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HR Best Practices for the Post-COVID Return to Work

Now that companies have been given the green light to bring employees back into the office, many business owners and leaders are wondering how to do this safely and effectively.

I had the privilege last week to present at a webinar on this topic with the McManis Faulkner employment law team. Here are some tips I shared at that event.

Create a plan. Assemble a cross-functional team who will provide input on business needs to determine when to bring employees back and what that will look like. Survey employees to understand their concerns. Review individual jobs and decide which need to return to the office and which can stay remote. Take into account any out-of-state situations where guidelines may be different.

Be flexible – consider a “soft” re-opening. Some employees are anxious to return to the office. Others are not. Consider opening in phases to allow those with “wait and see” concerns to return at the later date. Also, based on your review of jobs, can you offer a hybrid work situation to those employees whose jobs aren’t required in the office five days a week?

Be compassionate. Over the past year there has been an increase in substance abuse, depression and anxiety. Some employees may still be struggling with fears and the effects of isolation even as they are able to return to work. Offer mental health services and brown bag lunches on mental health topics to help those with concerns.

Create an environment that attracts and retains women. Women were disproportionately impacted by the effects of the COVID pandemic. In fact, nearly 2.2 million women left the workforce entirely due to school closures, caring for a loved one, or the lack of affordable childcare. Consider implementing flexible schedules and parent-friendly policies. Review compensation annually and make adjustments to achieve pay equity. Promote more women to leadership positions at all levels of the company. And when hiring, give credit for activities and leadership roles taken during work gaps (for example, PTA president).

If you have questions or need help putting together your return-to-work plan, please consider Connect to HR’s 3-hour Just in Time Advisory Service. Many of my clients found this service helpful last year as they made the shift to a remote work model or needed to keep their essential business open safely.

With Just in Time Advisory Service, you can access up to 3 hours of “live” HR consulting support from a trusted, senior-level HR consultant by phone, email or in person. Our service is specifically designed for small to medium sized companies:

Owners/CEOs/Nonprofit Leaders
Those running the HR function
People new to HR operations

Whether you need a sounding board to discuss approaches to an employee relations issue, want tips on how to create a workforce plan, or have questions about implementing a social distancing protocol in the office, Connect to HR’s Just in Time Guide is here to help.

You do not have to do it alone!

Contact us today for a FREE 45-minute consultation to see how Just in Time: Your Guide to HR can benefit you. Click the link below to schedule an appointment.

https://calendly.com/michellemendoza-connecttohr/45min

You can reach me directly at michelle@connecttohr.com, and find out more about our services at www.connecttohr.com.

Preparing to Return to the Office

A recent Gartner survey of HR leaders showed that 45% of them expect their workforce to reopen in the third quarter of 2021, while 24% plan to reopen in the fourth quarter.

But while everyone is anxious for things to get “back to normal” the survey indicated that the new normal will be more of a hybrid model, with most employees working remotely at least part of the time. Nearly 32% of respondents said they will let employees work remotely all of the time, while 49% said they would let employees work remotely on certain days.

This hybrid model presents a number of challenges for leaders as they wrestle with how to reconnect their teams, navigate various new rules and regulations, and manage the impact that the past 15 months has had on their people.

To provide some guidance around these challenges, I will be presenting at a webinar with legal experts from McManis Faulkner’s employment team on Wednesday, May 19 at 10:00 am PT.

We’ll be looking at the legal and HR side of returning to work and providing answers to questions such as:

Can I require employees to come back to the office?
What requirements can I put in place regarding vaccines?
How do I keep up with the ever-changing rules and regulations issued by various agencies?
How has the pandemic impacted men and women differently, and what effect will that have on the workplace?

This virtual training is brought to you by McManis Faulkner and the Santa Clara County Bar Association. It qualifies for 1 general MCLE credit from MCLE provider, McManis Faulkner (# 3573). To receive credit, please provide your CA State Bar Number on the registration form. If you have any questions, please contact events@mcmanislaw.com.

I hope to see you there.

2021: Looking Back to Move Forward

Happy New Year!

