How to approach business crisis planning and HR policies to ensure continuity
Photo by Alvaro Reyes on Unsplash
When I first considered writing this blog, the new coronavirus had not yet made its way to Colorado. As of March 26, our state is under stay-at-home orders for everyone except essential businesses. I won’t rehash what that means – although I encourage you to stay aware of the latest developments – but I would like to address business crisis planning for the health of your business now and in the future.
As a human resources consultant, I work with businesses of all sizes and help them develop strategies for maximizing human capital. In this historic period of global social distancing and quarantine, the value of that human capital is coming into sharp focus.
So, which strategies can you deploy right now that will support your people and your business?
Understand Your Responsibilities
First and foremost, employers need to support the health and well-being of their people by following relevant employment law. From expanded FMLA leave policies to the newly enacted Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201), there are new rules in place to help provide a safety net for employees.
The Society for Human Resource Management has created a great primer for businesses on the laws, regulations and policies you should follow related to COVID-19. Take time to familiarize yourself with these directives.
Take Care of Your People
Beyond the laws, there are additional measures you can take to help ensure the well-being of your people.
During this crisis, and any others that might arise in the future, your people will help your business maintain its production and workflow. While work might slow during this time, your healthy staff members will provide vital continuity that can help your organization weather the storm.
Provide your people with the support they need, including:
Safety. If you remain open as an essential business, on-site safety will remain a top priority. Follow all local, state and federal guidelines for social distancing and sanitation.
Access to resources. Most, if not all, of your employees will need to work from home (if possible, depending on their roles). Deploy connectivity and productivity resources to make their jobs as easy as possible while they adapt to telecommuting.
Flexible schedules. As an executive, you might feel pressure to increase output right now, remember that your people are juggling family commitments, homeschooling requirements and added levels of stress during a time of crisis. As much as possible, ease up on schedules and/or allow people to work when most convenient for them.
Give people breaks. There’s a lot of buzz right now about all-day conference calls and back-to-back meetings. Take time to consider which meetings are truly essential, and work to keep them as short as possible. Always-on connectivity can lead to burnout and even reduced productivity. Breaks will help your people manage stress and also restore their creativity and problem-solving abilities.
Consider mental health needs. Communicate mental health resources to your entire staff. Now, more than ever, people will need this support. Let your team know if you offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and how to find their healthcare mental health providers.
Maintain positive communication. Managers should check in with people on a personal, casual level in addition to asking for work status updates. Remember the “human” in human capital. Positive relationships help keep business moving.
Don’t forget to attend to your own well-being and mental health. As an executive or manager, you likely feel some added pressure to work more and to produce more. Give yourself breaks, eat healthy food, make time for exercise and create a regular sleep schedule. Healthy people, including you, will help ensure a healthy business.
Business Health Strategies
During this public health crisis, you can deploy both short-term and long-term business crisis planning strategies. While you might be in reactive mode right now, make sure to keep the long-term, big picture in mind.
Short-term strategies for small businesses might include applying for an SBA disaster relief loan to cover payroll and other expenses during a shutdown. Larger businesses should consult with their financial teams to maximize investment vehicles and assess processes across all levels of the business. This guide from Deloitte helps identify areas of your business where you can make changes to minimize losses.
Longer-term changes for businesses of all sizes might include:
Shifting to online sales
Diversifying product or service offerings to help minimize catastrophic losses in one business function
Reviewing recruiting and hiring processes to allow for more remote or flex workers
Designating a crisis response team for future events
Adding new marketing and public relations strategies to simplify customer communications during crises
Addressing supply chain issues impacted by border closures or global disasters
While in the midst of a crisis, business leaders can feel overwhelmed by the weight of current losses. However, just as the economy ebbs and flows, it can help to remember that humans have a tremendous capacity for bouncing back. While businesses will surely take some big hits during this shutdown, keeping an eye on the future should help restore a sense of hope. We can rebuild and come out stronger on the other side.
I have worked with global multinational companies to small start-ups in developing effective and powerful HR strategies that increase profit and impact. I am always available for virtual consultations with executives, managers and your remote staff. Schedule an initial consultation today to discuss immediate needs and long-term strategies.