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Archive for Wellness

Tips for Promoting a Safe and Healthy Work Environment

In California, every employer with 10 or more employees is required by the State (Cal/OSHA) to have an effective Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). This program must be a written plan that includes policies and procedures on topics such as safe work practices, periodic inspections, what to do in the event of an accident, safety training, workplace threats, and recordkeeping.

The plan should be periodically updated and communicated to employees on a regular basis.

In addition to the plan, and in light of these stressful times, there are a number of preventive actions employers can take to promote a safe and healthy work environment for employees.

Here are some tips:

Offer mental health awareness and resources. Many employees are struggling to adjust to being back in the office. Commute woes (and gas prices), childcare issues, change in routine, rusty social skills, in some cases a change in job role or management, fear of another COVID wave, etc.

Recognize this and provide resources, e.g., a Lunch & Learn where a wellness expert speaks to employees about general mental health awareness and ways to relieve stress. In many cases, your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can provide access to wellness experts at a low cost or no cost to the employer. If your insurance plan offers an EAP, be sure employees know about it and encourage them to take advantage of it. As a leader, let your employees know that you are available if they need a sounding board. Be flexible in adapting work schedules/workloads as they work through it.

Also, there is information on the EEOC website about medical accommodations under the ADA.

Promote camaraderie. One of the major causes of stress for employees is the sense of isolation that has built up over the past couple of years during COVID. Research has shown that when people have strong social connections at work they are happier and healthier which can translate into higher motivation and engagement. Many companies offer new hires a buddy to assist them during the on-boarding process. This is especially important for employees who will be working remotely.

Build connections via non-work-related group activities, such as a walking group. Walking is a no-cost, accessible activity that requires no equipment and has the added benefit of the great outdoors. Promoting these connections is especially important for those employees who may have started with the organization via Zoom. Walking, as an example, is something that any employee can do whether working remotely or in the office.

Watch for signs. If you notice changes in the behavior of one of your employees – e.g., lashing out at others, isolating, frequent tardiness or absence, deteriorating performance – initiate a conversation to determine the cause and find out whether, and how, you can help. Sometimes all the person needs is someone to listen and/or a referral to available resources. And other times, it could be more than that.

Remember, an employer is obligated to begin the interactive process and possibly provide a medical accommodation under the ADA for anyone who may become disabled due to their mental health condition and is under their doctor’s care. It’s important to check in with your employees to see whether stress is impeding their ability to perform their work. So, if you see something, say something. Don’t wait.

For additional ideas on how you can support employee wellness, check out this Fast Company article.

If you need help implementing these or other preventive measures, please contact me at michelle@connecttohr.com

New Back-to-the-Office Guidelines in Light of Delta Variant

In my last article I discussed the importance of being flexible in your planning as you begin to bring employees back into the office. Consider each individual’s situation and co-create a solution that works for you both. This will help with employee relations and may help retain talent that you can’t afford to lose – especially in the current labor-shortage environment.

It’s also important to ensure that you are following the latest public health guidelines so that employees will feel safe when they come into the office. Due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations resulting from the Delta variant, health officials are revising their guidelines again.

Additionally, many employers, including Google, Facebook and Twitter, are delaying their return-to-work plans and requiring vaccinations. Amazon, Wells Fargo and ride service companies Uber and Lyft are among many other companies delaying bring employees back into the office. Tyson Foods will require all U.S. employees to be vaccinated. Delta and United Airlines will also require employees to show proof of vaccination before returning to work.

Across the Bay Area, health officials are reinstating a mask mandate. For example, the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health is now requiring face coverings for all persons, regardless of vaccination status, when indoors except when:

They are in their own residence, working in an office alone, or with members of their household.
They are actively performing an activity that cannot be done wearing a face covering.
They are specifically exempted from use of face coverings by the California Department of Public Health.

The Santa Clara County Health Officer also urges all businesses and governmental entities to:

Implement mandatory vaccination requirements for all personnel.
Move operations and activities outdoors where possible, and/or maximize ventilation.
Prohibit personnel who are not fully vaccinated from engaging in travel to places with elevated rates of COVID-19.
Require all personnel not fully vaccinated to obtain frequent testing.
Require that any person, vaccinated or unvaccinated, who has COVID symptoms be tested immediately.

We are currently experiencing in this country what’s being called the Great Resignation. People are leaving their jobs in droves and one of many the reasons is fear of going back to an unsafe workplace. Be sure you are following the current protocols and communicating that to employees to eliminate “safety” as a reason for them move on.

Next month I’ll discuss best practices around retention and what you can do to proactively retain your talent.

Updated Guidelines for Returning to the Office

As I described last month, there are specific health and safety guidelines for companies who are planning to bring their employees back into the office. In this article I provide you with some updates to the Santa Clara County and Cal OSHA guidelines. If you operate your business (or have employees who work) outside of Santa Clara County, please be sure to check your local County Health Department guidelines.

