The cause this unfortunate turn of events is not hard to figure out. The truth is companies have become just as cold toward employees. As employees are treated more and more like expendable commodities and a means to an end, rather than valued and important components of the overall organization, they will continue to feel disconnected from their work and employers. The recent recession didn’t help as companies made massive layoffs with little regard for the individual employee’s loyalty or length of service. I know of a woman who worked for 13 years at a very large company here in town. Her father had worked his entire career at that same company. Yet, for all that family loyalty—two generations worth– when layoffs came, with no prior warning she was given a box and told she had five minutes to clear out her desk. Those “lucky” enough to remain employed were treated to a whittling away of benefits, training and pay.
Debby Millhouse has been honored as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Women by The Mecklenburg Times in recognition of her impact on the Charlotte community. She was named to the Business Leader Hall of Fame as one of the top entrepreneurs in the Charlotte area, to the Business Leader list of Movers & Shakers, and to the Business Leader list of 2008 Women Extraordinaire, which recognizes women of extraordinary accomplishment and contribution. She was also named a 2006 Women in Business Achievement Award winner by Charlotte Business Journal for significant business accomplishments.