Looking after your staff should always be a priority for a business. After all, happy staff is productive staff. They are also more loyal which saves you money on hiring and even firing costs. Of course, with the spread of COVID-19, it has become even more important to look after your staff.
They need to feel safe to come to work and you need to do your bit to help control this virus and return normality.
There’s a fine line to tread, that’s why you need this company survival guide.
Take Care Of Business
There is no point in worrying about the staff if you won’t have a business to run. That means you need to establish a business plan, look into business finance to help you recover from the lockdown, and be realistic about the future.
Planning this out will allow you to see a future for your business. It will also allow you to reassure your staff that there is a future, that’s going to be one of their primary concerns.
Hygiene
You need to provide all the necessary cleaning products to keep the premises clean and ensure that people wash their hands when necessary. Social distancing rules need to be made clear to all staff and enforced. While some staff may be happy to ignore the rules, there will be those that feel uncomfortable if these rules are broken. Discomfort leads to tension in the workplace.
For that reason, it’s better to adhere to government guidelines and ensure all your staff does the same.
Don’t forget you may need to test employees for the virus. You’ll have to create a policy that balances privacy rights with the need for other employees to know if they have been in contact with an infected member of staff.
Communication
The key is to communicate with your staff daily. Let them know exactly what you expect from them and tell them immediately if anything changes. You’ll also need to ensure they have a safe route to talk to you about their own concerns.
Establishing a workplace coordinator is a good way to ensure all staff has someone they can talk to and raise concerns with.
Home Working
To reduce the risk of infection and keep staff happier you should consider introducing home working for those that can. This is a great way to make sure you can apply social distancing rules and keep all staff working hard.
Build Morale
Staff will be wary about how the company will survive, the security of their jobs, and the virus in general. You need to engage in morale-building to help all staff believe in your business, your products, and the future.
This is simply a case of making sure they all feel engaged daily. Opening social media communication channels between staff should also help them to interact and banter, which can be hard with the social distancing rules in force.