A new year gives us the chance to start fresh. And while 2021 will certainly give us that opportunity in some respects, I think it’s also important to take some time to reflect on lessons learned from 2020, and how we can leverage that knowledge going forward.

We are still in the midst of a global pandemic and although the vaccines give us hope, it’s still essential for each of us to follow mandated health and safety guidelines to protect ourselves and others. Business leaders are responsible for protecting their employees. This means putting practices in place to protect both the physical health and safety of employees as well as their emotional and mental health. For tips on best practices for keeping employees safe and healthy, tune into my podcast with Mary Hiland, PhD, president of Hiland Consulting.

It’s important for leaders to be up to date on any new regulations relative to COVID-19. There are several that went into effect January 1, which I discussed in my blog, New COVID-19 Regulations, last month. Also, check out the Employer Resource Page on our website which has links to a variety of sites that deal specifically with COVID-19 information.

And leaders, remember that it’s also important to take care of yourself. Just like when there’s trouble on a flight, when the oxygen masks drop, put yours on first to be better able to help others with theirs. Check out my blog, Self-Care for Leaders in Uncertain Times, for some tips on caring for your own health and well-being.

Although the election is over, our country remains divided. Unfortunately, this can bubble over into the workplace, impacting teamwork, collaboration, and/or performance. A couple of months ago I attended a roundtable led by my colleague, Susan Nelson, Founder, The Pragmatic Life. Check out my blog, Managing Employee Post-Election Anxiety for some tips I learned on how leaders and organizations can help employees through the post-election transition period.

2020 was a year that took the lid off a number of issues, not the least of which was social injustice and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Many organizations are increasing their efforts to create DEI leadership positions and more focused programs in this area.

To succeed, organizations need to do more than just lip service. They need to go beyond just ticking the EEO boxes in hiring and firing practices. Leaders at every level need to create a culture that considers all activities – communication, recruiting, hiring, promoting, company gatherings, team assignments, terminations, etc. – through a lens of diversity and inclusion. As I said in a previous blog, they need to Walk the Talk.

Connect to HR provides strategic HR advice and executive coaching for leaders of small to mid-size for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Please contact me at michelle@connecttohr.com to schedule a conversation about how we can support you and your organization.

Reopening Your Business – It’s Important to Have a Plan

As of this month, many businesses that have been closed or operating remotely during our Shelter-in-Place order are now able to reopen. If you are able to reopen, are you ready?

Public health guidelines call for continued social distancing, facemasks, and enhanced sanitation procedures in order to open while maintaining the health of staff and customers. This requires a considerable amount of planning on the part of the business owner and new processes and procedures for employees.

The most frequent request I’m getting from leaders and business owners these days who call about my Just in Time 3-Hour HR Advisory Service is for help in creating a COVID-19 compliant reopening plan.

A recent Forbes article included a checklist of “the 5 most important things businesses must be able to do in order to return to work.”

Track and comply with evolving government and healthcare protocols.
Help keep employees safe.
Analyze the threat of new outbreaks.
Maintain the integrity of their supply chain.
Audit their processes to maintain compliance.

Each of these items requires planning as well as knowledge of where to find the most recent credible information about requirements and protocols. And that’s where advice from a Senior HR Consultant can be very helpful.

If you will be continuing to have some or all of your employees work remotely, it’s also important to strategize how to do that on a more permanent basis. Having employees work remotely for a few months is one thing, but when it becomes your standard business model there are many other things to consider. What additional equipment will employees need? How will you maintain team cohesiveness and workflow? How do you help remote employees maintain a balance between work-at-home and home-at-home so they don’t burn out?

It’s also important to think about how you will handle specific employee issues that may come up in light of the pandemic. Some questions clients have asked me are:

What if an employee is afraid of returning to work in case they’re exposed to the virus and then expose a vulnerable family member? How do we convince them that it’s safe?
How do we keep employees engaged when they’re working remotely?
What if we have another shutdown?

If you have questions or need help putting together your business reopening plan, contact me today to schedule a free 30-minute consultation to see how Just in Time 3-Hour HR Consulting Service can help you.

https://calendly.com/michellemendoza-connecttohr/30-minute-consultation

If you know of a business owner who may need advice about reopening or any other HR issue, please share our Just in Time 3-Hour HR Advisory Service flyer with them. Thank you!

