Can mild teasing result in a hostile work environment? In the case of one Croatian employee, yes.

Here’s how the 11th Circuit weighed in on the issue.

Mocking, rude behavior

Rajko Dugandzic worked for Nike when he began to have issues
with his direct supervisor.

Dugandzic’s manager would frequently mock his accent in
front of other employees, both in the break room and over the store’s intercom
system.

The supervisor also behaved rudely toward Dugandzic, often
by refusing to greet him or yelling “Boo!” in his face. Dugandzic then filed a
hostile work environment claim on the basis of national origin discrimination.

Nike tried to argue what happened wasn’t national origin
bias, because the manager didn’t know Dugandzic was from Croatia. The 11th
Circuit rejected this argument.

“If she was mocking his ‘foreign accent,’” the court said,
“it follows that she could be harassing him based on his national origin even
if she didn’t know the specific national origin.”

This case shows that discrimination and hostile work environments can occur even in less severe instances.

Cite: Dugandzic v. Nike, 3/30/20.

The post Is teasing employee about their accent national origin bias? Court says yes appeared first on HR Morning.

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Unlike an
Alabama district court, an appeals court couldn’t see the difference between
injured workers who couldn’t lift more than 20 pounds and a pregnant worker who
couldn’t lift 50, since none of them could meet the requirement to lift 100 pounds.

So it told the district court to take up the case again and determine whether the company’s reasons for treating the pregnant worker differently were legitimate based on the facts of the case or if they were a pretext for discriminating against her in violation of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

Forced to take unpaid leave while pregnant

Rural/Metro Corp., an emergency medical and fire services provider, told a pregnant emergency medical tech she was not eligible for light duty, after her doctor recommended she lift no more than 50 pounds for the duration of her pregnancy. The employer told her she’d instead have to take unpaid leave.

The EMT, Michelle Durham, pointed out that other EMTs who’d been injured while working had been moved to light duty to accommodate even more restrictive lifting limits. When the company held firm on denying her light duty, and then stopped scheduling her for work, she sued for discrimination under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

Rural/Metro Corp. asked for a
summary dismissal, pointing to its light-duty policy, which it says states that
only workers injured on the job were eligible for light duty, and another
policy that allowed it to accommodate employees with disabilities on a
case-by-case basis.

District court didn’t see pregnancy discrimination

A district court agreed that the circumstances of the other workers were different, and Durham had not established pregnancy discrimination.

It granted Rural’s motion and the ACLU of Alabama and, in November 2018, Birmingham attorney Heather Leonard appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit on behalf of Durham.

In returning the case to the
district court, the appellate judges said “neither a non-pregnant EMT who is limited to lifting 10 or
20 pounds nor a pregnant EMT who is restricted to lifting 50 pounds or less can
lift the required 100 pounds to serve as an EMT.”

The court found Rural/Metro’s policy might violate the Pregnancy Discrimination Act because the company could not justify the preferential treatment it afforded other EMTs.

Because none of the workers would meet the lifting requirement, the court said, “they are the same in their ‘inability to work’ as an EMT.”

While the case has not been decided as of May 2020, it provides a clear reminder to employers to make sure they follow the Pregnancy Discrimination Act’s mandate that they must accommodate pregnant workers on the same terms as other employees.

The post Pregnancy Discrimination Act case heads back to court appeared first on HR Morning.

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As the COVID-19 pandemic takes it toll on the economy, many companies will struggle to respond. Role changes will likely be forced on some, and leadership roles can be some of the most difficult and costly positions to fill and then, secure.

Typically, hiring teams have poured a substantial amount of
time and resources into locking up a great fit for the organization or
department. But once the leader takes the reigns, they don’t always get the
support to transition into the role successfully.

You wouldn’t plan to hire a new leader with loads of
experience and capacity to work half days for the entire first year, right?
Well, that’s the level of productivity you’ll risk getting from your new leader
if you don’t take the time to integrate him or her into the organization at the
beginning.

