Is there anyone who has not been impacted by the COVID crisis? We’d be hard-pressed to find that lucky individual! Everyone else has been – to put it nicely – rocked by the changes to our family life, recreation, health care, and of course, our work lives. This article from HR Executive has an interesting take on the work aspect, and cites a recent survey that revealed nearly half of working parents have quit or reduced their hours because of the pandemic.
The author reminds all managers that our employees are beyond stressed. They may be managing spouse job losses, two now-home-based careers, and homeschooling children in addition to the stress of managing their loved ones’ exposure to COVID-19. As HR professionals and senior leaders, we need to consider our individual employees rather than making unilateral changes that may not really address the issues affecting specific people. Dialogue is the key as is really really listening, especially for those between-the-lines comments that hint at the circus juggling act your employees are doing.
Flexibility – which isn’t new to HR – is the next cornerstone. When we understand the unique stressors of an employee, how can we tailor a solution that fits his or her unique situation? Flex-hours are a good start when this system is applicable to your industry. Encouraging employees to work at nontraditional hours (weekends, nights) may give them some extra breathing room to better handle their multiple roles.
The subject of the article is Citizen’s Bank, which offered its employees a couple of excellent solutions; one is a program to help the employee’s spouse or children who have been laid off from their jobs. Citizens offers access to an AI program with a virtual job search coach – so to speak – who can help job seekers narrow down their searches to those positions most in line with their skills. Another cool program offers five hours of tutoring help per month. What a boon for parents whose Common Core knowledge is a little hazy: expert help for their kiddos while saving their sanity (the kids’, the parents’ or both)! Citizens arranged for a discounted rate if parents want to purchase additional tutoring hours.
We have to believe that these solutions came from the listening exercise mentioned above, and reflect the tip of the iceberg of programs that would help your employees while conveying your concern and empathy for their well-being. Meal preparation packages, virtual exercise subscriptions, even housekeeping might also go a long way to lowering your employees’ stress, and helping them meet their work responsibilities.