Thinking of Hiring Employees? Start with a Strong Foundation

One of the things that I think has helped my business grow and thrive for the past 10 years is that I spent significant time at the beginning building a strong foundation.

As I mentioned last time, I went to a SCORE workshop to learn about the requirements (and challenges) of running a small business. I also made sure that I put the proper systems in place to manage my finances, do required reporting, etc. I invested in getting a basic website up and developing quality marketing materials to create Connect to HR awareness. I researched and joined relevant networking groups to build business connections.

Starting and maintaining a strong foundation will help see you through the good times and the challenging ones.

If you have or plan to have employees, there are additional foundational steps you need to take. Here are some key foundational HR items you need to address.

Effective hiring. As you identify the need to hire employees, be sure that you have developed a workforce plan that clearly defines job roles and requirements. Check out my previous blog about effective workforce planning for some tips. Don’t forget, in California there are required notices and forms that employers must provide new hires. Connect to HR offers a new hire tool kit that makes it easy for companies to understand their compliance requirements in the new hire process.

Job descriptions. Detailed and up-to-date job descriptions will help you recruit the right talent and assess their performance. They are also key in ensuring that you are legally compliant. A detailed job description not only protects you when you terminate an employee for non-performance, it also ensures that you comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other legal requirements.

Goals and objectives. Setting and communicating clear goals and objectives for employees (that are tied to company goals) will help reduce performance issues and keep employees engaged. Goals are a great tool to help monitor performance with clear standards. We suggest you review them with employees monthly, at a minimum, to ensure they are still relevant over time.

Labor law posters. Be sure you post all the required federal and state employment posters and have a system in place for managing your HR records. These posters are required for all businesses with two or more employees.

Employee Handbook. It’s important to have an Employee Handbook that includes basic employment policies as well as policies specific to your company. You can avoid employee and legal issues if you clearly communicate expectations about work hours, conduct, etc.

Health and safety. Company management is responsible for creating and maintaining a safe and healthy work environment. In California, all employers should have an Injury Illness and Prevention Program (IIPP).

Terminations. Just as it’s important to have an effective hiring process, it’s important that you have an effective (and legally compliant) process for terminating employees. Creating and following a Termination Checklist will help ensure that you cover all the bases. Terminating an employee is never easy, but putting some structure around it can make it less stressful for both you and the employee.

Please reach out to me at michelle@connecttohr.com if you need guidance on any of these items.

Tips for Performing an Effective SWOT Analysis

In my last blog I talked about the benefits of taking some time to review your business by performing a SWOT Analysis. This will help you plan for next year and beyond as you understand your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

This time I’d like to give you some best practices to help you get the most out of your SWOT Analysis. Here are some tips about what you should do and not do as you are performing your analysis.

Do:

Get multiple perspectives by gathering input from employees, customers, suppliers, and partners.
Involve more than one person in the analysis. It’s also helpful to include someone external to the organization who can help you look at things objectively.
Use the goals and objectives from your overall business plan in your analysis.
Be forward-thinking. Where are you today, where do you want to be next year, in 5 years, in 10 years?
Create a clear definition of what a strength is as opposed to a weakness. Apply the definition consistently. Likewise, establish clear definitions of an opportunity vs. a threat.
Benchmark your strengths or weaknesses in comparison to your competitors.
Establish a process (and responsibility) for keeping abreast of what your competitors are doing and identifying any changes in the market.
Be realistic about how your business compares to your competitors.
Keep your SWOT short and simple but be sure you include all critical details.

Don’t:

Rely on opinions. Instead, focus on facts.
Limit input to just a few people.
Make too long of a list of suggestions under each category. Prioritize your list to those that are most critical and financially feasible.
Hesitate to admit weaknesses. Identifying them is the first step in improving.
Forget to include both technical skills and soft skills as you consider the skills you need going forward.
Use your SWOT analysis as your only planning tool. Combine what you learn from your SWOT with other business planning tools.

Please feel free to reach out to me at michelle@connecttohr.com if you need some help in putting together your SWOT analysis.