"In February, there is everything to hope for and nothing to regret."
-Patience Strong
Special Dates in February
1st - National Dark Chocolate Day
2nd - Groundhog Day
6th - Pay a Compliment Day
14th - Valentine's Day
21st - National Pancake Day
February 6th-28th
Challenge Details! 
If you wear a fitness watch that is able to track your steps, you can use this to record your daily steps.
If you do not, Download the StepsApp Pedometer App on your phone and use this app to track your steps.
To Win:
Send in proof of your steps into Nectar
Winners will be announced in the March Blog!
First Place – Yeti Cooler
Second Place – Yeti Totebag
YETI Camino 20 Carryall Tote Bag
Third Place – Northface Backpack
Explore Fusebox—L | The North Face
4th – 10th Place – Northface Travel Bag
Berkeley Crossbody Bag | The North Face
All Other Winners - Pearson Swag
Employee Spotlight
Employee: Morgan Jones
Position: HR Specialist
My name is Morgan Jones and I just started at Pearson during the middle of January this year. I look forward to beginning a new journey here at Pearson. In my past roles, I’ve worked in Hospitality as well as retail and food service. I found through my management role in Hospitality that I really enjoyed working with people and being able to support those in my work environment. There’s almost no possible way for our work lives to not affect our home lives when we spend almost a third of our week here and I love being able to have a positive impact on others whenever I can.
If I’m not at work, I’m usually at the gym. Working out is one of the ways I can decompress from work and stress and have alone time. However, I love to travel and anytime I have extra money and extra time I try to plan trips. I’m currently saving money to go on a cruise through the Grecian Islands sometime next year. I went on a Carribean cruise last May and now I’m hooked on the idea of cruises. Something to know about me is that I despise winter and any kind of snow. I’ll do anything to get out of it including flying to Arizona over a weekend just so I can remember what the sun looks like.
Hopefully this helps to get to know me just a little bit better. I’m looking forward to beginning my journey here at Pearson and look forward to meeting each and every one of you!
Robotic Depalletizer for Mixed Pallet Loads
This robotic depalletizer reliably handles mixed or rainbow pallets with numerous SKUs. Using 3D cameras, an AI-powered vision system guides the robot by scanning, identifying, and assigning pick confidence levels to cases. If pick data is not sufficient, a request for manual intervention is generated, and a remote supervisor provides guidance within 6 seconds. Additionally, historical data is collected over time for robot learning and improved efficiency. The cell is equipped with an automatic pallet infeed and discharge, an intuitive HMI, and Remote Access capability.
Washington State Long Term Care Tax
What is the Washington State Long Term Care Tax and when will it start deducting from my pay?
The Long Term Care Tax is now eligible to file for exemptions and will start being deducted in July of 2023. Find more information below:
https://wacaresfund.wa.gov/about-the-wa-cares-fund/
Is it mandatory?
Yes, anyone who resides in Washington state (unless you are a federal employee) will be required to pay this tax effective July 2023. Find more information below:
Who benefits from this tax?
Anyone who is needing ongoing care while working or soon after being retired. Read more below:
https://wacaresfund.wa.gov/earning-your-benefits/
How much does it cost?
$0.58/$100 earned. Find out more here:
https://wacaresfund.wa.gov/about-the-wa-cares-fund/
Are there any exemptions?
Yes, you can apply for these exemptions at any time starting January 2023. However, your exemption is not valid until the following quarter of which you were approved. Find out more here:
Birthdays
2nd - Matt Reed4th - Darrin Simmons 5th - Christine Harlander
8th - John Merrick
10th - Silvia Horton & Derek Schilperoort
12th - Joel Phillips & Zane Klemke
14th - Martha Savory
16th - Machelle Johnson & Tyler Reno
18th - Doug Wear
19th - Rolando Pena
22nd - Scott Reed, Jason Campbell, and Dustin Dwyer
23rd - Joshua Shinskie
27th - Jeremy Gagnier
28th - George Petticrew Jr.
Anniversaries
1 Year: Tiffany Sarvay, Benjamin Reuland, Alexis White, Miles Kroner, and Reid Kincaid
2 Years: Ross Carr, Jason Peterson, and Christopher Johanessen
5 Years: Fredrick Mccook, Steve Turner, Philip Spice, and Benjamin Becker
8 Years: Tyler Squires
9 Years: Vincent Reno, Steven Finger, and Robert Brummett
17 Years: Donald Gasaway
24 Years: Dan Roy Ramsdell
New Employees
Coleton Lahr - Field Service Technician
Cole Bond - Assembly Contract
Esmeralda Robles - Assembly Contract
Krista Michaels - Contract Sales Support Representative
Morgan Jones - HR Specialist
Edward Walden - Assembly Contract
Larry Horton - Electrical-Mechanical Technician
Welcome to Pearson!
Brain Game
The first five people to solve this riddle will receive a $5.00 Starbucks gift card! Email your response to: mjones@pearsonpkg.com
Frederick died after a long and productive life of 87 years, but this epitaph was written on his headstone:
Frederick lived a good long life,
He loved his children and his wife,
He was honest, kind and deserved nothing but praise,
Even if he only had twenty-one birthdays.
How is this possible?
Did You Know?
February’s full Moon reaches peak illumination on Sunday, February 5, 2023. Look skyward on that night to catch the best view of this full Moon!
It’s known as the Snow Moon due to the typically heavy snowfall that occurs in February. Other traditional Native American names for this Moon include the Eagle Moon (Cree), Raccoon Moon (Dakota), and Hungry Moon (Cherokee).
Learn Pearson Perks!
Did you know that you can find discounts for Ski Resorts Nationwide on the Nectar website?
They have discounts for Crystal Mountain which is located in Washington State.
You can find these discounts by going to your Nectar account and selecting "discounts" from the left menu and then selecting "Recreation."
Super Bowl Snacks
Video Courtesy of Tasty
February means Super Bowl Sunday! This means lots of social snacks and party food. Here are some ideas for party rings at your Super Bowl party. If you make one send a picture to mjones@pearsonpkg.com to be featured in next month's blog!
