HR Industry Brief

Working from home is a blessing for some people and a curse for others. However, whether your employees love or hate remote work, you need them to be productive. Here are some questions that can help you determine how to inspire and enable remote workers to do their best work:

• How can accommodating an employee who works from home benefit the organization?
• Where will the employee be working from in his or her home?
• Can the person work in a solitary environment?
• Does the employee have the right workstation set up?
• Will the employee have proper safeguards in place to ensure proprietary information is not at risk?
• Does the employee have a medical condition or injury that requires accommodations?
• Can the employer’s disability carrier provide accommodations or provide the right set up to help the employee at home?
• Would the employee allow an ergonomic consultant to assess their home workspace to … [Read more...] about (7/13) 9 Questions to Ask to Boost Your Remote Workers’ Productivity

You likely know the dos and don’ts of screening job applicants for physical symptoms of COVID-19. But what are your rights and responsibilities when it comes to determining candidates’ attitudes about working during a pandemic? You don’t want to hire someone have them ghost you or quit after a week because they’re afraid to come to work. A few steps can help ensure you hire people who will stay and function comfortably during this pandemic and beyond:

• Strive for transparent hiring. Be honest about your expectations. Have a solid job description that clearly outlines duties and responsibilities, as well as workdays and hours. If it is necessary for the person to work solely onsite, state that upfront. If remote work is possible, be clear about how and when this will be possible. If you know that remote work won’t be possible, don’t be vague or disingenuous about it just to attract a candidate. Instead, talk about why they need or want remote work and how you might be … [Read more...] about (7/10) Screening for Applicants’ COVID-19 Concerns: Can You? Should You?

According to a new survey, flexible work schedules have been wildly popular among workers. They say that it makes them more productive and enables them to better juggle work and family obligations. Among the findings:

• 79% of professionals surveyed say that their job allows for windowed work, that is, the ability to break up their day into distinct chunks of business and personal time.
• Most of respondents say that windowed work leads to greater productivity -- 78% of those with children and 66% of those without children.
• Nearly an equal number of men (75%) and women (71%) say they get more done by integrating personal and professional activities throughout the day.
• More employees ages 55 and older (39%) say they prefer a traditional work schedule. This compares to 32% of 41-54-year-olds and 22% of younger workers.

• Coordinating team … [Read more...] about (7/9) Survey: A Window into Windowed Work

Comprehensive wellbeing has never been more important for your organization and your employees. To ensure that everyone gets the mental, emotional, physical, financial, and professional wellbeing support they need, a growing number of companies are appointing a wellbeing officer. Among the skills/needs a person needs for this role:

• Leadership skills.
• Knowledge/experience developing a customized strategic plan to build/sustain a program.
• Expertise in principles/applications that contribute to wellbeing.
• The ability to identify/engage outside experts need to round out the program.

As the pandemic drags on, employees may need more flexible work schedules to help homeschool children, care for elderly family members, or handle other responsibilities. If you don’t find a way to accommodate workers’ scheduling needs, you risk losing them to the competition. To determine what steps might be most practical and popular, consider these questions:

• How does my organization’s scheduling practices affect employee effectiveness and well-being? A variety of nonstandard work schedules, including rotating shifts, night work, and flextime, can reduce absenteeism and improve productivity.
• Can we better align our work schedules with the needs, desires, and personalities of our employees? Scheduling shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all proposition. Seek ways to personalize schedules (as much as possible) for workers with different needs and priorities.
• What are the implications of creating customized schedules or giving employees more control over … [Read more...] about (7/7) Rethinking Work Schedules? Consider These 4 Questions

According to new data, the employee job-hopping that has been rampant in recent years has stopped. Since March, people are sticking with the jobs they have. While this is good news in many ways, it also means that some people feel trapped in jobs they don’t like. Take this time to make the most of the workers you have. Engage and empower them:

• Don’t assume everyone is fine. People often put up a brave front and will deny that they are unhappy.
• Give employees choices when possible to restore some sense of control. For instance, give them the opportunity to continue to work from home if it is feasible and they want to do so.
• Listen and observe carefully to uncover how people are really feeling.
• Don’t “double down” on control by micromanaging or monitoring remote workers.
• Project empathy, even if employees don’t seem to want or need it.
• Work hard to promote trust.

According to a new survey, most workers don’t see HR as a source of guidance, support, or comfort. In fact, 86% of workers say they wouldn’t tell HR if they were struggling to cope with the death of a loved one, and 92% wouldn’t talk about it if they were going through an ugly divorce. Elsewhere, 60% wouldn’t report witnessing a theft at work. Here are some steps you can take to gain the trust of your teams:

• Make building trust a priority for higher-ups.
• Keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the organization and the world; stay on top of current issues.
• Respond promptly to complaints, concerns, requests, and questions.
• Become an active listener.
• Be transparent.
• Focus on productivity.

Like just about everything else, employee care will look different post-COVID. Take a few minutes to think about how you will ensure that your workers feel comfortable, secure, and safe moving forward:

• Be open about mental health. As of April, 45% of U.S. adults say their mental health has been negatively affected by the pandemic. Make it clear to employees that your workplace is a safe space to admit to and discuss their feelings, fears, and concerns.
• Teach employees about their mental health benefits. Don’t assume that your workers know what benefits they have. Make sure they know what their health care coverage includes in terms of counseling, medications, etc. Let them know about free online services and supports. Use emails and videoconferences to remind workers that you have an open door policy.
• Make cleanliness a priority. Provide hand sanitizer, soap, masks, gloves, and other resources to enable workers to disinfect their workspaces and keep … [Read more...] about (7/2) What Employee Care Post-COVID Looks Like

Management during a crisis like a pandemic is challenging, complex, and constantly shifting. With employees working at different locations, it’s more difficult than ever to consistently connect, communicate, and share information. To be an effective manager in a time of crisis, consider these three skills:

• Maintain an impartial mindset. Take an employee-first approach to management and focus on each person’s goals, strengths, and challenges. Set specific expectation but listen and help ensure that every employee has the tools, devices, information, and skills to work successfully in this new normal.
• Be adaptable. Be prepared to shift gears quickly and move from task to task. Identify and fill gaps in your team skills and make the most of everyone’s strengths. This requires knowing your people and ensuring that they are comfortable coming to you with questions and concerns.
• Have a knack for problem-solving. Don’t shy away from or ignore problems. … [Read more...] about (7/1) The Three Essential Skills for Successful Managers

Already stressed parents have taken on even more responsibilities at home during the pandemic. According to a new survey, 60% of respondents have no outside help in caring for and educating their children, and another 10% have less help than before the pandemic. Among other findings:

• Parents now spend an additional 27 hours each week on household chores, childcare, and education.
• Women continue to bear the lion’s share of family- and home-related responsibilities. On average, women spend 15 hours more on domestic labor each week than men.
• 50% of respondents feel that their performance at work has decreased as a result of their need to address these additional responsibilities at home.

• Communicate, prioritize, and be flexible.
• Give working parents the accommodations they need.
• Factor caregiver status into talent evaluations and track impact.
• Lead … [Read more...] about (6/30) Consider Employees’ Caregiving Needs as COVID-19 Continues