IceStone Cuts Hours, Not Dollars

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – IceStone is reducing hours for its workers, but maintaining their salaries.

Instead of the normal 40-hour work week, which included a 30-minute lunch break and two 15-minute breaks, employees at the cementious-slab producer now work 37.5 hours a week and get to keep the same lunch and break schedules.

“Usually productivity gains only benefit the stockholders of companies,” said Dal LaMagna, IceStone CEO. “We feel that paying employees the same for less hours worked is a great way of sharing these gains with the employees.”

All IceStone employees have ownership in the company. Many of IceStone’s employees have been with the company for 10+ years.

Employees came to the rescue of the company after Superstorm Sandy in 2012. While IceStone’s owners and investors were ready to shutter the business when the factory got flooded, employees were confident that they could fix the damaged machines.

With the help of an Small Business Administration Disaster Loan, IceStone paid its employees during a six-month period while the business was down for renovating equipment. The factory became operational again, saving employee jobs and the company.

IceStone began manufacturing recycled glass surfaces in the historic Brooklyn Navy Yard in 2003. IceStone surfaces are distributed throughout the United States and Canada.

Get the news of the industry with Slab & Sheet, the e-newsletter from Stone Update. Sign up for free delivery here.

For the latest industry info, check Stone Update on Twitter and Facebook.

Experience the totally new Stone Update Magazine online.