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Remote Work & Your Family

Girl in Glasses on a Laptop

Incorporating Your Family Into Your Work Day

While many Americans are stuck at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you have an opportunity to strengthen the bonds between the members of your household.

While the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation® has suspended National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day until some time in late 2020 due to the virus, you can still show your children what you do if you’re working remotely. Or, you can help encourage your employees to participate and keep the day fun and educational.

Make sure you stay organized and productive, though. We have a few tips for working from home to ensure you keep up with your job.

Benefits of Working From Home

Working from home offers a unique chance to show your family what you do without much work. You still need to ensure your day is productive, but it’s a good way to connect with your children.

Reconnecting with Family & Pets

Family Drawing with Child

Staying at home boosts morale. You or your employees don’t need to bother with the commute or being away from the house all day.

This extra time at home gives people a chance to spend more time with their kids, spouses, and pets. For the time being, you no longer have a commute. When you’re done for the day, you’re done. You now have the opportunity to play or talk with your children, take your dog for more walks, or reconnect with your spouse or significant other.

It can be hard to find the right balance of work and home life. Now that many of us are home stuck, we can improve our relationships or better catch up with each other.

All of this contributes to happier employees and a more positive outlook on their work. Happy employees work harder and are more motivated while performing their duties. So, this means your business benefits from this as well.

Introducing Families

Work Video Call

Working remotely also means you have an easier time introducing your family to your co-workers. No need to wait for a company event or schedule a lunch or dinner, you can do it over a video chat.

You might have mentioned your family to your co-workers and vice versa. This creates a closer connection between your work and family and helps in socializing your children.

Communication Skills for Your Kids

Woman and Girl Writing on Clipboard

If you don’t work with ultra-sensitive topics, you can have your kids join you on conference calls.

It’s important for your children to develop competent communication skills. Including them on your video conference calls gives them an insight into how adults communicate.

This is an important part of growth for your child. Improving their communication skills builds confidence and competence. It means they’ll be better equipped to convey their thoughts and feelings as they mature.

Additionally, they’ll learn cooperation skills. As you work with your co-workers, you will all demonstrate how to effectively

Make sure you let your co-workers know. You don’t want to have your kid present if you’ll be discussing classified or private information. Not only could this be illegal but you need to be careful on not spreading information your company doesn’t want released. Also, your co-workers might not appreciate having a child present without prior knowledge.

Showing Off Your Job

With Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Days postponed, you have a unique opportunity to show your child what you do at work without much organizing.

While you should still work with your supervisor, you won’t have to work out the logistics of bringing your kid with you to your office. You won’t need to worry about safety, organizing activities, or maintaining constant supervision. You just need to ensure you’re clear to show your child the ins-and-outs of your job.

Puzzle Piece Name Tag Example

Show them your daily duties. At least, what you can do remotely. If you have clearance, include them in your conference calls and show them what you do to help your co-workers. Including your child in your day helps them understand and grow into more competent adults.

You can make a day of it too!

Let your kid help you “around the office” by organizing papers, having lunch together, and talking about work. Get matching name tags so they feel like they’re really “on-the-job.”

Preparing for the Future

With the immediate future uncertain, it can be hard to prepare for the actual Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. But, you and your work may be able to sort something out once things return to normal.

Many schools may remain closed for the rest of the year. This makes coordination easier should your work place decide to host an event. It may not need to be a full day. You could schedule out a lunch tour of your work to get the kids out of the house and make some effort towards continuing their education.

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While the world had to change so much, we need to remember how important the development of our children is. Many American workers can take this opportunity to reconnect with pets and loved ones. And, your work force may be happier while they work since they’ll get to spend more time with their family. Take Your Kid to Work Day may have been postponed, but you can still help them to grow while your work from home. You can foster a growth in communication and interpersonal skills.

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Easy Ways to Improve Workplace Security (5 Tips for 2020)

Improving Workplace Security Tips from Name Tag Wizard, Server Room with Text
Table of Contents
1. Control Access
2. Provide Identification
3. Train Your Staff
4. Workplace Culture
5. Secure Documents

How secure are your premises? Do you trust your employees with sensitive information? What measures can you take to improve workplace security? Why is security important in the workplace?

If you own a growing or successful business, maintaining a secure workplace is integral to your continued operations. A security breach could lead to safety concerns or even cost your business thousands of dollars. Businesses are often targeted by thieves and hackers attempting to access customer, financial, and other records. Increasing or tightening your business’s security is imperative for ensuring you avoid costly mistakes.

Here are five easy tips you can follow to prevent a security breach in your workplace.

  1. Reduce Access to Your Building(s)
  2. Provide Employee Identification
  3. Train Your Staff
  4. Foster a Workplace Culture
  5. Secure Sensitive Documents

#1: Reduce Access to Your Building(s)

White Restricted Area Authorized Persons Only Door

Minimize access and mark areas to prevent unauthorized entry. If you allow guests to visit your workplace, make sure they are clear on where they are and are not allowed to go.

The more people who have access to your building and its contents, the harder it is to maintain security.

Many office spaces handle sensitive information. Whether it’s financial documentation or customer information, you need to ensure that only authorized personnel have access. Post signs or electronic security access points for server or filing rooms.

Your office most likely has guests from time to time. Whether they’re investors, interviewees or customers, people who are not employees may visit your workplace.Guest Speaker You need to watch after visitors and ensure they don’t enter off-limit areas. Have a member of your administration, or other upper level staff member, stay with guests. This is an easy method of keeping private areas secure.

But, maintaining tight access isn’t limited to guests.

Your employees should also recognize and follow restricted area policies. Not every member of your staff needs access to every room. This is especially so if you own a larger company; the more employees, the more difficult it is to track them.

How can you prevent unauthorized employee access?

