NORWAY — Members of the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce met together on Thursday, March 7, for the first of what the Education/Workforce Committee of the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce hopes to be a part of a quarterly series focused on various topics of concern in the workforce.

“These workshops can be any topic, in the support of our businesses,” said Tina Christopherson, director of the Oxford Hills/Nezinscot Adult Education. “COVID changed our economy and our ways of doing business,” John Williams, executive director of OHCC, explained when discussing the workshops. “Our economy is in a transitional period. It is important that we all support each other.”

The first workshop was hosted at Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway. The presentation, entitled “Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace,” featured guest speakers Susan Hanley and Ashley Herrick from Community Concepts. The presentation highlighted key topics, from creating a culture of safety and wellness, to employee burnout and providing resources to employees.

Ashley Herrick highlighted common issues employers currently face. “It is hard to find good employees who want to come to work,” she told her audience. She pointed out common behaviors when trying to hire, from applicants not showing up to interviews or even their first day of work. “Companies need to put a mental focus on staff. They are our number one resource,” stated Hanley, director of Human Resources for Community Concepts.

Community Concepts created a Wellness Team to increase employee engagement. Together, the team creates a series of low-cost or free activities for staff. The activities are well-received and create a sense of camaraderie. Activities include things like Pie Day, recognizing the math irony in the date 3/14, creating slideshows of employees’ pets, to just sending friendly lighthearted emails to lift team members’ spirits.

Susan Hanley stressed the importance of creating positive employee engagement in the workplace. She noted that there were staff afraid to come to work after the tragic events in Lewiston and noted the Maine Resiliency Center in Lewiston. “We need to work as a community and outsource our employee’s needs.”

The Maine Resiliency Center was established in the aftermath of the shooting that took place on October 25, 2023. They provide free community connection, support, and resources to those who are impacted by the tragedy. They have walk-in support available at 184 Main Street in Lewiston on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 2-6 p.m. There are hopes of being able to sustain the resources in the area; not just for the shootings.

The workshop closed with a discussion about the financial inequities that many employees are currently facing and how those changes affect business owners and managers. Employers hear stories every day about concerns with needs such as access to food, heat, or housing.

Community Concepts mentioned its program Community Concepts Finance Corp., a program that provides a variety of economic development services to help businesses and communities grow. The nonprofit organization provides programs such as business advisory services and business loans and has programs to assist in home ownership.

“Mental health issues are getting worse in the workforce,” Ben Tucker of Norway, explained, pointing out that mental health is a concern that groups of people and businesses see. “There is a level of despair across the company. Somebody must take care of the workers too.”

The topic of the next workshops is yet to be announced. Follow up with the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce for details on future events. More information about programs provided by Community Concepts can be found at ccimaine.org.

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