A Harvard
Business Review study found that effectively integrating new leaders into
their roles immediately after hiring them reduced their time ramping to full
capacity by one third, from six months to four. Companies that recognize the
reward in intentional integration efforts can cover a lot more ground than
others that neglect this aspect of the onboarding process.

Unique challenges

New leaders face a set of unique challenges that have
nothing to do with their level of expertise or their reputation. The biggest
challenge comes in the human factor of figuring out new relationships. There’s
a vacuum of unfamiliarity that exists when a new leader assumes the position.

He or she enters a group with limited knowledge about the
other individuals: how they like to work, their concerns, and their ambitions.
And in return, the group knows little about their new leader.

If no effort is made to fill the vacuum with accurate and actionable data, the leader and the team will begin filling it with their own assumptions. This can result in confusion, misunderstandings, low morale, frustration, and slower productivity. Employees are already experiencing higher stress brought on by the pandemic and its impact on the economy. Introducing a new leader can add to the weight if not done thoughtfully.

A process referred to as new leader assimilation can help to
cut these problems off at their root. New leader assimilation is a systemized
process for accelerating a new leader’s integration and impact through a series
of communication experiences that bring familiarity to the group and build
mutual trust. It goes beyond traditional onboarding, which is really just
filling out paperwork and going through policies and procedures. And it can be
done virtually!

Joleen Goronkin, is a public speaker, thought leader, and
the owner of People & Performance
Strategies, a Human Capital consulting firm based in Austin, Texas. Goronkin
has provided some of the nation’s most forward-thinking companies with a road
map to begin conducting new leader assimilation meetings as an integral part of
hiring and powering up new leaders.

Goronkin explains, “New leader assimilation is really the first
step toward empowering a new leader and a step no company should skip,
especially now.  The goal is to initiate
a two-way dialogue between an incoming leader and the team. That initial
dialogue is critical for the leader and team to get to know each other, and it
can greatly reduce the time and money spent as your new leader gains speed.
Through a series of organized communication steps, everyone, not just the
leader, gains clarity on each other’s intentions and expectations. In new
leader assimilation, we’re seeking to maximize a leader’s effectiveness by
maximizing the relationship between the leader and the team.”

Strengthen teams

New leader assimilation plays an important factor in the increasingly mobile and remote workforce with 80% of the US workforce is now working remotely. Many new leaders will find themselves managing team members that only connect by virtual means or managing teams from different places and backgrounds. While those differences can add significant value and perspective, they, along with the remote relationship, can create communication barriers that stall a leader’s progress. Teams made partially or entirely of virtual collaborators, can especially benefit from going through an initial assimilation process that helps them work more effectively with one another and with their new leader.

The most successful new leader assimilation methods take
place soon after a new leader begins work. They should include at least two
steps: 1) collecting authentic feedback from the group, and 2) a planned
meeting with two-way dialogue, in which the new leader may address the feedback
in detail.

New leader assimilation plan:

Phase 1: Collect data from the team anonymously. (two weeks after the leader’s hire date)

Create a set of questions that are designed to extract
important thoughts and feelings from the team, and collect feedback using
survey software. Allow space for team members to voice a question or concern
not addressed on the questionnaire if needed.

Example Questions to Include:

What would you like to know about your leader?

What would you like your leader to know about you?

What is your greatest strength and greatest opportunity?

What do you need most from your team and your leader?

Phase 2: Provide the collected feedback to the new leader. (one week of collecting feedback)

Provide the leader with the group’s feedback and allow him
or her one week to process the information.

Phase 3: The leader prepares his or her responses to the team’s feedback. (one week)

Designate an experienced person within the organization, or
a third-party mediator, to review the collected feedback with the leader and
help him or her to form effective responses.

Phase 4: Hold an assimilation meeting. (one week after the leader has been coached on responses)

Hold a one to two-hour virtual meeting that includes the new
leader, the team members, and the moderator.

