The key to reboarding employees and reopening your business
With so many unknowns to consider, livelihoods at stake and changes happening right now, it’s easy to understand why business owners (big and small) aren’t sure where to turn when the time has come to physically return to work.
Do you have a Preparedness Plan developed and in place? Are you ready to begin properly communicating with your employees and customers?
To start, we’d like to reiterate a sentiment shared by Davis Senseman of Davis Law Office in a recent Q&A session we participated in together hosted by The BWC: only you know what’s right for your business. Of course, lean on your industry peers to get a sense of the right direction and be sure to share your needs with your elected officials, but when it comes to your business, yours is the voice that matters most. Are you ready to reopen? Just because our governor and state says you can, remember that it’s your final call to make.
There will be a long list of things that change in your business especially in terms of reboarding employees and reopening your business. Finding a consistency in your approach is key and that ultimately starts with communication. Here are a couple examples of what that could look like for you.
For example, after you’ve developed a Preparedness Plan, be mindful of what you’re sharing – remember, your employees and customers do need to know you have one. You should have very clear steps laid out and documents ready to share should the need arise, but it’s also imperative that you don’t say you’re doing something in your plan that you can’t follow through on or forget to do.
“You just need to know what your plan is. I think it’s a comfortable thing for when your employees go back to work to know that there is a plan. Coming from the human resources stand point of making your employee feel comfortable and safe knowing that the employer has taken the time to think these things through and this is what we’re going to do if this happens and this is what we’ve done and we’re providing this for you and we’re cleaning and this is how we’re doing these things. It gives employees that peace of mind.”
There have also been a lot of questions about how to manage the new regulations about extended PTO, especially as it relates to the virus. What if my employee runs out? What if my employee has too much at the end of the year? You could address these unique situations in a few ways, but it really comes down to communicating with the employees and finding a solution that works for both of you. They could be supportive of a plan to borrow against future time earned, there could be an employee that is very interested in donating time they know they can’t use. These are unprecedented times and solutions will come through collaboration, communication and a personalized approach.
Another subject small business owners aren’t sure how to approach is performance reviews. Whether you’re bringing them back to work or if they’re still working from home and the time for an annual review has come, the answer is always yes – you should absolutely continue with performance reviews.
“People still need to know how they’re doing, that they’re valued. People still want to feel that they’re part of the company. I’ve recently done reviews with three different clients and all of the employees were so appreciative of having their reviews. Something very good for the employer to hear too, that their employees were grateful at this time.”
After you’ve decided you’re ready to open your doors and bring employees back to work, be mindful of how your employees are going to hear the message that you send them. Put priority on health and safety and keep your employees informed.
Bringing people back now will be another change and another uncertainty you should be ready to face together. Give everyone a chance to adjust and invest in the right approach for your business. Have a preparedness plan, continue performance reviews, be flexible on policies like PTO and keep in mind how the communication is going to be received and remember to consult a professional if you have questions.
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With a lot of things to consider, there are many great resources available for business owners, including: