(Newswire.net — May 23, 2020) —
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental and financial status of many employees. Numbers indicate that about 60% of Americans have suffered money-wise due to coronavirus. On that account, companies should support their employees to retain them. Here are ways that you can use to make workers feel part of the organization as they work from home.
Paid Leave
As an employer, you can continue paying your workers as though they are on leave. This way, they will be able to support their families with sheer simplicity. Employees will feel appreciated, and when the pandemic is over, they will gladly go back to work. The good news is that the IRS will reimburse the payments as part of the payroll tax credits.
The Family First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) requires some bosses to offer paid leave of about two weeks to their workers. In addition to that, small businesses and nonprofits can benefit from CARES, which is about $350 billion in loans that you will repay partially. The funds will help you to cover the salaries so that employees can be financially stable.
Extend Health Benefits
Staff retention also entails extending the health insurance since employees need it the most during this time. The benefits will come a long way in ensuring that they get the best treatment as always. As an employer, you can play a significant role by not cutting workers off since you need them when the coronavirus blows over. Therefore, you must help them remain at peace by allowing them to access their health coverage.
Support their Mental Health
During this time, everyone is anxious, worried, and feeling lonely due to the COVID-19 disease. Some people are feeling isolated and depressed, which is not good at all for mental health. On that account, you can reach out to them as the boss to check how they are doing. What’s more, you can have the HR contact your employees in turns so that they feel part of the work-family.
Another method that works is to encourage employees to check on each other as well. This way, everyone in the organization can feel some sense of care and love. If you know someone who is battling their mental health, you can provide resources to get well. For instance, you can host webinars and offer tutorials on mindfulness as a staff retention strategy.
Offer More Versatility in Work
Working at the office is different from doing the tasks at home. Well, many employees have families who depend on them for some duties. They need to homeschool their children, do chores, feed their pets, and run errands. On that account, you ought to create a flexible schedule that meets the needs of your workers.
As the manager, you can talk openly with the employee and ask him or her when the job will be complete. This way, you can create a timeline that works for both of you since the project needs to be submitted.
Continue Educating and Communicating to Staff
Learning new things is part and parcel of retaining employees since they acquire skills that they can use to grow. When you train them, they feel important since you are equipping them with new knowledge. For that reason, you can schedule online meetings where everyone can participate to get new information. Make it engaging so that people don’t get bored in the process.
Alternatively, you can send videos to staff about policies and how you are protecting the entire workforce from the virus. Ensure that it is brief and straight to the point that people can comprehend what you are saying. It is crucial to communicate to employees so that they don’t feel left behind by the top leadership. Assure them that once things are back to normal, you will all work towards a common goal for the company’s growth.