Phase 5: Follow-up with unanswered concerns. (three to six months)

Schedule a future date to address any questions or concerns
that cannot or should not be addressed during the group meeting. Schedule
one-on-one discussions if needed and hold a second group meeting as a
follow-up.

Preparation is always key

New leader assimilation is about more than just the team
meeting. For the team meeting to run smoothly and provide the greatest
benefits, it’s important to coach the leader on his or her responses.

Goronkin says, “Leaders, like everyone else, don’t enjoy
when they come face-to-face with questions about their character or their
intentions. That’s why a best practice is to collect questions in advance and
provide the feedback to the new leader prior to the team meeting, to let those
emotions shake out.”

Give the new leader plenty of time, at least a week, to
process the information before holding a coaching session. During the coaching
session review all of the new leader’s initial responses. Then spend some time
advising them on how to respond effectively to any particularly delicate feedback.

Goronkin says, “Prepping and coaching the leader helps
improve the quality of the team conversation. It can help to keep everyone’s
attention and get the most out of the time during the event.”

Prioritize assimilation

When a new leader joins your ranks, it can be hard to resist the urge to dive into the work ahead as quickly as possible, but consider an alternative approach and what new leader assimilation can mean for your team’s productivity, longer term.

Taking time in the beginning to solidify your leader’s relationships can eliminate problems and inefficiencies down the road. Make new leader assimilation a fundamental part of your forward movement to speed up your progress, and help everyone reach their maximum effectiveness when it’s needed the most.

The post Start new leaders at full speed on Day One appeared first on HR Morning.

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The coronavirus pandemic has forced us to halt life and business as we know it, resulting in a massive amount of Americans losing their jobs.

And if you find yourself in the unfortunate position of
needing to lay off some of your workforce, it’s even more important than usual
to do this as kindly and professionally as possible.

In these unprecedented times, the way employers manage this
crisis will have a lasting impact on their reputation for years to come.

Keeping things fair

Here are some best layoff practices, according to various HR experts and the EEOC:

1. Keep layoffs as fair as possible. Under normal circumstances, criteria for determining who to lay off include seniority and job performance. Use these criteria as much as possible. Also, be careful not to lay off a disproportionate amount of protected employees – such as disabled ones – or you may find yourself in legal trouble.

2. Help point people in the right direction. Employees tend to panic when they’re laid off, and the pandemic will only magnify this reaction. Be sure to help them with the next steps. Have services ready to assist laid off employees with things like filing for unemployment and getting health coverage.

3. Make sure leadership is making sacrifices, too. While delivering the bad news, it’s crucial to emphasize the financial measures the company took before resorting to layoffs – such as a reduction in discretionary spending and executive salaries. News of layoffs will go over much better if employees know that everyone made sacrifices in order to keep the business afloat.

The post Unavoidable COVID-19 layoffs? HR experts’ best practices appeared first on HR Morning.

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It is not a secret that HR is plays an important role in the
success of any organization, as better organizational performance translates to
more profit. It is for this very reason that employee managers have tried different
ways to push the capabilities of their human resources.

Today, we are going to look at some of the earliest
performance management tactics and how they evolved over the last few decades.  

How HRM evolved from
Personnel management

The Post-World War saw several scholars taking it upon
themselves to study the people at their places of work. These studies would
enable managers to understand the best approaches and practices that derive the
required performance and productivity levels from their workers.

Thus, came personnel management. This style of managing
employees, however, needed to evolve over time, as it only considered workers
as a means to an end. Nonetheless, more research was carried out that led to
the specialization of the management functions that had been developed.

Contrary to the assumption that the whole idea of personnel
management was bad and unproductive, some of the invented performance management
tactics are still used today, just in a different form.

Tactics that we still use today

The following are some of the performance management tactics
that are still important to organizational success today.

1. Career development

Management in the 20th Century emphasized the development of
employee skills and competencies for their benefit, which would, in turn, boost
organizational performance. Similarly, today’s strategic management advocates
for enhancing individual skills and competencies to give organizations a
competitive edge over others through their employees.

