Wis. company's 'no layoffs' policy keeps employees safe

OSCEOLA, Wis. -- During a recession, it seems every single business has to cut back in some way. Many choose layoffs.

"Last spring, summer, it was really slow over here," recalls Brodie Schock, an employee at Northwire in Osceola, Wisconsin.

So you'd think these employees would be on ends, hoping to survive. But for the 152 employees at Northwire, there's no sweat. Their no layoff policy has gone a long way.

"They stuck to it. We did other things. Now that we're kicking back up, we're still fully staffed and ready to go," says Schock. "I'm lucky enough that I work for a company that has a no layoff policy. There's a lot of people home right now."

Schock's fellow employee, Brendan Hendrickson agrees. "I really enjoy having a job in these tough times. It's nice to know you have a paycheck every week," he says.

Hendrickson has been with the company for ten years.

"It motivates me. I feel we're more than just a company. We are family," says Hendrickson.

In Northwire's 37-year history, company officials say they have not laid off a single employee. It's a philosophy that's in their blood.

"As opposed to laying off people, we're doing the opposite. We're investing in our people," says Northwire president Michael Conger.

Before it became a written policy, it actually went back to the company's founder, who believed that people are a company's greatest asset. That belief is still alive today.

"We weren't worried about coming in and them going, 'Hey, you're done.' I knew I was going to have a house payment, food on the table," says Hendrickson.

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