The COVID-19 crisis is well and truly here. Many organizations are scrambling to enact contingency plans and initiatives. Here are some do’s and don’ts for managers to help them through this tough time.

Do’s

Building a Response Team: Building a core response team can help organizations through this period. The team could comprise of a few essential department heads, top management, and key individuals in internal management roles. The crisis response team, with its collective strength, can discuss and implement protocols for employees that could keep them safe during this time. They can also come up with a statutory compliance checklist for managers and team leaders during this time.

Communication: Communication includes both internal communication within the organization as well as external with stakeholders and the media. Keeping both internal and external channels open is essential during this period. Empowering the workforce through relevant materials and links through accessible channels can do wonders for the workforce. In cases where it may be appropriate, managers can get a revised statutory compliance checklist for employees that they can send out.

Social Media: Using the power of social media can be a major step forward in connecting with employees. Outsourcing social media related tasks can be a major way to boost a workforce’s effectiveness. It can also help in communicating objectives and plans that the organization will be implementing, both to the public, as well as the company’s employees.

Cloud-based software: Moving HR management and information systems to cloud-based systems will save managers a lot of trouble. These systems will help managers work on their employee payroll systems more effectively, be it from remote locations or the comfort of their homes. Gusto and OnPay are well-known software that managers could use.

Offer Support: This lockdown could be a particularly distressing time for employees. Many of them may be suffering from the effects of isolation and the pressure of working from home. Managers must remember to offer as much support as possible. Crunch times like these are when managers must step up and take the initiative.

Don’ts

Be Complacent: Complacency is a major issue that managers can face both on their end as well as the employees as well. During a crisis like this, there is a potential for compliance risk to happen on all fronts. Employees could miss vital documents or files which could hinder the progress of work while working from remote locations as well.

Forget Employees: Forgetting employees during a crisis can be a major blunder that most managers can do. Understanding a team or a workforce and supporting them during this crisis should be a major objective that organizations should take up. Creating an environment or space where employees feel heard and supported is important during this critical time.

Be Ignorant of The Issue: One of the biggest mistakes higher-ups and managers can do during this time is to be ignorant of the issue. Staying one step ahead by acknowledging the problem and being proactive about it can ensure the workforce’s collective well-being. Communicating plans to the workforce and the public, even an initiative like communicating a statutory compliance checklist, can empower and enable your workforce to work more effectively.

Think Twice About Asking Help: Managers should be looking out for the well being of their workforce. Smaller companies may not always have resources to deal with issues that may crop up because of this crisis. Managers should not hesitate to seek external help or resources to deal with problems, threats, or challenges that could hamper the workforce. Outsourcing smaller assignments or even bringing in health experts from other agencies could go a long way in putting your workforce at ease.