More significance has been placed on training and development, which not only pays attention to improving employees’ desired skills but also changing their behavior and attitude to suit their career as well. Additionally, more managers advocate for innovativeness and creativity in their employees, which is essential for any organization to perform

2. Compensation management

The industrial revolution brought about new ways to manage employees and enhance productivity and effectiveness. Fredrick Taylor, through his theory on scientific management, believed that most employees were motivated to work by money.

Equivalently, in this age, many companies do invest a great
deal on competitive compensation schemes to retain talent and promote employee
productivity. With the introduction of human resource management, wages and
salary administration has become a bit more specialized, with the commencement
of performance and competence-based pay systems and pay structures.

Strategic management has also brought in profit sharing with
employees, which makes employees part and parcel of the organization’s success
or downfall. This new twist to compensation has enhanced compensation
management and is considered as an essential performance management tool.

3. Good working conditions

With the end of the Great Depression in the 20th Century,
came new laws that seek to ensure that employees get proper working conditions
as well as the necessary equipment to perform their duties.

Today, actual tools are often replaced with different
software solutions (for many “office-based” businesses), but the idea stays the
same – provide your workers with a safe working environment and give them the
tools they need to efficiently perform given tasks.

To take this even further, modern HR managers can use tools like employee scheduling software to ensure fair and balanced work composition.

4. Employee reward programs

Frederick Herzberg once said that the most ideal source of motivation comes from recognition, job satisfaction, personal development and achievement. The industrial revolution also came with the development of recognition programs for workers based on the research studies on positive reinforcement by B. F. Skinner. These programs emphasized the idea that hard work and commitment should be recognized and rewarded.

Today, companies develop different total reward systems to identify employees based on their achievements and tenure. Although this tactic wasn’t very popular with the personnel managers, it has become an essential tool in managing employee performance and productivity. For human resource management, motivating employees has taken the form of job enrichment, offering free vacations, team-based social activities on behalf of the company, benefits, profits, and so on, aside from money-related incentives.

5. Conflict management/resolution

Even back then, it was the personnel manager’s duty to sort
out conflicts whenever employees had problems amongst themselves or with the
management. Hence this has become an important part of employee management
strategy today that minimizes labor turn over and potential lawsuits against
organizations.

In the past, personnel managers were tasked with dealing
with matters concerning trade unions.   They
were also required to find solutions to organizational disputes employing
collective bargaining, among other various industrial relations techniques.

Similarly, human resource managers have the same duties as
their predecessors, focusing more on leading the employees rather than being
managers. This tactic has become necessary to many companies when it comes to
managing conflict and disputes, which can be an immense hindrance to their
performance.

6. Promoting employee welfare

Among the laws provided during the evolution of management
in the 20th Century were those improving employee welfare.

Personnel managers promoted the welfare of their employees
by considering welfare-related measures like providing medical covers,
insurance covers, accommodation facilities, and so on. This strategy has been
useful to date as it promotes employee commitment and gives them a sense of
belonging. As a result, employees are obligated to perform better and meet or
surpass the companies’ targets.

On top of everything mentioned, top companies today also offer programs that support work-life balance for the employees, such as flexible working hours and employee assistance programs. These programs, among other workforce management needs, go a long way in ensuring employee commitment and organizational success.

While the motives to improve employee
performance are still tied to an organization’s bottom line, the focus on
the satisfaction of the employee with his job and working conditions make
modern performance management tactics much more “user-friendly” than they were
in the last century. To the benefit of everyone involved. 

The post 6 performance management tactics that never grow old appeared first on HR Morning.

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One of the biggest challenges employers face when it comes
to having a remote workforce is cultivating a sense of belonging and
inclusivity. In other words, keeping your remote employees engaged.

Even under normal working conditions, cultivating a positive
culture is a special challenge. But remote work can add an additional layer of
complexity because it’s more difficult for dispersed workforces to unite under
one vision. There are too many possibilities for distraction.

