[ryderann]

“Why after the election she inquired?”

I’m waiting until after the election to fill my heating oil tank.

[EBH]

That is just it...even as a business consultant, she was somehow illiterate? I have seen her ‘economics’ magazines laying around her home. Recently, one issue actually had the lead article as ‘progressive world economics.’ My heart stopped when I saw the title. And I did take a few minutes to flip through the article and it was literally ‘progressive.’ It simply amazed me that she has an MBA from a major business school and consults to business as a progressive. But...maybe she is speaking to enough real business people to be getting the lesson her MBA missed, reality.

Yesterday at the rally for Mitt, he said he was going to issue an Executive Order, to give state waivers from obamacare, on the day he is inaugurated that will be in effect until it is repealed.

[EBH]

My business is small fries really. I don’t think the mandates actually apply, except to me personally since I am the business. But, there are several competitors that do meet the requirements and word is they’re going to drop everyone to part-time?

So, folks are scrambling to find another job to suppliment. I won’t hire them unless they have a full commitment to my business. My business model is unique in the local industry and I can’t have them using it for another competitor.

So through my long-term lense, if 0bama wins my rates will go up, but the value of our service can justify the rates. But...not everyone will be able to afford our level of animal care. And with everything going up, except wages...that market will be slim.