Council Post: Seven Practical Workplace Steps To Prepare For A Crisis

As the impact of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, continues to evolve, it can be tough to know how to translate the news into action for your small business.

Below are my tips on how you can consider being proactive with your plans so that your workplace is prepared for a crisis or even the typical cold-and-flu season.

1. Decide who decides.

Before you start calling meetings or taking action, decide whose decision this is and what other input is needed. This will save so much time and headache if and when you need to make decisions quickly.

2. Check your formal sick and leave policies for accuracy and clarity.

This is a values-meet-reality moment. Your people will be watching how you respond to moments of stress and how it aligns with what you proclaim when you’re sailing on smooth seas. Of course, you need to balance the financial realities of your business, which is not easy to do. But it’s exactly why I recommend assessing your formal sick and leave policies now to ensure you’re prepared for whatever could come your way in the future.

Conduct a stress test on your system. For example, if a substantial portion of your workers were out or your team needed to take 14 days of leave, what would that mean for your company and employees? Consider the following questions:

• What’s allowed and will be paid?

• What’s allowed and will be unpaid?

• How will you handle an instance where someone needs to go negative on their personal time off balance?

• How will you handle hourly wage workers?

When you’re clear on your policies, make them publicly available, and reshare them with your team. Yes, it’s probably in your handbook, but your team might not remember to check there. Your proactive communication will build trust. Additionally, include any telemedicine options that might be included in your plan.

If someone is part of an at-risk group or lives with someone at risk and wants to discuss their options, provide clarity on who (such as human resources or a senior manager) they can go to for a confidential conversation.

3. Assess your informal sick and leave policies.

Your informal policies and habits are what people will follow first. Think about times people have been sick in the past. Do they tend to show up for fear of being reprimanded or considered lazy? Is there a pride in showing up that’s explicitly or implicitly rewarded in your culture? Do leaders show up sick? If so, your implicit culture is likely telling people to “power through,” even when they’re not feeling well.

Or, is there a subtle shaming when someone is out? For example: “Hey, Jane. These TPS reports are really piling up, and the team is having trouble keeping up. We miss you!” A comment like this might make Jane feel guilty, regardless of your intent.

Make it clear that employees aren’t expected to come into work when they don’t feel well. Say, “Hi, team. We’re taking your health and safety seriously. If you’re ill, please stay home. We expect you to stay home, and we’ll send you home if you try to come in anyway. Please work with your manager on how to allocate your work or on remote work possibilities.”

4. Review your remote work policies.

What’s required to do your work remotely? For example, does your information technology team need to set up virtual private networks, or is everything needed to do your job remotely already accessible? Do you have a messaging tool or other shared repositories of information to use?

For a first-time remote team, core “online” hours can help to facilitate quick turnarounds and avoid a constant stream of interruptions. One study by Behavioral Scientist, which analyzed the performance of 260 software workers spanning 50 different countries, found that incentives didn’t improve the quality of work, while these types of “burst” communication styles led to better outcomes.

Managers also need to be clear with remote teams as to what “good and done” really looks like. The better your leadership team paints that picture on a regular basis, the easier it is for remote teams to stay on track.

When establishing your remote work policies, decide what you might allow as a preventative measure, even if it’s something you wouldn’t have previously considered. For example, would an office closure be possible if needed? If there are must-do, in-office tasks, who will do them, and how can you minimize that? Is there something one person could have a backup plan for in case they become ill?

5. Review your travel policies.

What travel will you cancel? Who decides when travel is canceled — the company or the employee? How does your expense flow work? You’ll want to answer these questions to help minimize the financial impact on both the company and the team members.

In response to the spreading of the coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued travel notices and guidance on the precautions employees should take if they travel for work. Ensure you and your employees review this before a business trip.

6. Assess your workspace.

Take a look around, and make sure you have tissues, cleaning wipes or other supplies readily available for everyone to easily access. Note where people are coming into contact with the same surfaces frequently, such as light switches, printers, refrigerators, etc., and wipe those spaces down regularly. These are also great spots to put hand sanitizer (that are at least 60% alcohol). Finally, ask employees to follow hand-washing best practices and sneezing and coughing etiquette put forth by the CDC.

7. Stay informed.

Seek information and watch for public policy changes from local and federal agencies. Ensure you’re turning to reputable sources, such as the CDC, World Health Organization or Johns Hopkins, to avoid misinformation.

Most importantly, don’t panic. By considering the seven steps outlined above, you can prepare your business for current and future crises.