Plus, it’s too easy for remote workers to feel isolated. According to the Harvard Business Review, loneliness is the biggest struggle to working remotely. Although being alone is not the only cause of loneliness, it can be a significant contributor.

Collaboration, morale, and belonging can all take a hit.

Here are eight great ways good managers can help to keep their remote employees engaged, courtesy of leadership coach Angela Civitella, a member of the Forbes Coaches Council and founder of Intinde.

Be open

Make sure the lines of communication between you and your team
are always good. Do not micromanage. Keep contact on a regular basis and treat
your employees the same as before, even though they are working from home.
After all, they don’t lose their abilities, work ethic and talents because they
are no longer under your nose.

Sharpen emotional intelligence

Since remote team management is all about collaboration and
working side by side, the ability to place oneself in the shoes of another
person plays a major part in smoothing out dents in teamwork. Before you say
something to one of your employees or take any action at all, take a closer
look at the issue from their perspective. It might just open your eyes to
something you didn’t see previously.

Be flexible

If you manage a team, you better have everyone and everything in check. But, when it comes to working with remote teams, the key is to allow flexible hours to maintain consistency. Although a concrete plan is a must, you should be open to adjusting strategies as needed. For example: Whether your employees choose to put in their hours in the morning or evening shouldn’t matter, as long as the work gets completed and is of high quality.

Earn their trust

Team members need to trust that you are looking out for
their best interest, and you need to trust that your team members are as
invested as you are to generate results. Now more than ever, people need each
other. They just want to feel safe and part of something bigger than them. Make
sure you meet this basic need for your employees and they will give it right
back to you.

Track progress

If you are worried about work getting done, set clear
expectations of what is expected from each team member. Have your employees
give you a work schedule, along with tasks they are expected to accomplish
within a given time. This will calm your fears and give your team the structure
they need to fulfill their role. Remember, just because you can’t see them
working at their cubicle, doesn’t mean work isn’t getting done. Trust the process.

Be patient

Don’t expect everything to work smoothly from the beginning.
Your team (and you) will need some time to adjust to the new situation and each
other. It may take some time before all the kinks are worked out and fluidity
is restored. Understanding and setting realistic expectations is key. Practice
acceptance when faced with mistakes and dealing with all the learning curves
that will come your way.

Recognize efforts

Working from home can increase feelings of isolation and
negativity. Positive reinforcement is more important than ever. Make your team
members feel that they matter and are valued and you’ll get a whole new level
of dedication and commitment from them.

Focus on the benefits

Every new challenge that we face makes us stronger. Who knows, maybe a remote workforce will be the greatest transition for your company or division. In fact, research shows that 66% of professionals think that working remotely is way more productive than a traditional office setting. No office politics to deal with. No real or unreal rivalries. No office gossip. Just clear and unobstructed focus on getting work done. It could be the start of something great.

Leading a team remotely may be a new experience, and you may
be filled with doubts, worry and concern. But remember, so are your team
members. We’ve all been thrown into this new reality together. And the only way
to succeed is to work together. Support your team members and be there for them
and I promise they will be there for you.

The post How to keep your remote employees engaged and productive appeared first on HR Morning.

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On March 9, as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic grew clear, we made a plan to close Homes.com’s four locations. We had a week to prepare 40% of our staff to work from home full-time.

That meant making sure they had all necessary equipment and access to any training they’d need on using that gear and remote work applications.

Gearing up for WFH

We immediately got our orders in for 165 laptops, computer bags and headsets.

Moving fast was critical – our regular
vendor only had 3 in stock and we had to find an alternative. And right after
we placed our order, that supplier increased prices by 62%!

Coordination between teams, hands-on laptop configuration and drive-through pickup at four locations across the country got everyone geared up to work from home in about a week. It was a huge effort, but providing equipment was only the beginning.

Getting settled

We knew that prolonged remote work was
going to be a big change, even for our remote veterans.

