How can your business support your employees during a global health crisis? It’s something both large and small businesses have been thinking about during the COVID-19, which has completely changed the way we work and connect with others. Will things ever go back to normal?
Yes, they will. But for now, companies need to help their employees through this challenging time. To learn more, keep reading to find a few ways your company can help staff during COVID-19.
Provide Support
The pandemic is an incredibly stressful time for everyone, with so much uncertainty and worry. Supporting your employees is one of the best ways to help them during this time.
Make sure your business has an EAP, or employee assistance program, which can provide them with confidential counseling and resources whenever needed.
If you’re able, you may also want to offer additional financial support. If staff is working from home more often, for example, can you help with providing an ergonomic chair and desk, or a laptop?
When it comes to financial matters, you’ll also want to make sure you’re up to date on news regarding the PPP loan program—here’s what to know.
Keep the Office COVID-Safe
One of the most important ways to help your employees is by developing a COVID-19 safety plan for the office. We know how easily the disease can spread, so make sure your office meets government standards for COVID cleanliness.
You should space desks at least six feet apart from one another, limit the number of people in the office at any one time, and provide plenty of access to hand sanitizer and face masks.
Allow Flexible Work Arrangements
If you’re wondering how to support your employees during a pandemic, you need to start by being flexible.
It’s a given that companies need to allow working from home and remote work, but you also want to think about changes to working hours. With so many kids switching to homeschool, it’s requiring working parents to need to adjust their working hours.
Employees may also need extra time off, due to caring for an unwell family member or for mental health reasons.
Have Individual Catch-Ups
We recommend scheduling regular informal meetings with each staff member to check in on them. How are they feeling?
Everyone has different circumstances, so you want to make sure you understand what they are going through and how you can best support them.
Support Employees with These Helpful Tips
The pandemic has been incredibly hard on everyone, including businesses. You can support employees during this trying time by using some of the suggestions above.
Although things are tough now, remember that this will end eventually, and your business will emerge stronger than ever! Get started today by creating an overarching strategy outlining how your company will handle COVID if you haven’t already.
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