-
How to Reduce Fear in the Pandemic Workplace.
After months of zoom meetings and quarantine haircuts, employees are returning to the office, some with gratitude, some with fear, most with gratitude and fear. As business owners and managers, how can we make it easier on our employees? How can we reduce their fear and help them feel safer? (Hint: “reduce” and “safer” are […]
-
Should I reinstitute my Work From Home Strategy?
I have seen posts, memes and received calls from frustrated employers who are struggling with keeping their businesses profitable and keeping their employees safe. Because several states are experience a resurgence in Coronavirus cases, I am encouraging my clients to revisit their working from home strategy. Many employees have “gotten into the groove” of working […]
-
Is Burnout is the New Normal? Navigating What’s Next
The other day I went into the office for the first time in over two weeks. I had been picking up the mail every few days, but hadn’t spent more than five minutes there. Though my commute is an easy one, traffic was heavier than I expected. This made me uncharacteristically nervous. What were all […]
-
Playing Catchup: What I’m Telling My Clients about Emergency Unemployment.
I filed for unemployment. I never thought I’d say those words again. The last time I did was during the mortgage industry collapse more than a decade ago, which put millions of us out of work. Those were desperate times, and I thought of unemployment as a resource to tide me over. We are facing […]
-
Quarantine Day #????
Captain’s Log: Day—I have no idea—of quarantine. The people of Earth are secluded in their homes, coming out only at night wearing gloves and masks to scavenge for food or stretch their legs…. Okay, I’m getting a little punchy—not because I’ve got nothing to do like so many of my friends and family, but because […]
-
Remote Work: How to Navigate Virtual Leadership
Leadership during the COVID-19 crisis has taken on a new face. For many, it is the face of confusion and uncertainty. But it doesn’t have to be that way. My team has been virtual from its inception—not because I was so forward thinking, but because I didn’t want to pay for more office space. Because […]
-
Employers and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA): Document, Document, Document
As of Wednesday, April 1, 2020, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) goes into effect, and employees are now eligible to file for an additional 80 hours of sick time and/or expanded FMLA leave. Several of my clients have asked for clarification regarding how they should approach these changes. My answer in general is […]
-
More on COVID-19: What if an Employee Tests Positive or is Exposed?
It was only a matter of time until I received a call from a client saying that one of their employees had been exposed to the Coronavirus. Here’s what I told them about how to proceed, how to avoid HIPPA violations, and how to protect the rest of their staff. What does a company do […]
-
Coronavirus Q&A: What do Employers Have to Pay For Under the New Guidelines?
If I have to temporarily close my business, do I have to pay my employees during this time? Not generally, but here are the rules: Nonexempt hourly employees do not have to be paid during business closures provided they don’t perform any work at all during the closure period. If they work during that time, […]
-
What is your Telecommuting Strategy?
Can employers require employees to work from home as an infection-control strategy? Should they? Absolutely, and it is recommended. Creating a telework policy will ensure your business keeps running and save you the expense of having the entire staff out sick. Things to consider when creating a telecommuting policy: Develop a policy for tracking […]
