Three Ways to Help Employees Thrive During the Virus Time

COVID-19 threatens almost all of us, endangering our individual well-being and imperiling the collective health of our businesses. It also poses a more insidious hazard in the way it increases individual STRESS.

Here are some data points from surveys done recently by Willis Towers Watson, the global human resource consulting firm. The firm’s research shows that:

• 91% of respondents say they feel at least some anxiety from the coronavirus
• 69% say they worry about how the virus distracts them from work
• 66% report new financial fears because of the coronavirus; a major driver of financial worry is concern about the health of the business.

All of this generates the kind of stress that hinders work and reduces productivity, hurting individuals and organizations alike.

What can company leadership do to address these issues? Here are three simple ideas:

1. Communicate the firm’s strategy for weathering the COVID-19 storm and prospering on the other side.

Employee confidence in the future of the business rises when leaders convey a clear and compelling plan for working through the crisis and setting the stage for success thereafter. Acknowledge uncertainty but underscore what the organization will do to emerge strong from the health crisis and prepare for the future.

2. Explain how employee benefit plans can help with individuals’ concerns. For example:

• Clarify time-off and sick leave policies, spelling out what is sick time vs. paid and unpaid leave
• Reaffirm the details of child care and elder care policies and tell people how to find in-home alternatives when care centers have closed or reduced capacity
• Explain how the health plan covers preventive care, testing and doctor visits if people think they need medical attention; reinforce that people should not hesitate to go to the doctor or hospital in an emergency
• Emphasize the advantages of telemedicine as an alternative to doctor or emergency room visits, including teletherapy for help in dealing with the stresses of work and family life
• Tell employees where they can go for testing and how testing is covered
• If applicable, explain whether testing is required before employees can return to the work site
• Tell people about sources of financial assistance (for instance, providers of low-rate mortgages) and advice and note any changes to 401(k) loan policies in response to emerging financial hardship.

Your employee portal may provide all this content, but remember: people are stressed and distracted and they don’t have spare time to surf the HR intranet. Make it as easy and efficient as possible for them to get answers to their questions. Communicate again (and AGAIN) that these resources are available and explain how they can be used.

3. Make sure managers have all the information and support they need to keep their teams focused and connected.

Give them the freedom to make decisions in response to individual employee needs. Executives and company communicators sometimes send information directly to employees but fail to provide managers the details and back-story insights they need to answer employee questions. Don’t make that mistake. Front-line managers can be your most credible source of leadership if you inform them and prepare them to respond flexibly to their team members’ situations.

The goal is to help employees cope with the current challenges and emerge stronger as a result. That’s the definition of resilience – your employees need it and your business won’t survive without it.