10 tips for Employers that have employees working from home during COVID-19

Two weeks ago the landscape of where people worked, who worked from home, and where are children spent their days while we worked looked drastically different. There was no plan for what happen in terms of navigating millions of employees changing their work address to their home address. Then you add school closures, daycare closures, and shelter in place mandates; the realities of parenting and working during COVID-19 just added to anxiety levels in a time where so many were already stressed with the unknown.

We have rounded up our suggested 10 tips for employers to support their employees who are parenting and working simultaneously at home.

1) Schedule a call with your team and review what each of your employees current home scenario is individually.

2) Share three primary goals that as a team you are trying to accomplish during this time of uncertainty. Give each employee the opportunity to share how they can contribute to that goal vs. assigning them tasks.

3) Do not micro-manage this is just going to create anxiety that is already a reality for every single employee. In order to have the opportunity to allow for quality and productive work you must really give people the ability to perform for you in the current state we are in.

4) Be flexible if possible !!!! Employees want to keep their jobs and they want to work but they are navigating un-charted territories with a large group of parents having no childcare struggling through expectations to provide schooling to their children at home.

5) Re-assure your employees, this could be a companywide email to the staff acknowledging the current realities of the situation of working during COVID-19.

6) Thank your employees for showing up in any capacity that they can.

7) Review the benefits with your team of what they have access to should a family member or themselves get sick.

8) For those that do not have children make sure you let them know there is no requirement to work more hours but if that is something they would like to do to support others in this time to contribute to the overall goal of the company that your time is appreciated.

9) Call your employees and check in with them. There is so much uncertainty and they need to hear from you occasionally to know you are with them.

10) Celebrate the work that has been done. There is a lot of fear, sadness, and anxiety right now. Taking the time to celebrate your employees contribution no matter how small means so much on achievement perspective in this moment