Today, you can go to the grocery store and see fear. This fear is a normal reaction by what people
have seen on the news and read through their social media feeds. As businesses are beginning to reopen, there
will still be fear and at the very least some anxiety by going back to group
settings in the office. For the last 90
days, employees have been told that as many as 2.2 million people would die
from the Coronavirus, the virus can last for days on surfaces and even that
they are susceptible to catching the deadly disease just by saying hello to
their neighbor. This emotion is
justified and businesses must understand that their employees will display different
types of reactions in an office environment.
There are a few common signs and some helpful tips on how to
regain their confidence:
1.
Employees
Are Afraid to Speak Up. Before the
shutdown of your office, you had employees who regularly contributed to team
meetings or were open with their managers.
Now as they have come back to work, they have gone silent and are
speaking up less. Remember, over the
last 3 months they have had a lot more access to spending time on the
internet. Although not physical, their
social circles have a much larger reach virtually. They have been exposed to differing of
opinions and negativity. It will be
vital that you express understanding and let them know they are in a safe place
to talk about their fears.
2.
Employees
Become Negative and Often Say No. Your employees have had their whole world
turned upside down. They may have had a
loss in wages from either them or their spouse, their kids had to complete
their last semester of school from home and they have had to learn how to work
from home while balancing their once “normal lives”. Many of them had a difficult time balancing
their work and home life by not having the office as a barrier. Be proactive and prepared to step in and
provide extra support. Your goal is to help your employee become more
productive to benefit your team and company progress.
3.
Employees
Gossip. Employees who gossip around
rumors talk from a place of insecurity and self-doubt. They’re employees who
might not like the process or policies of the workplace, but they gossip around
everyone else instead of speaking with leadership. This can escalate, especially since there is
a division on how serious the virus was and the need to shutdown businesses for
the last several months. Be prepared for
them to forge a buddy system with like-minded people who also like to
gossip. Get ahead of the gossip. The things people make up about what is going
on are always worse than what is actually going on.
Creating a consistent two-way communication with your
employees to become aware of fearful situations and create mutual trust and
confidence. Having a professional team
to help lead the conversation guiding your employees to understanding their
fear and take positive action.
Questco is there to help you rebuild your labor force
through a plethora of HR Services such as: Payroll Services, Benefit Plans,
Benefits Administration, HR Technology and Workers’ Comp & Safety Services.
Charlie Reeves, Senior Business Development Manager, has
decades of experience in Human Resource Solutions. He is one of the most senior members at
Questco and recognized for helping clients of all sizes save money, improve
labor efficiency and provide the strongest support for HR Services. As an entrepreneurs himself, he has lived the
long days and sleepless nights on the road to success. He brings the skill and scale to support you
in the pursuit of your goals. For more
information on payroll services, benefit plans, benefits administration, HR
technology, workers’ comp and safety services email Charlie.Reeves@questco.net or
contact him directly at 936.521.5841.
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