As we collectively navigate our way through the COVID-19 pandemic, how you manage your small business and maintain your employees’ engagement and productivity during this crisis is changing daily.
Unfortunately, many companies are laying off employees in numbers most of us haven’t seen in our lifetime. Unemployment offices are inundated with new claims each week.
Organizations have had to quickly create coronavirus crisis management plans. This has left employment during COVID-19 shaky for millions of Americans and others around the world.
The coronavirus has forced retailers, schools and restaurants to close. This has forced hundreds of thousands of people across the United States out of work. The U.S. Department of Labor reported that 3.2 million people filed for unemployment this past week, shattering all records!
To complicate things, many of these laid-off employees will take on new jobs as soon as they can find them. People need a paycheck to support themselves and their families. This means there’s a real possibility that your best employees won’t come back to you if they’re let go during the COVID-19 pandemic.
I know it’s not possible for every small business owner to avoid laying off employees, and I’m sorry if you’re having to make some difficult decisions. I want to remind you that this will pass and at some point, things will return to normal. Even if that normal looks different from what we’re used to.
Strategies for managing employee safety, productivity, and engagement
So, as we all work collectively to manage our family and work-family life to prevent the spread of COVID-19, there are ways to put this time to good use. Whether your employees are still coming in to work each day, are taking paid leave or are laid off, here are a few ideas to keep them safe, productive and engaged.
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Let them work from home.
As much as possible, let people work from home. Working remotely is one of the best ways to avoid spreading the coronavirus.
Set up the phone lines to transfer calls to cell phones and give your staff remote access to their computers. If you can, have a designated IT person to coordinate things like equipment pickup, employee VPN login setup and troubleshooting. -
Alter work schedules.
If people do need to come into work, ask them to stagger lunch breaks so there aren’t huge groups eating in cafeterias or break rooms. Encourage your staff to eat lunch at their desks.
One way to improve morale is to order lunch. Just make sure it’s delivered in individual containers. No large pizzas that everyone picks up from the same box. During times like these, it’s the little things that lift spirits. So bring in some welcome treats like candy and cookies. For those employees working from home, send them a gift card to a local restaurant where they can still order for curb-side pickup.
If you can afford it and it makes sense for your particular business, implement 4-10-hour shifts. You can either spread out your staffing over 5 days or notify your customers that you have changed your hours to 4 days per week to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
In most states, overtime is required after 40 hours a week, but there are a few that require it after 8 hours in a day. Always check the regulations of your state, county and city. -
Start a closed Facebook group.
Start a private, closed Facebook page for your employees who are working remotely. This gives them a community where they can connect and get information about your business and coronavirus crisis management plans.
Not only does this encourage people to share their feelings and ask/offer help, but it also keeps rumors to a minimum and strengthens the bond between dispersed teams. -
Accommodate staff with children.
If working remotely isn’t an option for all your staff, allow children to come to the office with a parent (if they are healthy). This will be much appreciated by parents who no longer have childcare options. And, it may even boost productivity during COVID-19.
Provide lots of paper and crayons, and let them watch Netflix, Amazon Prime or Disney + with ear buds so it isn’t disruptive to others. If you have a conference room or cafeteria space, kids can congregate there. Parents can schedule times to pop in periodically to make sure all is well.
Or, if you’re trying to avoid laying off employees, you could hire one of your less busy staff to be in the room and keep the kids active and safe. Of course, keep this area clean and free of clutter, and make sure there is plenty of hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes to go around. -
Prepare desk manuals.
As soon as possible, have employees prepare their desk manuals with detailed instructions and screenshots. This is an important step to ensure the job can always be done well. And, it will be invaluable to a new hire if the current staff member gets laid off or decides not to come back to you.
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Be present and visible.
Show your people the love! As the leader, this is not a time to hide out in your office as you figure out how to get through this. Be visible online or in person and ask your team for their ideas. It’s amazing what can be done when you get all those brains focusing on one solution!
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Use video conferencing.
Set up a video conferencing solution like Zoom or GoTo Meeting. Send out an invitation to all staff to join you for a weekly call. You’ll all be able to see each other, and everyone can easily access the call from a computer or cell phone.
