By Sumita Matta
Over the last ten weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has eliminated all traditional boundaries surrounding work-life balance. Almost all of us have experienced some form of fear or anxiety that can be attributed to this pandemic. Some of us are stretched for lack of childcare support, some miss the routine of going to work, some yearn for human connection, and some of us are more exhausted and stressed than we have been in the past.
While organizations are already investing time and resources to create back-to-work plans, the absence of a cure makes a safe back-to-work a distant possibility for a number of us. If and when these plans do go live, employees will likely have even higher stress levels. There will be new protocols to learn and follow, the risk of getting infected and/or infecting your family and a lack of any previously outsourced external supports. All of this uncertainty increases the likelihood of employees feeling overwhelmed and having a significantly diminished sense of psychological safety.
As Susan David, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School, notes in her podcast ‘Checking In’-‘None of us can choose to make this pandemic disappear but we can choose how we respond to its challenges’.
Here are a few strategies to address the above while actively supporting your employees during this pandemic:
1. Show your employees you care
The uncertainty associated with this pandemic is stirring up emotions of fear, anxiety, discomfort, helplessness and an absence of psychological safety. The struggle is real! An organization can’t eliminate all that the employees are experiencing but can demonstrate through small gestures that it cares. For example, Google recently gave a day off to its employees to deal with work-from-home related burnout. This sends a clear message that the organization is invested in and cares about employee well-being.
2. Make employees feel heard
Working-from-home during this pandemic has brought unique challenges for employees.While going digital was required for many organizations, it is not helping many employees who are now experiencing zoom fatigue. It’s crucial to establish channels to hear employees and show to them they are truly being heard. Identify resources and supports to help employees at individual level.For example, provide access to:
a. Online workplace chaplain: Having online support services for employee counselling, can help alleviate feelings of loneliness and distress. It just helps to have someone to talk and feel heard. Helps employees get referrals to social workers or therapists.
b. On-demand childcare services: Addressing employee concerns by connecting them to resources where digital playdates or virtual summer camps are made possible. Companies like Helpr and Komae are facilitating digital playdates and offering online music lessons and tutoring for families.
c. Self-care: Create a resource page where employees can share their experiences and hacks during the pandemic. Have a part-time resource to update & manage this page.
3. Reassess existing flexible scheduling
Realign flexible scheduling to the current employee needs. This reinforces that employee voice matters and helps to build trust and an environment of psychological safety. There are several good examples of introducing flexible scheduling or allowing flexible work arrangements, finding the right one for your organization is key. For example, a LinkedIn Talent Solutions blog reports that PwC has been using various simple programs to give their employees flexibility with programs like year-round flex days and fabulous Fridays.
The four-day week has received a lot coverage this week with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinta Arden, encouraging businesses in her country to look at a shorter work-week.
In fact, there are a number of industry leaders who have been experimenting with a 4-day work week. Microsoft Japan in 2018, tested “Work-Life Choice Challenge” shorter work-week and observed it led to more efficient meetings, happier workers and boosted productivity by 40%.
Perpetual Guardian, an estate planning services firm from New Zealand tried 4-day work week in 2018. Their employees reported better work-life balance, improved focus and staff stress levels decreased by 7%.
However, before you jump-on to this bandwagon, it is recommended that you do the following:
Examine would this really be the solution given your nature of work
Look at the employment legislation in your country. Does it allow such practices?
How would you position it within your organization- would your employees be willing to opt-in for a cut in salaries?
Are you planning to use this as an alternative to lay-offs? Or are you using this to give boost employee well-being?
Can you use it to manage your costs & employee well-being? How are you planning to communicate this new initiative?
4. Goal Adjustment
It is crucial to remember we all are working from home during a global pandemic. Focusing on overall well-being of your employee would bring in greater long-term benefits than chasing goals set before this pandemic. This would be the time to encourage managers to have a 1:1 discussions with employees to readjust the goals so employee goals are realistic given the changed economic climate. Acknowledging it’s a tough time and showing compassion right now would be a good strategy and would enhance employee retention. A recent post by Adam Grant LinkedIn, showcases an example of compassionate leadership by the Canadian Government.
It's very crucial to keep things in perspective right now and avoid burdening your employees with unrealistic goals. Being a compassionate organization and giving employees control over their time may be one of your best strategies given we can’t make this virus go away for now.