Limit employee access by marking restricted rooms. You can give keys to authorized workers to ensure only they have access to rooms or safes. If your business can afford it, you can install electronic scanners tied to specific QR code badges. Another electronic method of limiting access is providing programmable keypads with alpha-numerical codes to designated staff members.

Ensuring access to your building and certain areas is a huge element of reducing the chances of a security breach.

#2: Provide Identification

Hospital Photo ID Badge

Name tags and badges are excellent for identifying authorized personnel and guests.

Supply your staff with photo ID badges for quick and easy confirmation. You can design badges to your specifications making them harder to copy. Ensure your staff then follow all policies on keeping their ID on their person while on premises.

If you have an electronic access system, you can increase security with ID badges. This leads back to restricting access on your property, but you can find or make badges with bar or QR codes for your system. Combining an employee photo with a unique code makes it harder for thieves to copy the design, which prevents unauthorized entry to sensitive information.

Name Tag on Orange ShirtClip-on or lanyard badges are pretty standard for many businesses from retail to hospitals. Magnetic or pin back name tags are common too.

If you allow visitors, provide them with guest passes or badges. While it is still a best practice to have an administrative member accompany guests, providing visitor passes gives other employees peace of mind. It also ensures easy identification of unwelcome guests or trespassers.

Sometimes it’s not reasonable for a member of staff to follow guests. Visitor badges make it easier for employees to identify authorized guests with a quick glance.

Identification badges allow easy tracking of authorized personnel and have a wide variety of uses. No matter your sector or business, your workplace will benefit if you provide clear and easy-to-read badges or name tags.

#3:Train Your Staff

Woman Reading a Computer Screen and Taking Notes

Training feels obvious, but it is integral to your security. You must educate your employees on proper security measures and policies.

Where and how do you file customer information? Does your location have restricted areas? What is proper procedure for a security breach?

If your staff isn’t trained, then how can they follow security procedures?

They can’t.

Training encourages a safe and secure environment.

Two Mean at a LaptopYou should ensure your training programs address every aspect of an employee’s duties. This doesn’t mean they need to know how to do everything. If they handle customer records, they need to understand how to maintain discretion. If they deal with finances, they need to know when and how to file their documents.

Ensure your programs are comprehensive. If an employee hesitates or doubts how to follow a security procedure, risk of breach is high.

Training also gives administrative staff a chance to further vet employees.

If an employee breaks procedure multiple times, you should provide further education, or potentially terminate the employee. This is especially so for sensitive documents. Anyone who handles, transports, files, or fills customer or classified company information must understand and follow proper procedures.

Your training regimen could include online courses, in-person presentations, on-the-job and hands-on experience. Find the best ways of presenting your information.

Investing time and money into educating and training your staff ensures your security measures don’t fail.

#4: Foster a Positive Workplace Culture

Woman at a Company Outing

All the training in the world won’t help if your employees don’t care about your company.

If your staff wants to do their best for the business, your security measures benefit. In contrast, if they don’t enjoy their work or feel underappreciated, mistakes happen and they are likely to ignore policies.

Every business benefits from building a better workplace culture. Employees are more motivated and will want to encourage or enforce security policies. If they enjoy working for you, they’ll want to do everything they can to follow proper procedures.

Unhappy employees don’t care about your business. They don’t care to follow policies. They don’t care to fulfill the full extent of their work duties. And, they don’t care about the security of the business as a whole.

Professional Women Sitting at a TableRemedy this by acknowledging recurring complaints and other reasons for the lack of motivation.

Part of this is encouraging personal growth and appreciating their work. Your employees are people, so they need to know the importance of their job.

If everyone in your company enjoys at least some aspect of their work, your security will improve. Happy and motivated employees want what’s best for your business. They perform better and follow established security guidelines and policies to ensure safe operation of the company.

You can build your company’s culture through team activities, company lunches, or by acknowledging the work of your employees.

There are many ways to improve workplace positivity and culture. Find and explore the best options that fit your business and staff.

#5: Secure Sensitive Documents

Old Filing Cabinets and Index Books

It seems obvious to secure important documents, but it should be addressed. Store sensitive documents in secure areas!

If you handle customer information of any kind, keep it classified. Privacy breaches can cost your business thousands if not millions of dollars in damages paid to individuals. Limiting access to this kind of information is integral for increasing security.

Only allow certain staff members access to these documents. Give them physical keys, bar code badges, or key codes, whatever your business has the budget for and access to. Storing documents in locked filing cabinets in a locked room is an easy, low-tech way of securing information.

The same goes for your company records.

Employee information, financial records, and other documents need to be treated with the same care. Store them separate from each other to avoid confusion and potential filing errors.

Woman with Laptop Checking on Storage ServerDigital files are a bit trickier with the constant improvement of technology.

Ensure your servers are secure and encrypt all files. Limit access to programs and server rooms to proper staff. Digital information is easy to copy onto a flash drive, unlike physical records. Implementing as many security measures as possible lessens the chances of a breach.

An accidental or deliberate entry to your stored files could mean a potential and costly security incident.

Disposal of sensitive records needs consideration. Shredding physical files is one of the most popular methods. It’s fast and easy, and if you run a smaller business, you likely don’t have hundred or thousands of documents to dispose of. To further ensure secure disposal, completely black-out private information, on the front and back, with a security marker.

If your business handles thousands of invoices or customer records, find a local shredding company. Many of them can either pick up your documents or can leave a locked box for you to deposit physical records for them to retrieve and dispose of monthly.


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Name Tag Wizard is your one-stop-shop of custom identification products for businesses. Increase your company’s security with customized name tags and badges to keep track of authorized staff and guests.

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School Visitor Policies

Guest Speaker in a Classroom

Safe School Visitor Policies

Table of Contents
Code of Conduct
Check-In
Classroom Visits
Public Events
Unauthorized Visitors
Visiting Reasons
What is FERPA?

The safety of children should be the most important element of your school. To ensure a safe learning space, your facility should implement in-depth yet easy-to-follow visitor policies.

