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Two of my staff are in isolation; one very likely is positive. If you are teary before 9:30 in the morning because someone you care about is in a similar situation... I feel you.
Time for a thread about "showing up to work" during the long-stretch of COVID-19:
Time for a thread about "showing up to work" during the long-stretch of COVID-19:
Some preliminaries:
Much of what I have to say here I've said to my staff, board and will be sending out in the coming days to our organization's community of supporters.
Much of what I have to say here I've said to my staff, board and will be sending out in the coming days to our organization's community of supporters.
We are working in a policy vacuum: There's limited resources for employers to support their employees right now & limited resources for employees. #paidsicktimenow Huge failure of governments.
I work for a charity. We rely on grants and funding and donations to do our work; our work requires staff. Small and medium charities, from an operational standpoint, face many of the same problems as small businesses, including very limited human resources
(Right now, the charity I help run has NO operational funding. We are in a period of *hoping, praying* ( #fuckingnonprofitsman), but we have retained staff and are drawing down reserves. It is stressful, there's some good mitigating factors, but that's another thread!)
All that was preliminaries. :)
Now more directly: what we need to be doing and saying as employers. Even as many, many of us are in various amts/stages of financial stress.
My staff and I have been working our boots off. As hard as we can... but here's the thing:
Now more directly: what we need to be doing and saying as employers. Even as many, many of us are in various amts/stages of financial stress.
My staff and I have been working our boots off. As hard as we can... but here's the thing:
We have again been working apart. And everything is taking longer. We are a partnership-based organization, and guess what? Our partners are exhausted and stressed. Everything is taking longer, or getting stalled.
Above all: we need to be understanding. Gentle. Kind. We need -- here everyone, not just employers! -- we need to ask, How are you struggling at this moment? What are you doing to reset, rest, or center yourself? Yes, really. "How are you?" is a JOKE question, so change it up.
(And, yes, I know that focusing on "the bad" does psychologically amplify the bad, but this is about recognition. We need to find ways and take time to ask how people are *authentically*.)
I see a lot of people trying to show up 100%. Y'all, what are we doing? No. Show up 70%. 60%. If you can do or be assigned the work that you can do at this moment, great. The reasonable expectations of work product (ugh, #grinderlingo) needs to be lowered.
AND here's the other thing: If you can't show up at 60%? Maybe that is actually a signal that you need to not work for the full 7 or 8 hours.
As in: If you could show up for 4 hours, could you get the same amount done? (I am assuming that a lot of people would answer yes.)
As in: If you could show up for 4 hours, could you get the same amount done? (I am assuming that a lot of people would answer yes.)
Or maybe you would get less done. OK!
Because here is the thing:
Because here is the thing:
The response I'm largely seeing in the world is "let's just keep on as normal." This is a failing strategy-- it's going to lead to burnout, bad relationships, and the frustration of a "job *not* well done."
Not just talking about $ and policy needed. Organizational responses.
Not just talking about $ and policy needed. Organizational responses.
I think we [employers!] should craft a response that EVEN IF imperfect would be better than this avoidance strategy. We need to set some parameters for how we are going to be kind and caring in setting reasonable expectations in the coming month(s).
We need to ask, in all our organizations/businesses: What is the best we can do right now? AND What can wait?
"Best" is often used to refer to excellence, of going beyond. But by "best" I mean "good enough": What is the best "good enough" we can do right now?
"Best" is often used to refer to excellence, of going beyond. But by "best" I mean "good enough": What is the best "good enough" we can do right now?
These are questions we need to keep asking.
But here's some really direct things that employers can and should say to their employees:
But here's some really direct things that employers can and should say to their employees:
- Please use your sick time and your COVID-related policy sick time as needed. Do not feel guilty. Do not apologize. Your health and well-being matter.
- If you don't need sick time but are just in need of vacation, let's get that on the calendar.
- If you don't need sick time but are just in need of vacation, let's get that on the calendar.
- Let's figure out the flexibility you need. If you need to work shorter days or split days or longer days/not as many days, let's talk.
- We will have a staff meeting next week to determine the projects we can do and those we can't right now.
- We will have a staff meeting next week to determine the projects we can do and those we can't right now.
It is so hard to say "we cannot do X right now" -- but if your staff are showing up trying to not look exhausted (but clearly are!)... things need to be pared down. Re-calibrate!
I know that for me, breaks are hard. (Twitter is not a break, I have to remind myself, lol.) But we need more. MORE walks, more sitting in the sun, more doing nothing (some call that "meditation"?)...or whatever it is that loosens the stress/panic/anxiety/burnout for you.
AND, since most employees (including yours truly) rely on a pay cheque with their full contracted hours: we need to find a way to pay people what they are used to getting paid even if they cannot work the full 35 hours.
That's the ethical challenge for employers right now.
That's the ethical challenge for employers right now.
Yes, it's also a tough financial one. BUT ... don't lose sight of the ethical one. Ask: how daring, how loving, how open and how kind can I be as I negotiate hours of work, work product, and pay with my employees?
If you've read this far, and you are an employer doing something different / thinking outside of the box /etc, I'd LOVE to hear what you are doing to support your employees. If you are an employee, what's been something that is helping you do the best you can at this moment?
And let me say again: Paid sick days now. *It's NOT the only thing.* But for a wider swath of sectors than this here thread applies, paid sick days would be a game-changer for the health and wellness of employees.
