Taking Care of Your Employees During Difficult Times
If you’re running a business during this difficult climate, chances are you have all sorts of stresses and worries on your hands. The 2020 coronavirus and Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the vast majority of businesses struggling. With difficulties in running businesses while maintaining social isolation and social distancing measures and a drop in consumer demand as people are experiencing financial insecurity, it’s not all too surprising that many companies are collapsing.
Chances are you’ve got an eye fixed on your profits and you’re doing everything you can to keep the figure sufficiently high to keep your business ticking over. This is understandable. But at the same time, you need to take a look at more than profits alone right now. If you’re an employer, you need to make sure that you’re treating your staff correctly and taking care of them too!
Here are some things you can do to ensure you’re taking proper care of your staff throughout the pandemic!
Let Staff Work from Home
If your staff can work from home, it’s important that you do let them work from home. This will help to significantly reduce the spread of the virus between colleagues, which is good for the world population in general and can also prevent the trouble of outbreaks in your workplace and consequent lack of productivity which could impact your profits.
Sure, it might feel odd leaving your staff to work without your direct supervision. But you can ensure that they’re sticking to their work by implementing KPIs and targets which will indicate whether they’ve been working as expected or not.
Check In On Staff Regularly
When staff are working from home, they’re more likely to be physically well than if they work in the office. But remember that isolation can have an impact on mental health too! It’s a good idea to check in on your staff on a regular basis to see how they’re coping. Holding regular video call meetings can help to ensure they have a source of support in you. If they have any issues or difficulties, try to help resolve them!
Offer Alternative Means of Support
Where possible, offer additional support. Whether that’s providing Medicare – you can find a guide on Medicare for beginners here – or providing sick pay if they come down with coronavirus and need to take time off for recovery. Small gestures can make all the difference, building staff loyalty and helping your staff to feel like part of a family when they work for you.
Be Flexible
As different measures come into play, such as lockdowns, your staff may struggle to work their usual hours. Some will find themselves taking care of their children throughout the day if schools close. Some may have to queue for hours to get groceries and prescriptions. Some may need to support elderly loved ones who are shielding. So, try to be flexible when it comes to working hours.
These really are difficult times. So do what you can to make them a little easier and less stressful for your team. They’ll really appreciate it!
© New To HR
