We love giving our employees opportunities to give back to the community. Our locations across the country have gotten their hands dirty helping out! Here are just some of the events we’ve done over the past year or two that have not only brought great results but have also put big smiles onto the faces of our employees.
Our HHI Team donating time to Second Harvest Food Bank by preparing meals and organizing personal care items.
Building homes with Habitat for Humanity in Orange County, California.
Working with the Clean Lakes Alliance in Madison, Wisconsin to help beautify our community.
Our Lake Forest, California office donating their time to the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks.
Donating time to Gateway Greening in St. Louis, Missouri.
Cleaning up parks in Middleton, Wisconsin.
Raising money for the Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
Learn more about these organizations:
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Summer is the perfect time to focus on the good feelings that so easily follow sunny days and warm nights. How can you incorporate those same feelings of joy into your every day? Here are just a handful of ideas that make your day great.
- Walk away from your desk and take a 30 minute lunch break either alone (if that feels most fulfilling to you) or with someone else (if you feed off other’s energy).
- Cut out habits that interrupt your sleep cycle like drinking caffeine, reading on your phone in bed, or working out too close to your bed time.
- Start volunteering for an organization that means a lot to you.
- Sign up for an exciting learning opportunity at work or outside of work that will increase your skills or knowledge.
- Take a vacation day mid-week.
- Get up 30 minutes earlier so you can prepare and eat a fulfilling breakfast.
- Set an earlier bedtime.
- Take an afternoon walk: outside, inside, on a treadmill, wherever! Just get moving during the afternoon slump.
- Set a meal plan for the week (including breakfasts, lunches, and healthy snacks!) so your grocery shopping trip can be more efficient and purposeful, and you won’t be grabbing unhealthy food on the go.
- Mentor a younger coworker or ask someone to become your mentor.
- Book a much-needed vacation and completely unplug.
- If you’re always missing deadlines, always write the deadline as one day earlier in your calendar.
- Add a plant to your desk like one of these workspace friendly plants.
- A good set of headphones and a cheery playlist can make or break any day.
- Surround yourself with a few of your favorite pics of friends and family or from your favorite travels.
- Stay motivated and on track with a vision board that keep you focused on your dreams and goals.
- Bring a lamp to add a soft glow to your workplace.
- Add in a mid-afternoon walk and you may be able to kick the caffeine habit and squeeze in daily exercise.
- Get some exercise before or after work.
- Stop comparing yourself to others. Focus on yourself and your goals and accomplishments, and don’t size them up against those of your coworkers.
- If you’re always late to work, set your alarm 30 minutes earlier.
- Forgo the gossip. It’s ok to vent sometimes, but venting all the time just builds up a negative wall that’s hard to break down.
- Choose gratitude. When things go wrong, think about what you’re thankful for.
- Hang out with positive people. Surround yourself with people who love to smile and laugh.
- Don’t let the little details bog you down. Little frustrations, negative feedback, and unexpected challenges can easily dampen your spirit on a daily basis.
- If you constantly deal with a low-battery phone, why not order a second charger for work and a third for your car?
- Every day should be filled with a nice mix of friends, family, and you time as well as work and play. Find the perfect mix for you.
- Start a journal.
- Cut back on social media.
- Instead of being jealous, start learning. Find inspiration in an idol’s career path or the bold steps they took to get where they want to be.
- Not where you thought you were going to be? It doesn’t mean it can’t or won’t happen. Don’t give up. Having something to work toward is a wonderful thing.
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Spectrum Brands understands that current and future generations depend on our company to respect people and preserve the environments where we live and work. Our employees’ well-being is a priority, and we endeavor to maintain a safe, healthy and engaged workforce.
As a global consumer products company, we recognize our responsibility to address our impacts. Our guiding principles inspire our people and customers, as we work to advance sustainable business processes to preserve natural resources and minimize our carbon footprint.
We deliver long-term value to our consumers by developing innovative solutions to meet their evolving needs and expectations. Beyond our operations, Spectrum Brands is committed to positively impacting peoples’ lives and the world around us. In every country where we operate, we uphold the highest ethical standards — within our company and in the communities we serve. Together, we will enable our stakeholders and future generations to thrive.
Learn more about our company at SpectrumBrands.com/AboutUs.
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The World Health Organization has now officially classified “burnout” as an “occupational phenomenon.” This is important because it brings global awareness to an issue that can affect anyone in the workplace. It not only legitimizes the feelings of those who suffer from it, but also more clearly defines burnout so people can better identify it or try to avoid it.
So, what exactly is burnout? It’s a syndrome resulting from chronic stress in the workplace that has not been managed well. According to the WHO website, burnout includes:
- “feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion”
- “increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job”
- “reduced professional efficacy”
As you can see from this definition, the symptoms are tied specifically to work, whereas something like depression or anxiety may affect all aspects of your daily life. Of course, everyone may feel the occasional sense of overwhelm, frustration, or anxiety during a work day. But the feelings surrounding burnout are chronic and long term. That relentless kind of stress and lack of confidence should not go unnoticed.