Enforcing your policies ensures a safe learning space for your students.

Each school or district will have different rules for visitors. However, there are some similarities that any school can put in place.

We’ve previously addressed designing name tags for school security and the benefits, detriments, and ethics behind tracking students with RFIDs. Please read these articles for additional information on improving your school’s security.

Code of Conduct for Visitors in School

Open Book on a Table

Generally, your facility will have a code of conduct for visitors. These rules for school visitors should match your current safety policies. You should have basic policies that are easy to understand. Ensuring your code of conduct is straight forward and available means visitors can follow them without incident.

Some of these policies may include:

  • A member of school staff will accompany any visitor while they are on-campus (if available)
  • Visitors may not interrupt classes in session or coordinate with a teacher ahead of time to observe
  • Visitors may only enter and exit your facility through the main entry
  • Visitors must always wear a pass while on-campus
  • Visitors must check-in or register their attendance with front office administration
  • Visitors will be subject to security screening (if available)
  • Visitors must present a valid form of identification
  • Visitors will not take part in nor encourage any illegal activities

School Visitor Check-In

We recommend requiring visitors to register with your front office. This allows your administrative staff to track who is on-property and for what length of time. Registration should be standard for any educational institution to ensure a safe facility.

Information collected at check-in may include:

  • First and last name
  • Any classroom they are visiting
  • Date of visit
  • Check-in/out time

After signing-in with your facility’s front desk, you should provide a school visitor pass. Instruct guests to wear their pass at all times while on-campus. Visitor passes allow other members of staff to identify allowed guests. Administrative staff should then ensure that all passes are returned at the end of a guest’s visitation.

Classroom Visits

Classroom with Desks

Parents may want to sit-in and observe an in-session class. Coordinate parents with associated teachers ahead of the parents’ visit to prevent disruption. Entering a class unannounced or without warning causes unwanted and unnecessary distractions. You should establish rules discouraging interaction from visitors. Unwanted interruptions disrupt regular class proceedings and hamper the class’s lessons.

Public Events & Organization Meetings

If your facility hosts public events, you will most likely not want to register every attendee. These could include parent-teacher organization meetings or open-house events. Requiring sign-in for every parent or visitor unnecessarily slows down processes.

Distributing numbered tickets, disposable wristbands unique to your school, or using skin-safe hand stamps are better alternatives if you feel you need the extra screening. Since many school events since COVID-19, including graduation ceremonies, are held in smaller groups or not at all, you can also improve morale with customized items like name tags, grad signs, ribbons and more!

If your school has the budget set aside, reusable name tags may be used. However, you will need to prepare for some of your badges to either be returned damaged or not returned at all.

Security staff should still enforce regular school safety procedures during public events.

Unauthorized Visitors

Chalkboard School Visitor BadgeIf someone ignores your code of conduct, you will need procedures to enforce your policies. Most schools encourage staff to report unauthorized individuals to the principal or other designated administrative staff.

If your school keeps security staff on-campus, you could instead direct concerns to them.

In the event that an unauthorized visitor refuses to follow your policies, you may need to contact local law enforcement.

Reasons for School Visitors

Your staff should understand why specific guests visit your facility. Parents may want to observe their child’s class or classes. Donors could want a tour to ease any hesitations in contributing to your facility.

Understanding the reasons visitors have helps you in showing the best and most relevant side of your school.

What is FERPA?

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act allows parents to access educational information. It also allows some rights to disseminate personal information at their discretion. But, once a child turns 18, the rights transfer over to them from their parents. Find more information on FERPA at studentprivacy.ed.gov.

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Name Tag Wizard is the best place to find badges and photo IDs for visitors to your school. From teacher name tags to reusable name tags, find templates and designs you need for your staff.

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Tips for Hiring Seasonal Employees

Name Tag Reminders for Hiring Temporary Help

With the holiday season approaching, your business needs to prepare for the increased influx of customers and clients. Depending on the industry your business belongs to, you can expect the holiday period to bring in up to 30% of your annual sales according to the National Retail Federation. Hiring seasonal employees alleviates the stress on you and your permanent staff. There are certain considerations to bear in mind when preparing for your business’s busiest time of year.

1. Start Early

The hiring process takes time, and just because your seasonal employees aren’t intended to be long-term doesn’t mean you shouldn’t follow adequate interview and selection procedures. According to the NRF, about 40% of consumers start shopping for the holidays before Halloween. Therefore,  hiring your seasonal employees as soon as possible will ensure these customers are getting the best service.

Even though you’ll be hiring for a short time, you’ll want to ensure your temporary employees still fit what you’re looking for. You should still carefully identify temporary staff that will perform according to your business’s standards and adhere to your established company values.

2. Plan Based on Previous Years

Look back at previous peak seasons and analyze your numbers. How much business did your company do during these times? How does that compare with the rest of the year on average? Answering a few logistical questions will help you establish a plan for the upcoming season and inform you on how much more help you will need in the coming months. Knowing how to prepare financially for your peak season further helps in advertising for temporary positions.

3. Post Open Positions

Advertise that you are looking for seasonal employees. This could be through paper ads, online listings, or placing signs on your property. You should find appropriate places to post your help wanted ads and inform potential employees the dates that you are looking to hire for. Staying honest and open about your temporary hire policies throughout the hiring process establishes confidence in your seasonal employees.

Finding seasonal help can prove more difficult in practice than expected. If your business exists within a competitive market, then chances are other businesses within your market will also be looking for seasonal employees. You’ll want to provide more value to potential hires to stay above your competition. This value includes employee discounts, higher compensation, employee recognition programs, or other benefits. Your business needs to be more appealing in order for you to draw a hiring pool away from your competitors.

4. Train Your Seasonal Staff

Going back to planning according to your company’s history; you’ll want to be able to invest in training for your new hires. Despite filling a temporary position, your seasonal employees need to be adequately trained in your business’s policies and procedures. Improperly trained seasonal staff will only harm your business.  While this applies to your permanent staff, it is safe to say that proper training for all your staff, permanent or temporary, positively impacts your business.

