As we enter our busy season, we need to replace our most experienced assembler. He left for the signing bonus and slightly higher pay at the new Cracker Barrel restaurant. Two years ago, he left for the slightly higher pay at the new Target store. He found that the grass was not greener and we hired him back. Never again! We try our best under severe financial pressures to do what is right for our employees. For some people, loyalty is a one-way street.

At the beginning of this year, we wrote our first employee manual and insisted that all employees read it and sign a statement saying they had read it. Despite no changes in previous policy other than announcing some new paid vacation, sick and holiday pay, your would have thought we were announcing longer hours for lower pay. People are suspicious of any changes -- even if it means a better deal for them. They look for the fine print.

The jobs we have at Technocraft are not tough. The wages are commensurate with the work, and competitive with local unskilled jobs. We allow flexible hours, give a holiday bonus and are genuinely concerned about our people's well being. We keep people informed about how the company is doing. Still, employee loyalty is elusive. If any readers have successfully dealt with similar problems, please give me a call a 810-227-8281 -- or better yet, write a column for this publication!

I suppose that since people are the most complex systems with which we deal, they end up being our biggest challenge. We hope to meet this challenge amd find, train and retain good workers who will eventually develop loyalty to us in exchange for a job from a company that cares about them. Probably too much to ask.