Image via Emilio Küffer/Flickr.
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We’ve touted the benefits of career mentorship over and over again, and you may or may not have jumped on board and found yourself a mentor of your own. But if you’re someone who just welcomed a new addition to your family–hello, baby!–this might be the perfect time to take the plunge and find a mentor–more specifically, a working parent mentor.
A mentor is somehow who guides you along your career path by dishing out advice and feedback that can help you overcome obstacles and identify your strengths. As a new parent, you need that kind of assistance now more than ever. Your mornings just got more complicated, your end of day routine just got more regimented, and you’re dealing with things like daycare, illnesses, and possibly less sleep than you’ve ever experienced. But the workflow doesn’t stop.
A working parent mentor is similar to a professional mentor but more specialized. “This person is your go-to contact with insights to help you navigate your way through the minefields you didn’t even know existed,” says The Muse in an article titled A Working Parent Mentor Can Make All the Difference In Your Career. Ideally you’re looking for someone who’s been through it all before but is still close enough to remember the challenges. Someone with a kid or two a few years older than yours is a great example. And if he or she works in your field or at your company, even better.
This person will hopefully provide guidance in both work and life and won’t be afraid to share the truth behind the curtain. Being a working parent is a physical and mental challenge. There is so much new parents learn in the first few years that you may as well fast track some of that hard-earned knowledge and incorporate the tips and tricks from others into your daily routine. At the very least, set up a coffee or lunch date and glean some hacks from parents in your office.
There are resources online that can be helpful as well:
- add an insightful website like Fatherly to your daily reading list
- sign up for The New York Times Parenting newsletter
- search local Facebook groups like “Engineering Moms” or “St Louis Dads”
How do you balance being a working parent? Comment below!
Image via Tilman Zitzmann/Flickr.
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Last month, we held a Cutter Insect Repellent Soccer Clinic hosted by soccer legend Brandi Chastain. The skies were blue and the kids learned new soccer skills. We had so much fun giving back to the St. Louis community!
“I want to give back as much as possible, so when Cutter Insect Repellent called and asked if I wanted to do a clinic with them, I thought ‘Cutter’s from St. Louis, they understand their community, they are involved at the grassroots level,” said Chastain. “The fact that Cutter is sponsoring U.S. Soccer, and the fact that they are willing to come into the community with me, that’s a win-win.”
Read more about the event here.
#TeamCutter #TeamBrandiChastain
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You’ve heard it before: “Done is better than perfect.” But if you’re a perfectionist, you likely guffaw at sayings such as this. After all, you’re a step above the rest–done is just good enough, it’s not great. And you are great. That’s how you distinguish yourself and keep your career propelling forward. Right? Well, truthfully, you might be wrong.
Consistently outweighing the expectation of others might seem like a great achievement at first glance. But the problem with perfection lies in the fact that nobody can meet your expectations–not yourself and not your coworkers. It adds an unfair amount of stress to not only yourself but also to your relationship with others.
Perfectionism also blinds you to the strengths and contributions of yourself and others. Compassion, not condemnation, is the name of the game. You’ll be a much more pleasant person to work with–and a happier one too–if you’re not constantly berating your own work or the work of others.
Read more about why you should steer clear of perfectionism over at Forbes.
Image via Little Kits/Flickr.
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On May 17, 2019, we joined Habitat for Humanity of Orange County for their Leaders Build Challenge. According to their website, “Leaders Build Challenge is a one of a kind event that gives participants a chance to experience camaraderie, competition, and celebration. This one-day event will allow prominent OC business leaders to build a Habitat home side by side amongst other influential leaders in various industries. It brings business and community leaders together to build homes, to network, and to compete with one another: all while helping Habitat OC build homes, community, and hope.”
Based on the findings in a recent report, housing prices in Orange County are 356% higher than the national average. The goal of Habitat for Humanity of Orange County is to offer affordable housing to local families, helping them pursue home ownership. And we were happy to be a part of this cause! Thanks to Phil Szuba, Sr. Vice President & General Manager of our Hardware and Home Improvement Division (HHI), for capturing these pics at the event!
Phil shared his thoughts on LinkedIn stating, “Participating in a great leadership build with Habitat for Humanity of Orange County with a few of our leaders from Kwikset, Baldwin and Pfister – great to give back to this organization. Competing with our friends from Fluidmaster – go green team!”
Habitat for Humanity of Orange County said on Facebook, “Thank you to all our amazing #LeadersBuild2019 corporations and community leaders who helped us achieve new fundraising goals and impact more families than ever before. Affordable housing is becoming possible because of you!” What a great event! Thank you to everyone who participated on behalf of Spectrum Brands. Real leaders wear hard hats! 👊
Photos via Habitat for Humanity of Orange County CA and Phil Szuba.
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Spectrum Brands Careers Blog 
June 27, 2019
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