Additionally, your business relies on adequate service, especially so during your peak season. If your new hires can’t fulfill customer needs appropriately, then that could cost your company even more than if they had been properly trained to begin with. Improper service can result in lost sales or even deter customers from returning to your business in the future.

5. Integrate into Your Team

Your seasonal staff should feel part of your team despite their temporary status. Much of this can be instilled with proper training and through education of your company’s core values. These steps are important to follow because employees who feel like they belong will perform better overall. Ensuring your seasonal employees feel included will also boost the morale of the entire team. When everyone feels comfortable working hard together, you are guaranteed to get positive results.

6. Don’t Lose Contact

When the season is over and your temporary staff are no longer needed, keep a record of individuals to contact in the future. Whether you would like to see if they’ll fill vacant positions that open up or for the next year’s busy season, maintaining a pool of temporary hires can simplify your next peak season. Building and keeping a hire pool is a general best practice for your business, and a seasonal staff section is a useful addition to that.

Name Tags For Seasonal Employees

Customized name tags can be a great way to develop a cohesive work environment during the holidays. Not only do these personalized name tags instill a sense of belonging for employees, but they also encourage more customers to interact with your staff. If you are struggling to find quick and easy name tags for your temporary workers, we are here to help.  Our collection of seasonal hire name tags are affordable and reusable so you can keep them for the next busy season.

Another great option is our dry erase name tags or our chalkboard name tags. These are perfect for helping seasonal hires feel appreciated even if they are only working for a short period of time. Instead of having to wait weeks for name engraving, these can be personalized for your amazing employees in seconds.

Investing in customized name tags can be beneficial for your entire company, especially your new seasonal hires. Getting them their own name tags can let them fit in much faster while increasing interpersonal communication. With the help of our economical name tags, your team can be on their way to success.

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Name Tag Wizard is your one-stop-shop for all of your permanent and seasonal employee identification needs. Whether you need custom name badges or reusable name tags, we make it easy to customize the workplace identification you need for your business or organization.

References:

  1. National Retail Federation®

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School Cafeteria Safety Concerns

Vegetables on a Table with the Words "Cafeteria Safety, Name Tag Wizard"

Cafeteria Safety

Table of Contents
Food Safety
Visitor Safety
Bullying Safety
Liability Safety
References

Approximately 29.8 million students, per day, participate in the National School Lunch Program across the country.¹ With that many students in the cafeteria, schools need to ensure and establish a safe environment.

There are many facets to student safety. Meals need to be prepared appropriately with special dietary considerations. Visitors need to be accounted for and cleared for access. Interpersonal safety needs to be monitored. And finally, safety hazards need to be taken into consideration to prevent accidents.

Food Safety

Apples, Oranges, & Lemons In Clear Plastic Buckets

The first and most obvious safety concern for a school cafeteria is the food. Are meals prepared appropriately? Is the kitchen clean? Are the meals offered healthy?

Whether school-provided lunches are healthy or not has been an ongoing debate for decades. Many schools suffer from funding issues to provide truly healthy meals, but with programs like the NSLP, schools have slowly improved the quality of their provided meals. However, there are still a number of safety factors to consider.

Whether your school offers multiple options or has a set schedule, the food provided to students should be monitored to prevent avoidable emergencies. Offering allergy-friendly or dietary restricted options will ensure students stay safe and healthy during their meal period. Alternatively, it is good practice to adequately advertise meal days so parents or students can make plans to bring lunch.

As a parent or educational professional, you can reach out to school administration to see what steps are being taken to ensure student dietary restrictions are taken into account when planning meals. Many schools already have their own system in place of monitoring these specific needs, but the safety of school-age children should always be kept up-to-date and tracked.

An inclusive menu is integral in preventing severe reactions to certain foods.

Allergic Reactions

Peanuts on a Table

We addressed the idea of including allergies on name tags in the past, and the main idea is that including this information makes prevention of allergic reactions easier. Approximately 5.6 million children under the age of 18 have food allergies.² Identifying the types of reactions that result from exposure to allergens is imperative to a child’s health and safety. There are a wide variety of symptoms but there are some common reactions to watch for. Everyone is different, so each child may react differently to allergens. The following are just a few common reactions:³

  • Vomiting
  • Hives
  • Swelling of lips or tongue
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Throat tightness

There are many symptoms and reactions that can occur due to allergies. It is the responsibility of educators and other school faculty to be able to quickly identify potentially life-threatening allergic reactions should affected students be exposed.

An organized method of tracking food safety measures can help maintain the health of students.

Food Safety Checklist

Maintaining a checklist of food safety protocols will keep students healthy. While the dietary needs and available resources will differ from school to school, the same general ideas can apply almost universally and come from basic principals concerning food preparation. Here is a short list of things to consider for a food safety checklist:

  • Common allergens & the students they affect
  • Minimum internal temperatures
  • Proper preparation techniques
  • Minimum cleaning standards

While some schools may lack the resources to keep an extensive list, ensuring that rules and policies are in place to meet minimal health and safety protocols is imperative for maintaining a school cafeteria.

Food safety is perhaps the most obvious precaution for cafeterias. However, measures concerning visitors should be taken in order to ensure a safe environment.

Visitor Safety

Books, Visitor Name Tag, and Chalk on a Desk in Front of a Blackboard with "ABC" Written in Chalk

Many schools welcome guests for any number of reasons. Perhaps they bring in a field expert for a specific class or a guest speaker to address a certain topic.  Parent’s day is also a common school event. Whatever the reason, inviting visitors on school grounds often means providing meals for them within the cafeteria. Tracking guests means ensuring and taking responsibility for their actions during their visit.