With schools and daycares closed, employees with kids are working and parenting simultaneously, many for the first time.

To make sure managers were ready to support their work from home teams as they adjusted, we established guidelines for appropriate accountability and performance measurements.

We continually ask our employees what
they need: tips on working from home with small children or suggestions for
folks having trouble sleeping and helpful advice for other issues that come up.

Open communication

We’re delivering a wide variety of resources – virtual panel discussions, timely articles via email, video recordings from senior leadership, virtual yoga sessions, engaging internal Facebook posts and more.

To maintain employee engagement, everything is accessible from anywhere and anytime on a new internal website.

Under the Business to Employee
Communication and Advocacy Plan we created in the first week, company
leadership and external subject matter experts provide daily information
sessions aimed at inspiring and unifying us as we deal with the uncertainties
of the pandemic.

To help everyone cope and adjust, we
emphasize treating everyone with grace and empathy.

We’re sharing the videos from
leadership and outside experts, we’ve hosted virtual birthday parties and held
webcam happy hours.

And we’re encouraging employees to
photograph their workspaces and post to our internal social media groups using
the hashtag, #WorkFromHomes.

People first

Of course, we’ll continue adjusting our processes and benefits. What won’t change is our dedication to our employees and their well-being.

As leaders, we must remember our actions create the picture of us that others see. When they look at you, do they see a people-first organization?

Our philosophy should shape policy, not
the other way around.

We must lead with humanity; after all,
people are the “why” of everything we do.

(David Mele, President, Homes.com,
Norfolk, VA)

The post Focus on empathy and team’s needs smoothed work from home shift appeared first on HR Morning.

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Often, one or two offhand comments can be enough to
establish discrimination.

But in this case, an employee’s firing was due entirely to poor performance, and not their manager’s discriminatory comments.

Failed to meet PIP requirements

Carl Castetter worked for Dollar General when he was diagnosed with cancer. He claimed his manager “mocked and demeaned” him and made other discriminatory comments about his illness.

At the same time, Castetter was placed on a performance
improvement plan (PIP) for ongoing issues.

Castetter was eventually fired for failing to meet the
requirements of his PIP. He sued, claiming he was actually fired because of his
cancer.

Despite Castetter’s manager’s comments about his illness,
the court ruled in Dollar General’s favor. It said the company followed a clear
disciplinary plan, and presented “voluminous” evidence of Castetter’s
performance deficiencies.

The court went on to say the manager’s comments were an
isolated incident and weren’t connected to Castetter’s termination.

While the company came out on top, there wouldn’t have been
a case if the manager hadn’t made discriminatory comments. Without strong
documentation to back up Castetter’s performance issues, the company may have
lost.

Cite: Castetter v. Dolgencorp, 3/25/20.

The post Court: Employee fired for poor performance, not cancer diagnosis appeared first on HR Morning.

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During this global pandemic, people are anxious and concerned, not only about their health, but the future of their jobs. And they’re looking to you to reassure them.

To make things more complicated, you have so much on your plate right now, it can be easy to let communicating with your team fall by the wayside.

Be optimistic, but realistic

There are no magic words to ease everyone’s fears, but here’s what leadership expert coaches Brenda Steinberg and Michael Watkins suggest when it comes to talking your people through a crisis.

1. Check on your team regularly. It’s important for you to monitor employees’ moods and let them know you’re there if they need to talk. A lot of people won’t voluntarily tell you if they’re struggling — but if you start asking regularly, they’ll open up.
2. Stay on top of false information. In times of uncertainty, rumors can spread like wildfire. Try to stop this misinformation as quickly as possible by addressing it head on.
3. Be optimistic, but realistic. Positivity is important, but so is being truthful. Don’t give your team false hope, but don’t keep dropping terrible news on them either. Strike a good balance between the two.
4. Point out meaningful work. It’ll be hard to get your people to focus on completing menial tasks right now — so try to turn their attention to the more important, meaningful work they do.
5. Focus on the short-term. No one can predict what will happen right now, so don’t try to. Take things one day at a time, and let your staff know what’s coming for them in the immediate future. Speculating won’t help anyone.

