Instilling Employee Confidence Post Pandemic

The pandemic continues to expand. As reported by Statistica.com, more than 200 countries and territories have reported cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Case growth has accelerated to more than 1,431,973 total cases (1,047,668 active infections) and 82,096 deaths as of April 8.

Silver Lining: As of today (04/08/2020), there are 302,209 documented recoveries.

Businesses need to enlist "Strategies" to limit the likelihood of spreading the disease. For many organizations, our focus will turn to developing or reevaluating Business Continuity and Pandemic Plans to preserve the workforce and allow operations to settle into the "new normal".

The first step in designing an enterprise-wide Business Continuity Plan needs to start with determining the following questions:

• Does the company currently have an enterprise-wide risk Business Continuity Plan?
• What are your mission and strategic objectives for enterprise-wide Business Continuity Plan?
• Are these objectives known throughout the organization?
• Who is responsible for authorizing, taking, controlling, and evaluating each type of event?
• What is the approach to reporting, coordinating with health officials, and communicating with our shareholders; are they aligned with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines?

I believe the biggest hurdle will be restoring the confidence of our employees and customers alike. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Coping with stress will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger. We need to start the discussions now before we return to our respective workplaces.

Questions to consider:

• How can our company effectively share and communicate concerns without inciting fear and unrest?
• What programs are in place to address Mental Health Support?
• How do we create an environment for employees so they feel safe at work?
• How will businesses encourage social distancing in our future operations?

One thing is certain, businesses must begin discussions sooner than later. Delaying the implementation of Post Pandemic Plans puts the viability of your business at risk. I've attached a few resources below that we are using at my company.

Here's An Idea....Try this!

Sooner than later, many will be returning to their respective workplaces. Our company is building "Safety First" care packages for all employees that include: a face shield, gloves, masks, hand sanitizer, hand soap, bleach wipes, and tissues. Giving our employees the tools to make their immediate surroundings safer will instill confidence and demonstrates our company's desire to provide a safer workplace environment. We've included the CDC.gov - How to protect yourself and others (pdf) as a simple reminder of best practices to support our Business Continuity Plan.

Don't make complicated. Start the conversation now.

Resources:

CDC.gov - How to protect yourself and others (pdf)