Visitor IDs

Visitor badges and photo IDs are perfect for quickly identifying individuals who are allowed on school property. The process should involve some form of check-in protocol, informing the visitor of your identification policies, and issuing the appropriate identification. Along with ease of identification, ID badges can also display important dietary concerns for visitors as well as students.

It’s imperative to student safety to keep unregistered guests and other individuals away from school grounds. Without proper tracking and identification of visitors, it becomes difficult to monitor unusual, infrequent, or unwelcome individuals.

Interpersonal safety should be monitored during everyday school activities. This not only applies to adult and child interactions, but also to the relationships between students and peers.

Bullying Safety

Three Male Students Standing in a Hallway

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 21% of students report being bullied, and of that number, 22% of incidents occur in the cafeteria.4 Bullying has been an ongoing issue that many organizations, including the United States government, strive to reduce.

Bullying Prevention

While the complete eradication of bullying may be impossible, it can be reduced and prevented to a certain degree. A 2013 study showed that the implementation of anti-bullying programs within schools reduces “bullying behavior by 20%-23%….”5

Bullying is a serious issue which is why so many groups are dedicated to decreasing its frequency. While it may prove difficult to monitor students for the entirety of their time at school, the cafeteria is an easier space to supervise their activities. It is then the responsibility of school faculty to identify bullying behaviors and to intervene when appropriate.

Aside from bullying, schools are responsible for ensuring students are in a safe environment free of hazards.

Liability Safety

White First Aid Case Mounted on a White Wall

Cafeterias can contain hazardous materials and unsafe food prep implementation. Between hot oils and stove tops, glass containers, and sharp kitchen tools, there are a great number of hazards that exist within lunch rooms. Schools need to keep their cafeterias and other dining spaces clear of dangerous materials or adequately mark hazards to properly warn students and visitors.

Properly trained cafeteria and custodial staff will adhere to all policies and procedures, which aids in the prevention of emergencies. However, in the case of an emergency, designated medical staff should be readily available. Some schools may even offer first aid training to teachers and custodial staff. This will prevent potential tragedies should a student be exposed to wet surfaces, sharp implements, hot oils, or other hazardous materials while in a cafeteria space as well as protect your institution from liability concerns.

Recap

School cafeterias have special safety concerns as well as the common procedures all educational facilities should have.

  • The cafeteria’s primary function is to offer a dining experience, so it is imperative to make dietary and allergy concerns a top priority.
  • Visitors need to be easily identifiable while they’re on campus or dining with their child.
  • Teachers and other faculty need to supervise student activities during meals to identify and curtail bullying.
  • Finally, safety hazards need to be either removed or adequately marked in order to avoid injury.

 

Elementary Teacher Looking Over Class

Name Tag Wizard has a wide variety of name badges to increase school safety and security. From teacher name tags to visitor passes to generic designs, you can find name tags to fit your facility’s needs.

 

Related Posts

 

References

  1. USDA National School Lunch Program Report
  2. FoodAllergy.org
  3. Hopkins Medicine
  4. National Bullying Prevention Center
  5. McCallion & Feder, 2013
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Pre-K & Elementary School Name Tags

School Supplies Including Pens, Paper, Notebook, Pouch, and Bus Name Badge

Helping Young Children at School

Going to school for the first time can be a frightening experience for young children. With a new environment, new teachers, and new friends, it can be difficult for them to remember important details. Name tags can help children, teachers and parents alleviate confusion at school and on their daily commute.

Name Tags for Students

Students Drawing at a Table, One Girl Wears a Name Tag Labeled "Jane"

Name tags for young children make it easy to find out who their teacher is or which classroom they belong to. This is especially helpful for children who are just starting to learn how to read as it reinforces their lessons and allows teachers and other school faculty to help. Starting off the school year by teaching young students to write their name and bus number on chalkboard name tags is a fun and practical way to build on their education.

Including bus numbers on name tags helps children find which vehicle to board or for teachers and drivers to direct them. Finding the right bus or getting on the wrong bus can be a frustrating or frightening ordeal for children, faculty and especially parents. Having bus numbers easily and readily available for kids and teachers helps prevent confusion.

Keeping Track of Bus Riders

Back of School Bus

With so many children riding buses to and from school grounds, it can be difficult to keep track of who goes where and on which vehicle.

Some schools, such as Biscayne Elementary in Jacksonville, Florida, utilize lists. Stephanie Jones, a Pre-K to 1st grade teacher at Biscayne, details their process.

“We have lists with all the student’s names for each bus. Teachers and paraprofessionals are assigned to monitor the children and usually have the kids and their bus numbers memorized. The bus drivers are also familiar with the students who ride their buses. The students get marked off when they get off the bus in the morning and marked again when they get on in the afternoon. If there is ever a change in the way a student is going home, it should be written in their agenda by a parent so there’s documentation.”

Bus name badges are a useful tool for quickly determining the correct bus for young students. With their name, bus number, teacher’s name, and photo all not easily visible at a distance, bus badges make it easy to direct children to their ride.

Having a child’s name readily available is beneficial, but it shouldn’t be too visible.

What to be Careful About

Child Wearing Backpack with Bus Name Badge Walking Away

Identification that helps kids get to and from their bus and classroom should be used carefully. Easily visible names on backpacks, clothing, lunch bags, and other objects can help strangers learn a child’s name.

According to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center, 424,066 reports of missing children were entered in 2018.1

Some children have difficulty determining who is a stranger or who seems dangerous. A malicious individual can easily gain the trust of a child if they know their name. Some children will think that the adult is someone they or their parents know and trust.

It’s important to teach children to beware of strange and unknown individuals. Parents, teachers, and other trustworthy adults won’t always be available or around, so ensuring a child knows how to avoid dangerous situations is imperative.

While name tags and badges can help, they should be kept discreet. Affixing a child’s bus badge on to the inside of their coat or backpack keeps it easily accessible but out of immediate sight. Ensure the child knows to keep their badge safe and tucked away when they don’t need it. Including a bus badge is a great way to help alleviate confusion and stress for a young student, but be sure to teach them the importance of keeping it out of sight and making sure they understand.