The post Talking your employees through a crisis: 5 tips appeared first on HR Morning.

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Not everyone can work from home during the coronavirus
pandemic.

Some employees must be onsite, and their employers are
responsible for keeping them safe.

 “Many (employers) can’t implement remote work for all of their employees due to the lack of available infrastructure, the physical nature of some … roles or union contracts,” said Deborah Alvord, senior director analyst in Gartner’s Customer Service and Support Practice. “Leaders must provide government recommended provisions, such as masks, sanitizers and personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as implement social distancing for the wellness and safety of on-site employees.”

If you’re an industry in the middle – between the
essentials, where it’s all-hands-on-deck, and the non-essential, where no one
is permitted onsite – you must keep employees safe.

Here’s how –
tips to help them perform critical roles while staying physically and mentally healthy:

• Make space. On-site employees should follow the six-feet rule and all other CDC guidelines while in the workplace. Post reminders about the six-feet rule in areas where they work and congregate.
• Start a no-visitor policy. Only let authorized employees in the office. Employees who don’t need to be in the facility shouldn’t be permitted to drop in to pick up items, work for a short time or any other reason. Try to restrict deliveries – from essential supplies to lunch drop-offs – to a single entrance where necessary sanitizing can be done.
• Meet remotely even onsite. When a group of onsite employees must meet – for shift huddles, collaborative endeavors, brainstorming, etc. – have them use the same tools remote employees use to meet. Make sure they have the technology – laptops or their own personal devices – to log into online meetings. Give them access to apps such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, GoToMeeting and Skype For Business. They can sit individually at their workstations, separate meeting rooms or outside to stay socially distanced while collaborating.
• Schedule differently. Try flexible work hours and staggered or rotational shifts so fewer people are in the office at one time, yet the work gets accomplished. Use the time between shifts to sanitize workstations and communal areas.
• Redesign workspace. Where possible, create partitions between employees. Raise cubicle walls. Add plexiglass dividers in common areas, such as the break room, so people can sit together (six feet apart, of course) and interact safely. In more open-space areas, such as manufacturing and warehousing facilities, mark six-foot positions with brightly colored duct tape so employees always have a sense of a safe distance to maintain from each other.
• Rethink roles. If employees in certain roles perform similar, sequential tasks, consider making each employee a single-task expert. Then one person can perform one task on-site for a period of time and leave. Then the next employee can pick up the next task, work for a period of time and leave it for another task expert to complete. Similarly, if you have a group of employees with the same role and responsibilities, try pooling the tasks. Have one person on a rotating bases work in the office each day, handling the tasks that must be done onsite while others do the other work remotely.
• Help their mental health, too. Some onsite workers face more stress than their colleagues at home. They’re holding down company operations with limited resources and are concerned about their health and safety. Plus, most have stressful situations at home – children who need to be schooled from home, loved ones who need extra attention or care, lack of stability and questionable futures. Encourage onsite employees to practice positive mental health habits now more than ever. Some tips:
  • Visit the virtual water cooler. Let employees set up their own group virtual meetings just for social purposes – perhaps during break or lunch times when they’d normally be chatting around the water cooler. It gives them opportunities to share stories, commiserate and pass along best practices.
  • Exercise the mind and body. Encourage employees to walk during breaks or lunch (if they aren’t meeting virtually) alone or in pairs walking at a safe distance from each other. Set up a room with a screen and access to free virtual Yoga classes. Give them access to online professional and personal development classes (not just work-related training).
  • Give them a break. Onsite employees need to get a hard break from work. Don’t reach out to them or expect them to respond after hours. Remind remote workers that their colleagues onsite aren’t available to do any of their work or even just a favor.

The post 9 effective social distancing tips for onsite employees appeared first on HR Morning.

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