With stay-at-home orders across the nation tapering or expiring, returning to the office seems so close...yet so far. That may be for the best. (Sorry, extroverts!)
Workplaces won't be any safer the day after an order lifts than they were the day before. So the responsibility of protecting the health and wellbeing of your employees, customers, and community falls to you.
It will require thoughtful planning and radical redesigns. And careful consideration of the question, "Do we really need to be in the office?" (Or can we get our fix on Netflix?)
💡 Big Idea: Planning for a Safe Return
Early lessons from Asia. If the transitions in Singapore and Hong Kong can teach us anything, it's that re-entry will be a bumpy ride. Buckle in for starts, stops, staggers, and setbacks. Link.
A shock to the system. Only considering moderate workplace changes? You might want to sit down for this article. Like any good scenario planning, it lists out the good, the bad, and the ugly potentials of re-entering staff ahead of a vaccine. Link.
Questions to get started. How will your screening process look? Will you use a grid to maintain physical distancing? What percentage of isopropyl alcohol will you use to disinfect workspaces? This quick video will get your safety thinking going. Link.
A planning template. You didn't think we'd leave you with all questions and no answers. We've got you covered with our Covid Emergency Response Plan template. Download it to refine your thinking and modify it to move from worry to well-prepared action. Link.
🤔 Food for Thought
Got 40 seconds to spare? Spend it connecting with a coworker. Even that short of time can boost both your moods and productivity. So managers, encouraging staff to talk on company time can actually pay dividends. Link.
Optics of productivity. Who likes watching coworkers cut out early? Even if they did nail that report in half the time. But in the remote world, butts in seats matters way less when output is all we see. Now's the chance to recalibrate our performance measures. Link.
Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast. We've all had to be agile recently. But post-covid, how do we operationalize that quickness? The answer isn't relentless change, multidisciplinary teams, and hiring quick-twitch people. It's simplicity, clarity, and focus. Namaste. Link.
Reinventing how we work. The future workplace will look much different than the one we left. And that's a good thing. Workplace design firm, Custer, tapped our own Jon Brickner to discuss new ways of collaboration on their latest podcast. Link.
🔦 Services Spotlight
Temporary HR support. When unexpected change happens in people operations, your whole company feels the effects. Our interim HR team can quickly mitigate the impact by providing the stop-gap you need...starting yesterday.
Challenges our team is helping clients overcome right now, include:
Processing unemployment claims and leave requests
Fielding questions from employees on the emergency FMLA, FFCRA, and other new laws affecting employment
Keeping employee engagement high and turnover low
Managing increased hiring and onboarding demands
Planning for re-hiring when business is open again
Developing a people strategy for after the dust settles
Covid-19 business continuity guide. To keep up with the rapidly changing business landscape, we've created a guide to answer all of your people operations questions. We're updating it regularly, so check back often. Link.
Quick tips for managing this sudden change. We're regularly sharing 1-2 minute videos on our social channels to answer frequently asked questions. They feature our in-house experts and experts from the community. ICYMI, here are a few to catch-up on:
Tips for Staying Energized (Especially Now). Link.
Managing Candidate Experience During Change. Link.
Whatever people challenges you're facing, let's face them together. Whether you have an unemployment benefits question or need someone to decompress with, don't hesitate to reach out. Call,email, or schedule a consult with us.
Disclaimer: We're a team of experienced HR experts. But by no means are we legal experts. This newsletter is not intended to contain legal advice. Please, consult your attorney for that.