Employee Exchange
In 1993, Rhino Foods was faced with the issue of excess staffing brought on by efficiency improvements and the seasonality of the ice cream industry. Ted, the owner of Rhino Foods, wasn’t interested in laying off employees. Instead, he turned to his staff to explore creative solutions to reduce the staff while maintaining well-trained employees for the long-term.
Through a series of meetings, the concept of the Employee Exchange Program was born. It is simply an exchange of employees between companies with opposing seasonal business cycles. The benefits to the companies are avoidance of seasonal layoffs, retention of well-trained staff, and increased employee morale.