Save 20% on Photo IDs with Code NTWSTUDENT at Name Tag Wizard, Photo ID laying on table

Ensuring children know which bus they need to ride and which classroom to go to is an important part of their school experience. What ways do you know of to help children find their way at school? Leave a comment below with your ideas, and be sure to visit Name Tag Wizard for all of your name tag and badge needs.

Related Posts:

References:

  1. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

HC Brands Author Bio - Broderick Cornett

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Name Changes: Steps to Remember

Name Tag with the Name "Wilbur"

About Name Changes

Marriage Certificate

There may come a time in your life where you’ll want to change your name just like the thousands of other Americans who do each year. While no one keeps an official record, Bruce Lansky, author of 45,000+ Baby Names, estimates that roughly 50,000 people change their name each year.1 There can be quite a few steps that go into changing your name and there is a myriad of reasons as to why people do it.

Why Change Your Name?

Woman Holding Yellow Question Mark Against White Background with Yellow Border

There are many reasons why someone would want to change their name. The most common is marriage and, by extension, divorce. Approximately 80% of women take their husband’s surname following their marriage.1 Another reason could be adoption. As children grow older and enter adulthood, they may surprise their step-parent by presenting them an official certificate of adoption showcasing their new name. Further examples include distancing from an abusive family, converting to a new religion, simplifying from a complicated name, or taking on a more suiting moniker for gender identity. However, there are certain hindrances when considering a name change. For example, you can’t change your name to avoid bill or other payments. Whatever your reason, the steps for legally changing your name in the United States are generally the same.

How to Legally Change Your Name

Lawyer Signing Papers

With the exception of marriages and divorces, you’ll need to follow the same basic steps for changing your name.2

  1. Prove Residency

    2. In order to change your name in your state, you’ll need to prove you live there. You’ll also need to have lived within your state a minimum amount of time that varies. Each state has unique paperwork to file, so ensure you find the correct forms and provide the appropriate evidence.

  2. Prove Your Current Name

    3. The next step entails proving your current legal name. Each state requires different forms of identification, but it’s generally acceptable to provide your Social Security card, birth certificate, and driver’s license or other valid photo ID.

  3. Fill Out a Petition

    4. Again, this form varies state-to-state. Find your state’s appropriate petition form and fill it out with all of the required information. Since this is an official form, you won’t be allowed to sign it privately and will need to do so in front of a notary public.

  4. File the Petition

    5. After you’ve completely filled out your name change petition, you’ll send it to the court clerk who will then schedule a hearing. There’s usually a filing charge, so be prepared to pay a fee. This charge varies according to the court, so ask ahead of time how much your filing fee will cost.

  5. Attend the Hearing

    6. At this point, all that’s left is to attend your scheduled hearing. You’ll be presented before a judge and may be asked why you are changing your name. It is then up to the judge to approve your name change. Following the hearing if your name change is approved, the judge will file an Order and you will be given a copy. The Order is required for any place needing your legal name, and you can usually request additional copies from the court.

Marriages are different in that you typically won’t need to schedule or attend a hearing nor fill out a petition in the first place. All you’ll need is your marriage license approved to start the process of changing all of your accounts.

Updating Your Information

Woman Sitting at Computer

Now that you’ve changed your name, where should you update with your new information? Any sort of official service you use needs to have your current legal name, so here’s a list of places to update with your new name:

  1. Social Security: This should be first on your list, and you’ll need to fill out and submit an SS-5 Form to adjust your Social Security card.3
  2. Vehicle Information: Visit your local DMV or their website to see how to update your driver’s license and vehicle’s title & registration.
  3. Apartment Lease: Ask your apartment’s staff or landlord if they need to update their records with your new name and how they want it to be done.
  4. Mortgage: Each financial institution handles mortgages differently, so be sure to contact your lender to find out how they want you to update your mortgage information.4
  5. Bank Accounts: Contact your financial institution(s) of choice and ask how you can update your savings, credit, debit, and other accounts.
  6. Work: Get in touch with the appropriate individuals at your work to update your official information with them, including your Name Tag and Desk Name Plate.
  7. Passport: You’ll want to update your passport with your new name as well or you will not be able to travel outside of the country.
  8. Medical: There’s not much reason to update your medical records since your Patient Identification Number should stay the same so long as you inform your PCP of your name change during your next appointment so your new records can be combined with the old.
  9. Insurance: Contact your insurance provider so you can see how to update your information and remain covered.

There are other places you can update with your name such as on your birth certificate, but some places will require you to provide evidence of your previous name for verification. If there are other places people need to update with their new legal name, leave a comment below. We appreciate further information, and for all of your identification needs, visit Name Tag Wizard for a wide selection of name badges and desk and wall plates.

Related Posts:

Resources:

  1. Chicago Tribune
  2. LegalZoom
  3. Social Security Administration
  4. Sapling
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Tag Your Bags this Summer

Packed Suitcase and Hat Overlooking a Lake

Summer Vacation Packing Tips

Memorial Day 2019 is May 27, which means summertime is right around the corner. With summer comes the biggest travel season in the United States. According to a 2017 study, 80% of Americans traveled in 2016,1 so chances are you are one of the multitude of people who will be taking a trip in the coming months. So, here are a few basic packing tips to remember for your trip.

Packing Proper Pieces

Suitcase Packed with Travel Items

What you pack for your upcoming summer vacation is dependent on where you plan on going and what you plan on doing. Is your destination meant to be an escape from the heat to the far north? You may want to remember your jacket and hat. Are you bound for a beach side resort? Don’t forget your swim suit and sunscreen. Are you planning a family reunion back in your hometown? Family Eating LunchMaybe you should bring some reusable name tags to help remember everyone’s names. If you have children, then you’ll need to remember distracting activities during travel so they aren’t bored to tears before arriving at your planned location and possibly a photo ID and lanyard with your information in case they get lost. Planning and understanding both your trip and destination are integral to knowing what to pack and are important first steps to starting your summer vacation right.

