24 March 2020
Communicating with Employees during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Crisis

Communicating with Employees during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Crisis

Here are some tips for staying in touch with employees during the coronavirus crisis, helping them feel cared for, valued and reassured.

  1. Give permission to work from home for anyone who is feeling unwell – even when they are unsure, they have the symptoms of coronavirus; wants to self-isolate; or has children unable to go to school, creche and nursery.
  2. Take the pressure off working from home by giving people permission to relax and socialise with colleagues. Perhaps suggest they take breaks at the same time and chat over a coffee via video conferencing.
  3. Encourage them to look out for each other, checking up on team members who may be feeling unwell, helping out with workloads, and letting the team know when they are struggling. This helps counter the isolation and loneliness of working by themselves for people who are used to being in a buzzy office.
  4. Remind them it is okay to be interrupted during calls by babies, children, pets, partners and noisy neighbours; this is all part of the reality of working from home.
  5. Be clear on what it is important for them to deliver during this time of remote working, and what can wait until they return to the office. Give guidance so they can figure this out themselves, rather than continually having to ask.
  6. Be flexible on the hours they work; they likely will need to flex around caring for family members and elderly or ill neighbours. Remind them that deliverables are more important than hours spent at their desks.
  7. Encourage line managers to speak with each of their team members privately every day. This shows care and also gives people space to raise issues they may not wish to share with the whole team. They can also hold daily whole team conference calls.
  8. Enable leaders to be visible virtually and regularly. Perhaps stream daily videos or podcasts giving updates on what is happening. Or hold webinar question and answer sessions for people to raise issues they are facing.
  9. Publish frequently asked questions, with answers, on your intranet. Topics covered can include how to self-isolate, working from home, attending events, visiting customers and clients, travel advice, taking breaks, and socialising with colleagues.
  10. We are looking forward to seeing you on the other side of this crisis. When you are ready, contact us for a conversation about how you can improve employee communications.

During a crisis, establishing effective communication channels within the organisation serves as a pivotal element in dealing with sudden and unforeseen occurrences. You may click here to view our training programme designed to enable and enhance communication skills.

https://aztechtraining.com/course/mastering-personal-and-interpersonal-skills 


AZTech Training & Consultancy
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