HR Industry Brief

The federal government has addressed some of the challenges employers are facing with hiring issues while key employees must self-isolate at home:

• Employers taking social distance and isolation precautions during this pandemic don’t need to review a new employee’s identity and employment authorization documented in the employee’s physical presence for Form I-9.
• Employers may first inspect Section 2 documents remotely, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The agency says that they obtain this document via video, fax, or email and “obtain, inspect, and retain copies…within three business days for purposes of completing Section 2.”
• Employers may implement these provisions for a period of 60 days from the date of this notice or within three business days after the termination of the National Emergency, whichever comes first.

With government officials urging sick workers to stay home and employers to be flexible and accommodating, there are four actions employment attorney suggest you avoid:

• Maintaining rigid policies. In efforts to ensure productivity, it may be tempting to keep or begin inflexible sick leave policies. However, lawyers suggest this could make sick workers feel pressured to come to work and hide their condition. Under Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rules, employers must protect employees against known workplace hazard. Making workers feel like they have to come to work when sick goes against this guidance.
• Applying policies inconsistently. If you relax certain parts of your sick-leave policies, be sure to apply these consistently across the board for all employees.
• Ignoring leave laws. All sick-leave policies must comply with state and local laws, and these may mandate that employers to provide leave.
• Failing to … [Read more...] about (3/20) 4 Sick-Leave Practices to Avoid during the Coronavirus Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is putting lives at risk, and clearly this is a top priority. However, businesses also must look for ways to stay afloat and survive moving forward in light on this crisis. Some suggestions from experts include:

• Create your model with four sheets—one for the income statement, one for the balance sheet, one to list all employees and their monthly cost, and one for variables/assumptions.
• Address three scenarios—best case (non-essential business facilities closed for four weeks), middle case (non-essential business facilities closed for three months); facilities closed for three months); and worst case (non-essential business facilities closed for eight months).

According to a new survey, 43% of Americans say they are concerned to that will contract coronavirus, while 45% are worried about how an outbreak may affect their ability to work and earn a salary. It is essential to offer information that will provide comfort to employees and enable them to do their jobs without worrying about all the “what ifs.” According to one survey, here’s what business leaders are planning and/or doing:

• 92% of employers say they will send special communications to help workers with the outbreak. Only 4% say they won’t send something, and 4% say they aren’t sure what they will do.
• Almost all employers say they will let workers (as possible) work from home whether they are symptomatic, asymptomatic, or asymptomatic caregivers.
• 40-70% of employers plan to offer pay continuation.
• Nearly 80% say they will offer paid sick leave to symptomatic workers, but 30% or fewer say they plan to provide this benefit to … [Read more...] about (3/18) Coronavirus: Striking a Balance on Communication

Despite your best efforts, you can’t make this pandemic go away. However, there is much you can do to keep employees engaged and boost morale in these chaotic times. Consider these steps:

• Keep people connected. With more people working remotely, you will need to prioritize efforts to keep people connected and ensure that communication and accurate information flows smoothly. A virtual “watercooler channel” can help you post news, comments and random thoughts, and other communications that mimic break room conversations. Hold a weekly one-on-one (via phone or videoconferencing if necessary) with each employee to get and give updates. Keep working with each person on goals and deadlines.
• Share everything. Uncertainty and lack of honesty lead to greater fears. Create a system to send regular updates to employees and other team members, even if thee isn’t much to share. Be open about what is happening in your organization and what leaders are saying. Give people a … [Read more...] about (3/17) 4 Ways to Keep Employees Engaged While Facing a National Crisis

According to a new report featuring insights from business leaders, effective and lasting culture change generally follows a three-step process:

• Start at the beginning. Don’t jump into change without a realistic view of where you are. To do this, implement a listening strategy to understand what culture is and how it is viewed throughout the organization. Have a plan in place to measure and monitor progress of your culture renovation before beginning to build it.
• Build the change. This isn’t only about culture change; it also involves identifying skeptics and establishing a “co-creation mindset.” The study found a relationship between companies that invest in training at all levels and the organization’s ability to embrace the desired behaviors.
• Maintain the change. This is often ignored, said the study; and this is the most common reason that culture change fails. Help maintain your new/renovated culture via efforts such as talent-management … [Read more...] about (3/16) Report Lays Out Blueprint for ‘Culture Renovation’

As COVID-19 spread through communities—such as is happening in Washington state—home health agencies are prioritizing ways to keep clients and workers safe. Among their recommendations:

• Check with vendors/suppliers about the continued availability of masks, hand sanitizer, medications, and other items.
• Review your current emergency response plans and personnel policies and update them to address possible COVID-19 outbreaks.
• Plan for worker shortages, cross-training staff, and developing family contingency plans.
• Keep calm and model this behavior for others.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) both recommend that post-acute and long-term care providers limit visitor access to help curb the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). In a press briefing earlier this week, David Gifford, MD, AHCA/NCAL chief medical officer, said, “Limit the visits with the elderly in our facilities to prevent the spread there and use a common-sense approach of how to deal with that.” In its guidance, CMS says:

• Facilities should “actively screen and restrict” visitors who have experienced symptoms of a respiratory infection, come into contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, traveled internationally within the last 14 days, or live in a community where the virus is spreading.
• If visitors pass this screening, they should only have access to the room of the person they are visiting.
• Facilities should post additional … [Read more...] about (3/12) Officials Direct Providers to Limit Visitor Access Amid Coronavirus Concerns; Polling Places Moved

While it’s easy to play Monday morning quarterback, there’s much to be learned about the future by reviewing past actions and trends. Consider these three trends that were just evolving in 2010 and what leaders were saying about them then:

• Social media. Facebook and other social media platforms were just starting out, and most business leaders saw them as just for fun. Few saw these as an opportunity to expand their reach to potential employees. According to one study at the time, only 28% of executives/managers said their company would use social networking tools to tap in the global talent pool over the next decade.
• Focus on engagement/culture. HR professionals were urged back in 2010 “crank up the retention machine,” and more companies were starting to focus on improving employee benefits. However, they have moved from ping pong tables and free coffee to more sophisticated benefits, such as student loan repayment, flexible schedules, remote work, career … [Read more...] about (3/11) Hindsight Is 2020: What Leaders Got Right in 2010 – and What They Missed

The best leaders inspire others to do their best and to be innovative and forward-thinking. This requires emotional intelligence. This is much more than a popular buzzword; it is an essential ability to be open, humble, empathetic, and transparent. Maximize your emotional intelligence with the following steps:

• Act without defensiveness and arrogance. This may seem obvious, but you actually may not be aware of how your words and actions come across to others. Start by watching your body language. Crossed arms, standing over people, looking around when someone is talking can all be construed as arrogance or defensiveness. Check your language for words such as “stupid,” “ridiculous,” “impossible,” “never,” “wrong,” and “crazy.”
• Practice accurate empathy. This is the ability to accurately assess someone’s verbal and non-verbal communication cues. When you do this, you understand their perspective, state of mind, and mood. Emotionally intelligent leaders make … [Read more...] about (3/10) 6 Steps to Becoming an Emotionally Intelligent Leader