Essential Equipment

Book, Luggage Tag, Sunscreen, & Glasses on Towel

Regardless of your summer vacation destination, there are a few packing essentials that most travelers will need. Here is a short list of basic travel items you will want to remember before you set off on your summertime romp.

  • Soaps: Body wash, shampoo, and conditioner are all staple items to pack unless you plan on purchasing more at your destination.
  • Dental Care: A toothbrush and toothpaste should never be forgotten when packing for a trip. Mouthwash is a good supplement, but should never be a replacement for brushing.
  • Personal Hygiene: Hygiene products are easy to forget but immediately become a problem when they are missing, so remember deodorant, shaving products, hand sanitizer, and feminine products if you need them while packing.
  • Appropriate Clothing: Pack enough clothes, and possibly extras, for the duration of your trip. Clothing items should be appropriate for your travel destination such as heavy jackets for colder climates or swim wear for beaches and resorts.
  • Minor Injury Items: A small emergency kit should be kept easily accessible in the case of minor injuries such as small cuts and scrapes. Sanitizing wipes and adhesive bandages work great and are easily portable for your travels.
  • Sunscreen: Always remember sunscreen. The sun’s harmful UV rays can cause long-term damage and deadly skin cancer such as melanoma, so no matter where you travel this summer, remember to bring and use sunscreen.

These general packing tips apply to most travelers, but if you are flying by air, then there are some exceptions to remember.

Road Requirements

Kids Playing Behind a Car

Road trips are a classic American vacation. You, your chosen companions, and the open road. If your summer plans include a cross country or other type of road trip, then you’ll want to remember to pack appropriately, so here are a few integral things to have in your car for your upcoming open road adventure.

  • Navigation: Whether you have someone use a map app, an electronic GPS guide, or go analog with a paper map, you’ll want to make sure you stay on route. While getting lost may make for entertaining stories in the future, it is a good way to derail any plans you may have made for the trip.
  • Food & Water: There may come a long stretch of road without rest areas or gas stations, so ensuring you and your passengers stay adequately hydrated and nourished is important for your trip.
  • Emergency Supplies: Flares, blankets, an emergency medical kit, a spare tire, and the tools to change tires are all extremely important items to keep in your vehicle while you travel. Being prepared for an emergency situation can sometimes mean the difference between life and death, so ensure you and your vehicle are ready for the unexpected.

Flying For Fun

Woman Traveling with a Suitcase in an Airport Terminal

Packing for a flight is typically the same as packing for any other trip. However, traveling by air carries an importance on safety for not only you but everyone on your flight. As such, the Transportation Security Administration, more commonly known as the TSA, has a myriad of flight passenger rules and regulations for the safety of vacationing and traveling Americans. This includes restricting certain items from being taken aboard as carry-on luggage or even as checked bags. The list is extensive and includes items such as firearms, axes, and other weapon or weapon-adjacent items as well as unexpected items such as cooking spray and recreational oxygen.2 There is also the endless confusion surrounding how much liquid you can bring in a carry-on bag, so here are the official rules from the TSA’s website:

  • Individual containers may be no larger than 3.4 ounces for carry-on luggage
  • Carry-on containers must all fit in a resealable, quart-sized bag
  • Containers larger than 3.4 ounces must be stored in a checked bag

If you need to check a bag, then you will want to make sure you can easily find your luggage when you land, and a custom luggage tag is a great way to easily identify your property among the multitude of bags. Aside from the TSA’s regulations and ensuring your luggage is easily located, here are a few air travel tips and packing ideas to help make your flight experience tolerable from beginning to end.

  • Clearing Security: Arrive at the airport a few hours early to ensure you make it through security with enough time to make it to your gate.
  • Child Identification: While children under 18 years of age aren’t required to present identification to board a flight, having your child wear a custom photo ID badge with your photo and contact information could prove invaluable should you and your child get separated.
  • Gum or Candy: Pack some gum or candy in your carry-on to help with the air pressure changes during take-off and landing. Chewing and swallowing during ascent and descent helps relieve pressure and chewing gum or sucking on candy helps produce saliva which in turn makes it easier to swallow.3
  • Entertainment: Bring fun activities for long flights, especially if you are travelling with kids. Books, card games, handheld video games, music players, and other items help pass the time while you fly and will help keep children occupied.

Whether you’re going by land or by air, remember these summer packing tips to ensure your vacation goes smoothly, and keep track of your luggage and family with custom tags and badges from Name Tag Wizard.

References

  1. scps.nyu.edu
  2. tsa.gov
  3. spoonuniversity.com

HC Brands Author Bio - Broderick Cornett

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Remember Name Tags for Your Next Open House

Open House Directional Sign with Arrow

Open House Basic Tips

Summer is upon us, and with the warmer months approaching, many people will be looking to purchase a new home or move apartments. An estimated 80% of moves happen between April and September1 and home buying season usually starts in March and goes through summer.2 As such, hosting an open house during the following months could benefit your real estate agency in securing your next sale.

What is an Open House?

An open house is an event orchestrated by real estate agencies, rental properties, and home owners to open a property to the public to view and show potential interest in purchasing or renting. It allows real estate agents or property staff to meet and interact with prospective clients and potentially secure a sale or rental agreement.

Do Open Houses Work?

Real Estate Agent Displaying House to CoupleThere is some contention on whether open houses help sell houses or seal a new rental. Many agents find that open houses rarely end with buyers purchasing the property while others meet with frequent success. However, the main benefit of an open house is building a repertoire with prospective clients. Nurturing a trusting relationship between agent and buyer is important, and ensuring that your clients remember your name or the name of your agency with a custom real estate name tag will mean a greater chance of buyers coming to you when they become interested in purchasing a new home.