This is your chance to update your team on your business, including what’s going well and what’s at risk. People need to know and to be able to talk openly about what’s going on as it impacts them. Even if your plans include laying off employees. -
Accommodate Sales staff.
If you have a sales team, make phone calls rather than doing onsite visits to prevent the spread of COVID-19. To keep connected, use Zoom or Skype for face-to-face conversations. Once you get the hang of it, it’s almost as good as being there.
This allows your staff to maintain productivity both now and after COVID-19. You can even share your desktop documents with them if you want them to see something you’re preparing. -
Offer affordable training.
Now is a great time to train your employees. I provide over 275 online learning courses in management, workplace safety, customer service and personal development. All courses are traceable and employees receive a certificate after passing a quiz on the subject matter.
It’s super affordable and the investing in your team with training is invaluable! For required courses such as Sexual Harassment & Discrimination and the DOT Drug and Alcohol Awareness training, you will have proof should you need to defend yourself in an audit or lawsuit.
Check out online training on topics such as Sexual Harassment & Discrimination, Drug and Alcohol Awareness for Managers, Dealing with Angry Customers, and lots of other personal development, management and safety training. You can also access courses to help you brush up on your leadership skills. -
Set performance management goals.
Set your Performance Management goals for the year. Make them stretch goals that are meaningful, in order to make you and the business successful in a big way going forward. This will help you lead your employees more effectively once it’s time for everyone to come back to the office.
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Clean up workspaces.
Clean up physical and virtual workspaces so people come back to a tidy area. Gather up the miscellaneous stuff that’s been accumulating around the office, warehouse and yard. Put it where it belongs or dispose of it responsibly.
This is also a great time to go to your email inbox and delete old emails you no longer need. This will look a lot cleaner and free up bandwidth in your cloud server account. -
Follow rules when reducing pay.
When it comes to reducing pay, remember that exempt employees and non-exempt employees have very different rules when it comes to legally docking pay for unworked hours.
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Stay in touch with customers.
Make videos and post them and other commentary on your website, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest. Post any place your ideal customers are so that they don’t forget about you or assume that you’ve closed down due to Covid-19. Do Facebook Live’s and let people know how you are handling things during this pandemic crisis.
There are lots and lots of needs your customers still have and they are going to get them handled by someone, somewhere – so it’s best if they choose you. -
Decide if the work is essential.
Find out now if your business is considered an “Essential Business” so that you know how a mandatory “Shelter in Place” order will affect you and your team. And take a look at the work each employee is performing to decide if that work is essential.
If not, reduce the risk of an employee getting or spreading the virus by sending them home to shelter safely there. Some work can be postponed without negatively impacting the business short-term.
If they are essential, look at alternatives such as giving them remote access using technology where they can work from home or reducing the number of days/hours they come into the workplace. -
Determine if your business is essential.
Find out now if your business is considered an “Essential Business” so you know how a mandatory “Shelter in Place” order will affect you and your team.
Take a look at the work each employee is performing to decide if that work is essential. If not, then reduce the risk of getting or spreading the virus send them home to shelter safely there. Some work can be postponed without negatively impacting the business short-term.
If they are essential, look at alternatives such as giving them remote access using technology where they can work from home.
Bottom line: When you are ready to bring your team back to the office, you want them to be loyal to you and your business.
For you and them, it’s not just a job, it’s your work family. Show them how much you care about them and their employment. Focus on employee engagement and productivity during this crisis.
In the meantime, hang in there. Wash your hands, smile at friends and strangers, be extra patient and kind and help people more, follow CDC guidelines at all times and catch up on all those things you’ve been putting off while you have the time to do them. Productivity during COVID-19 doesn’t have to suffer.
You want to be ready to kick it in high gear once this is behind you!
Now is also the perfect time to schedule a complimentary call with me to talk about your business and get an expert’s opinion on making your life and business super-successful now and forever.
To get on my calendar, contact me and let’s get you booked today.
Wash your hands, keep your distance and stay safe!
Business Leadership, Productivity, Team Management