Michele Harmon
Times have changed, and less is more.
In July, I wrote about bringing back your employees to either full employment or from working from home. We have all learned that not everyone has to be physically present to get their jobs done. In that light, I would guess that commercial real estate is going to take a big hit. I’ll leave that thought up to the experts and stick to my expertise except to say that many employees can get their jobs done without physically sitting in an office. Those of you that set up large communal workspaces to keep up with the times have now got a workspace for germs to spread. OK, enough already. However, we have all learned that less can be more and that most employees are honest and hardworking, no matter where they are sitting.
I have made myself an even better workspace at home than I had in the past and love it. Even with my Zen office space, I miss live interaction with people. Whatever video conferencing tool you are using, it doesn’t always beat face to face, but we have learned, it works more than just in a pinch.
If you have it set up correctly, you can see when your employees are at their computers working. You may say Big Brother is watching, but I’d prefer to work from home than make the commute on 191 at 7:30 a.m.
This month I’m going to go through a laundry list of things you should be considering as you return your employees to be at the office physically. I do have to say that the forced changes may have changed the way we work forever. What did we do before smartphones? Oh yes, we were glued to a desk and an answering machine. Just like smartphones, the current changes may improve the quality of our lives in ways we have not yet discovered.
Workplace safety is number one. I know we are courageous in West Texas, but I can’t help but say, I was a bit squeamish when a server brought out our dinner without a mask. Your employees need to feel safe, but so do your customers. Until we get the all-clear or there is a vaccine, be cautious. Avoid unnecessary travel for business purposes. Why take the chance? (And I love SW Airlines. They are like HEB, I trust them to keep me safe, but I am going to wait a little longer.)
So here is a list of questions for you to ponder that came from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM)–with my two cents tossed in.
- Are you taking employees’ temperatures, and do you have protocols in place for how long they have to stay home if they have had a fever and respiratory issues? SHRM has a sample form for you to use for just about everything, including this type of documentation.
- Do you have a way to notify your employees that they may have been exposed to a communicable disease at work?
- Are you following CDC cleaning procedures?
- What are your social distancing guidelines?
- Did you do that layoff and recall policy?
- Do you have a flexible schedule policy?
- Are you taking advantage of all the temporary tax law changes?
- Did you amend your health benefits plan to continue to provide insurance to employees that are now working fewer than 30 hours per week?
- Do you have your Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) model poster/notice up with your other employee notifications?
- If you reduced employees’ pay, were you transparent and did you provide notice and explanation to all your employees?
- Are you sure you are utilizing all the federal and state aid to help you with payroll?
- Do you know what the Texas Workforce Commission’s (TWC) policies are on short-term compensation for semi-furloughed employees?
- Do you know about the Supplemental Unemployment Benefit Plan? Because it has been around since the 1950s.
- Employees have new rules for withdrawing from the 401K, so do you have a competent HR professional to explain the pros and cons of withdrawals?
Recalling employees should mean bringing them back in phases. Some companies have started it, but others, as of June 15, 2020, are still not firm on their recall plans. Have a plan for those in the high-risk category and a method for those that are afraid to return. Again, we are strong but not invincible.
Last month I reminded you about how you should treat returning employees and their benefits, but there are some significant new changes and there are over-the-counter drugs that are now eligible for flexible medical accounts. We lost that as Americans shortly after Obama became President, and now we have them back.
How will you handle compensation? What are you going to do about reversing pay cuts or giving raises? May I suggest now is the time to do some house cleaning and I don’t mean your staff. How about conducting an audit to see if your pay is equitable and dive into those I9s? If things are slow in HR, those two things alone will take up weeks.
If you don’t have an emergency management plan and a business continuity plan, you need them now more than ever. This perfect storm is not over, and this is not the last time we will experience it. Remember, the Girl Scouts motto, Be Prepared.
Think about changing how you allow for time off. I advocate for an actual Paid Time Off (PTO) policy. With PTO, employees earn time off for every day they are at work. They don’t have to wait six months to take a sick day, so they don’t have to come to work sick. It is a no-brainer, as my generation used to say.
Remember the remote office? Why not allow more employees to work from home at least part-time? Dell figured this out 20 years ago. Save some money on office space.
Did your employees add to their toolbox? I have taught online for UTPB for many years and have had to use two different software packages. Now, I know how to use Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet. Not bad for a 1978 graduate of UT Austin. Some school districts are changing their calendars, at last, to be better prepared for another COVID outbreak, but truthfully, we know that should have changed after we stopped being an agrarian society decades ago.
How does a changed school calendar or another outbreak affect your business? You will have to be well prepared now with your new emergency management plan I discussed in an earlier article, to support your employees working from home at least part of the time. I do not think that all your female or male employees are going to be willing to quit their jobs to be full-time mothers or fathers. Our society has evolved into families of two-person breadwinners and co-parents.
One thing is for sure at this writing—this COVID thing isn’t over, and our country is going through issues as we may never have seen. Whether this is the right venue or not, I pray for your safety and prosperity. When will 2020 be over? Look around at your blessings and be grateful for family and friends because, unlike material things, they are irreplaceable.
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“Your employees are the heart of your organization.” Dr. Michele Harmon is a Human Resource professional, supporting clients in Texas and New Mexico that range in size from five to more than 3,000 employees. Email: micheleharmon1@gmail.com.