Open House Checklist

To run a successful open house, you will need to prepare ahead of time. A lot can go into these preparations, so here are six basic items to remember.

1. Advertise

Real Estate Agent in Front of Paper ListingsNo one will attend your open house if they don’t know you’re hosting one to begin with. Spreading the word is a vital early step in preparing your event. Share the event on your company’s website and social media pages or distribute outdoor signs to catch the attention of motorists and other by passers to inform them of your property’s location and the date of your open house.

2. Cleanliness

Woman Wiping CountertopEnsure the property is clean. Showing a filthy house or apartment unit will turn people away and leave a poor impression on the capabilities and trustworthiness of you and your company. Sweep and mop any non-carpeted areas, vacuum carpets and rugs, dust and wipe off counter tops, and clean windows and mirrors to show your clients the best version of the property.

3. Staging

Woman Hanging a Framed Print of a SeahorseStaging refers to the process of strategically placing furniture and decor to demonstrate the potential of a living space. It gives clients an idea of how they could arrange their own furniture, what they like or dislike about the current set-up, and how they can emulate or improve upon it. Showing those attending your open house the property’s potential with proper staging helps them imagine themselves living in the space which could mean the difference in a new or lost sale.

4. Refreshments

People Enjoying a Fruit & Cheese PlatterAs previously stated, open houses are primarily for building a relationship with prospective clients, and providing refreshments is a perfect way to do that. Coffee, juice, meat and cheese trays, fresh fruit, and cookies are all wonderful ideas. Bonus points if the cookies are homemade. This provides you an opportunity to connect with and get to know individuals or groups over a snack while they mull over the property and allows them to ask any questions they may have. Getting clients to trust you will mean there is a greater chance of them turning to you should they decide to submit an offer for the property or utilizing you for further house hunting opportunities.

5. Sign-In

Woman Typing on a Laptop KeyboardKeeping track of guests allows you to follow up with them later if they show interest in the property. Setting up a check-in area near the entrance of the house or rental unit is a quick and easy method of logging visitors. Provide a sign-in book, laptop, or tablet and perhaps a stack of reusable chalkboard name tags near the front door for guests to write their names on so you can easily learn their names.

6. Staying Memorable

Business Partners Shaking HandsSince the general purpose of an open house is to stay memorable to potential and future home buyers, wearing an eye-catching name tag from Name Tag Wizard works well in tandem while you host your event. Customized with your name and agency’s logo, a house-shaped name tag is perfect for getting guests to remember you. Be sure to include your name and title as well as your agency’s name and logo so anyone you meet at your open house can easily remember you and your company.

Prepare for your next open house with these tips and a custom real estate name tag from Name Tag Wizard!

References:

  1. help.movinglabor.com
  2. smartasset.com

HC Brands Author Bio - Broderick Cornett

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Finish Preparations with Family Reunion Name Tags

Family Celebration at Dinner

Family Reunion Season

Table of Contents
Family Reunion Season
Family Reunion Statistics
Family Reunion Activities
Family Reunion Name Tags

With summer approaching, now is the time to begin the final preparations for your family reunion. After months, or even years, of planning and organizing, your family is finally getting together again. The kids are almost out of school and the weather is warm and pleasant, now is the time to solidify your plans.

Organizational Statistics

Summer is the season for grilling, hiking, camping, and many other activities. People Grilling KebabsStatistically speaking, it is also the season for family reunions. Roughly 66% of family reunions take place during the summer.1 This isn’t surprising considering the warm weather and lack of school. Most people take vacations during the summer anyway,3 so why not plan for a large family get together during the season?

What may be surprising is that 66% of reunions last for two or three days.2 Many families spend this time taking photos, playing games, cooking, or generally chatting. With all that time together, you’ll have plenty of time to reconnect with your extended family, right? According to GroupTravel, 57% of family reunions have between 50 and 149 people attending, and, between cousins, aunts, uncles, and any other extended family relation imaginable, you’ll have a lot of people to keep entertained and names to remember.1

Reunion Activities

Your family reunion will need some activities planned. While simply chatting and catching up may be an important and integral part of your reunion, not everyone may be content with just sitting around or don’t know the strangers in your extended family. Perhaps your family is active and would like to go hiking or biking or maybe they prefer to stay in and play board games. Sharing Dry Erase Name Tag with "Jane Smith"family history is a good way to bring everyone closer as you all reminisce or visit childhood homes or locales.4

Another fun idea is holding a family tournament including tug-of-war, sack races, and other outdoor activities. Easily organize your family into teams with dry erase name tags so everyone can get to know each other. Regardless of what you plan, you’ll need to keep up with most if not all of your relatives’ names, and if there are a lot of them, Name Tag Wizard has an idea that could help.

Woman Wearing a Name Tag Reading Jane Crocker

Let Name Tag Wizard Help

Remembering all your relatives’ names may prove difficult if you have enough of them. Name Tag Wizard offers a wide selection of tag and badge styles to help you remember the name of your cousin’s new husband, that one uncle you didn’t know you had, your brother’s newborn daughter, or any other family member you have never met or rarely see. Design your own fully customized photo ID style badges that come with lanyards for easy removal. Maybe you want to affix your family name tags to shirts in the case of high-energy children or forgetful grandparents. Have your name and relationOval Name Tag with Color Image & Text engraved on a simple text only name tag. Upload a custom picture or symbolic family crest or image to a full color, oval badge. Or, if you want each person to write their name themselves as they arrive, we offer reusable dry erase badges so each name tag has a personal touch. With bulk discounts of up to 30% off on select name tag styles, we want to help you keep your next family reunion organized and memorable while staying in your budget!

References:

  1. Group Travel: Statistics
  2. Reunions Mag
  3. Family Travel Survey
  4. Group Travel: Activities

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HC Brands Author Bio - Broderick Cornett