Planning for disruption: How to manage employees through the back-to-school transition during COVID-19

This article was originally published in HR.com

With many children returning to school for the first time since the pandemic, many employers are exploring how to best accommodate working parents as they navigate through so many unknowns.

Already a stressful situation for families under normal circumstances, this year, the return to school is fraught with additional hurdles and anxiety. For some, it may signal a return to business as usual. But factors including inconsistent government guidelines, limited childcare options and obligations to keep kids at home at any sign of sickness means that employers looking to retain their workforce should be proactive in planning for disruption.

Accommodating working parents
But how far should employers or managers go to accommodate employees with children? The answer is as far as is reasonably possible; there is nothing to be gained by being inflexible or worse, threatening. Working parents are already experiencing heightened anxiety, fear of making a wrong decision, and dealing with kids who may also be anxious and restless given the pandemic’s restrictions.

It’s not that these employees are unwilling to work or are less productive, they are just simply unable to keep the same schedule/hours as before. In most cases, they are still able to maintain their performance and meet deadlines when working remotely or outside of the traditional 9-5 workday.  Numerous studies have shown that flexible hours promote a greater work-life balance, resulting in employees who are not only more productive, but also happier. In the case of shift workers, this may mean adjusting schedules or rotating employees, when possible. Keep in mind that what works for some will not work for others.  And what works today may not work next week. 

An employer who is flexible and supportive will make it easier for employees to be successful in their role, and they will also gain greater loyalty from them.

What employers can reasonably expect
Of course, this isn’t just a one-way street. Employers have a business to run that pays for employees’ salaries and depends on their productivity and mutual good faith. Naturally, employers can expect their employees to make every effort to do the job for which they are being paid. Employees must also be realistic in their expectations of their employer, be equally flexible and work together to find a solution or make concessions where possible.

Employers can also expect employees to be honest about their situation, whether related to meeting responsibilities or – especially at this time – any potential exposure to, or positive test results for, COVID-19. Children’s return to school can present new opportunities for exposure and employees are responsible for following their employer’s directions regarding reporting to work and workplace health procedures.

Certainly, there are times when making accommodations for employees may not make sense or just cannot be done. This includes situations where the work is time-based or process-driven, when a specific accommodation may endanger someone else or is cost-prohibitive, or when an employee is unwilling to adapt as necessary.

Strategies to maintain productivity
Good management practices are more important than ever to help maintain productivity and engagement. Parents in particular are juggling many responsibilities and competing priorities. With many people working from home, managers will need to be extra aware of factors that can impact motivation, starting with environment. Employees should have an appropriate, private workspace at home. If they need specific or proprietary software, provide a computer for business use with the necessary features to facilitate their role.  Other important strategies include:

• Introduce flexible hours.  This is applicable whether an employee is at their home or in the office. Working parents may have to work in the evening or are only able to handle part time hours, so flexibility around school/day care schedules can help with productivity. 

• Maintain a connection. Beyond regular contact to discuss performance and other work-related issues, it’s important to stay in touch with the team for informal conversation. Make regular calls just to ask how they are doing, how are they finding this time, and how are they managing with the challenges of the pandemic.

• Pay attention to wellbeing.  Now more than ever, it’s critical for managers and employers to recognize symptoms of stress such as irritability, sadness or low mood leading to decreased productivity. Provide stress relieving tips and remind employees of their group benefits, access to employee assistance programs (EAP) or other counselling services and communicate the resources available through associations such as the Canadian Mental Health Association.

• Get social - virtually. With many people living and working at home alone, social activities and team building exercises – even if only online – can help maintain motivation and provide a sense of community. Plan for social activities, encourage employees to share their hobbies, for example, post their artwork, photography, or volunteer activities, or even trivia games via video-conferencing calls can add some fun to their work. 

It bears repeating that this is an unprecedented and challenging time. By working together to find mutually acceptable solutions while being sensitive to individual circumstances, employers and managers can proactively plan for disruption to continue to get the best out of their employees – and their business.

Salary transparency is more than a number-sharing exercise

A recent Workopolis article is one of many that argues the case for full transparency in compensation. The basic rationale is that full salary transparency can increase loyalty, improve productivity, and boost bottom lines.

But two questions remain: What exactly does one mean by transparency? And how transparent should you be?

There is a common misconception in discussions around transparency that all employees should know what others earn. This is unquestionably the wrong thing to do, as a person’s salary should be kept private. However, transparency around an individual’s own compensation – including salary, bonuses and benefits – and how that might change based on specific criteria, is critical. 

Organizations should be transparent about how they make compensation decisions, including salary ranges. But a critical, yet often overlooked aspect, is transparency around their methodology and who is involved in making the decisions. This is particularly important, as it not only instils respect for the employer, it helps employees judge the fairness of their own pay.

If an employee understands how salary decisions are made, and accepts the fairness of that methodology, they are more likely to accept that their compensation is equitable, rather than thinking decisions are arbitrary and biased. It stands to reason that when employees believe they are unfairly paid, performance can suffer, and they may end up looking for alternate employment.

Bonuses are also part of the transparency equation. In cases where bonuses are based on corporate performance, the company should provide regular (i.e. quarterly) updates on how the company is doing, relative to their goals. For example, if bonuses are paid out only if the company reaches a certain revenue or profit threshold, regular updates should include a statement of where the company stands in relation to that goal. This does not mean disclosing all financial data – only enough to keep employees informed and engaged.

Conversely if bonuses are based on individual performance, employees should be updated regularly on how they are tracking against it, and more importantly, what they need to do to earn their bonus. Otherwise, achieving their results will be, at best, hit or miss, and there will be no behaviour change. 

Organizations looking to benchmark their transparency practices can start by ensuring they have a defensible compensation program.  An assessment will reveal if they have a good program with a clear methodology, or have a tendency to make arbitrary pay decisions. Once a defensible methodology is in place, the next step is educating employees about the compensation program and its processes. 

Being transparent in compensation matters is key to a productive workplace. However, simply disclosing compensation numbers without explaining to employees what it means to them will not achieve the goals employers are seeking. Transparency has to be done properly, always keeping the employees’ needs in mind.

National Post: How to support your staff to get the sleep they need

A new study shows that close to 40% of Canadians workers say they loose sleep because of work. And when you're tired, you're not as productive as you could be. The good news is that as the boss there is something you can do to help them. I had the chance to speak with the National Post's Denise Deveau about ways employers can support their staff in getting the sleep they need.

Read the full article here.