Your employees are not okay.
In this COVID-19 world, this is a fact for every single one of your employees. They may act like they are okay. They may say they are okay, but they are not okay.
Most aren’t pretending. This is just hard.
Every one of them faces uncertainty. People working in health care or grocery stores have secure jobs, but tremendous stress and a high exposure to the coronavirus. Almost everyone else is experiencing employment uncertainty right now. Plus, their kids are home from school, and parents must suddenly be expert homeschoolers. If you’re in Utah, you’re also dealing with an earthquake. (Just another square on the apocalypse bingo card. Oh, and the Middle East has a plague of locusts.)
To keep reading, click here: 5 Ways to Manage a Human Resources Crisis During COVID-19
Number 1 is critical: keeping people informed. My unit is flunking this one. 2 weeks ago, we were being aggressively prepared to telework. Last week, we received an email, a letter in the mail and a robocall informing us that we were essential employees, in an essential industry, and must report to work as scheduled, subject to a “liberal” leave policy, even though our local jurisdictions are under Stay at Home Orders. Since then, I’m the only one showing up at our office and working all day, although I do — occasionally — receive an email from one of the others, all of whom, on occasion, previously worked out of other locations. Today, our big boss sent out a gang email with tips on how to best optimize teleworking. Am I the only one NOT teleworking? Not that I mind; I actually prefer working at the office, where I have everything I need to do the job properly and efficiently. And, since I’m the only one here, social distancing is possible. But, it would be nice to at least know what the heck is going on.
Hang in there, Grannybunny, stay safe and healthy. I am guessing the reason, you are not getting any information, probably has to do with the priority of upper management on taking care of themselves, plus also trying to squeeze as much profit out of the business as possible before they have to literally close the door on the business. Most likely, the person who has to set the process in motion hasn’t gotten the go-ahead from the person in charge. There’s a big difference in doing the right thing for employees based on HR recommendations and doing it, while also dealing with personal panicking.
Not even healthcare is secure. My hospital just announced 20% cuts to salaries and layoffs. The loss of revenue from people cancelling elective procedures is hitting is too.