Per the Santa Clara County Public Health Order I wrote about in an article last month, employers must ascertain the vaccination status of all personnel. This includes employees, contractors, volunteers, and anyone who regularly works at worksites in the County. The County provides a self-certification form for this purpose. What has changed since that order is that businesses are no longer required to follow up every 14 days with personnel to determine their status. Click here for the full text of the updated order.

Cal OSHA also requires that employers document the vaccination status of employees but does not specify a method for doing so. Per their updated order:

The employer must record the vaccination status for any employee not wearing a face covering indoors and this record must be kept confidential. Acceptable options include:

Employees provide proof of vaccination (vaccine card, image of vaccine card or health care document showing vaccination status) and employer maintains a copy.
Employees provide proof of vaccination. The employer maintains a record of the employees who presented proof, but not the vaccine record itself.
Employees self-attest to vaccination status and employer maintains a record of who self-attests.

Per State, Cal OSHA ETS and County ordinances employees who are unvaccinated or decline to state whether they are vaccinated must follow these guidelines:

Wear a mask when entering the workplace and in common areas such as the breakroom, restroom, or conference rooms. They do not need to wear a mask when meeting outdoors, while eating, while working alone in an office, or while sitting alone in their vehicle.
Although face masks are not required outdoors, they are recommended for unvaccinated persons outdoors when six feet of physical distancing cannot be maintained.
Masks must be double layered. Face shields, neck gators and valve masks are not permitted.

For a summary of the revised Cal OHSA guidelines, click here. You may also find their revision FAQs helpful.

Disclaimer: Because information and guidelines continue to evolve, it’s essential for leaders to keep an eye out for the latest guidelines from the state, CalOSHA, and the city and county where you have personnel performing work, as defined above.

Also, if you have questions about your particular situation, it’s always a good idea to seek advice from your legal counsel.

Please reach out to me at michelle@connecttohr.com if you need help creating a return-to-work plan.

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.

Managing Employee Post-Election Anxiety

Adding to the many challenges we’ve experienced so far this year are the prolonged and now disputed election results. The country is clearly divided, and the uncertainty is only increasing our already elevated stress levels.

Sadly, this trickles down to the workplace. Because we are so divided and our environment is so politically charged, conflict and emotions are bound to emerge in the workplace. So, as a leader, how do you help your employees work through it?

I recently attended a roundtable led by my colleague, Susan Nelson, Founder, The Pragmatic Life. One of the topics we discussed was the anxiety coming to the workplace regarding the election results. In addition to leading an enlightening discussion, Susan and her guest, Maureen Berkner Boyt, Founder, Moxie Exchange, shared some tips on how leaders and organizations can help employees through the post-election transition period. Here are some highlights from the roundtable discussion:

Anchor everything to your core values and standards of conduct

Most organizations include “respect” as one of their core values. Remind your employees that demonstrating that value means you respect other people’s opinions even if they differ from your own. It also means that you express your opinions in a respectful manner.

Provide resources to help them work through their emotions.

Offer more productive ways to have discussions, again, tying it back to core values. You will probably not prevent people from talking about politics, but give them tools to dial down their emotions during these conversations. Many companies offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAP). Be sure employees know how to take advantage of this benefit.

Communicate and be present.

Acknowledge that the current situation is unusual and the uncertainty is stressful. Check in on individuals to see how they are doing. Listen, and model the respectful behavior you expect from them.

Remind employees about the importance of maintaining relationships.

We talk a lot about diversity, well, that includes diversity of opinions. Encourage employees to put their relationships with colleagues first, and respect the fact that not everyone is going to agree about everything.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you need help working through this with your employees.

Self-Care for Leaders in These Uncertain Times

The past 7 months have been difficult for all of us. For leaders, it’s been especially challenging. How do I keep my team motivated and engaged in this environment? Will we be able to keep going? When is this going to end?

How do I lead effectively and model calmness and resilience when I have more questions than answers?

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. Here’s how.

Be self-aware. Are you taking care of yourself physically and mentally? Be sure you are getting enough sleep, practicing some form of daily exercise, and eating healthy. Make time to do something that feeds your soul.

Draw boundaries. For many of us, working at home for the past 7 months has erased the line between work and home. As much as possible, have a clear and consistent start and end to your workday. Share the parameters with your team and suggest they do the same.

Vary the medium. Mitigate Zoom fatigue by holding some meetings via conference call (no video!). And take some time to evaluate whether all those Zoom meetings are really necessary. Can the information be shared via email? Can 2 short Zoom meetings be consolidated into one (not-more-than-an-hour) meeting?

Get support. Many of us are working fulltime at home with kids who are also learning at home, or younger kids at home due to childcare constraints. Consider adjusting your schedule, if possible, to relieve some of the burden. Also, some childcare centers are opening back up under strict health and safety protocols, which may be an option.

Seek help. These are troubling times. A pandemic. The related financial impact. Civil unrest. An election. Even the upcoming holidays can be stressful for many, especially since they will probably have to look a bit different this year. Many organizations have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that provides counseling.

If you are a leader – or have a leader in your organization – who is struggling in this current challenging environment, you may want to consider one of ConnecttoHR’s Executive Coaching packages. Contact me at michelle@connecttohr.com to learn more.