Communication just became significantly more important. At this point, employees will be better able to receive and respond to communications that direct them on how the company will move forward through COVID-19 and their role in that process. There are some basics that employees should understand about coronavirus symptoms and the course of the illness, which should be an integral part of a communication campaign. Here are five tips for HR on effective employee communications during coronavirus outbreak. COVID-19 Guidance for Building Resilience in the Workplace Purpose ... responsive to digital communication. To: All Faculty, Researchers, Administrators, Staff, and Student Employees. social distancing and avoiding interaction with those who are sick; refraining from touching your face more than is necessary; practising proper coughing and sneezing etiquette; For up-to-date information on prevention and risks, please see the, For a real-time map of Canadian COVID-19 cases and provincial public health notices, see, To support individuals who are seeking medical help, send them to the. Consistency in processes like performance management are crucial to maintaining engagement and normalcy to this otherwise unsettling time. Disclaimer: This document reflects our best knowledge at the time of writing and will be continually updated to incorporate new learnings as they surface. We were made aware that an employee in department recently tested positive for COVID-19 and you have been identified as one who may have had contact within 6 feet of the employee. Employees must get vaccinated before work can return to normal, but convincing employees to do so amid rampant misinformation can be a challenge. Plan your approach before you respond. Additionally, ask any employee who is sick or experiencing symptoms of respiratory illness to stay at home until they have been fever-free for a full 24 hours. We are elevating our safety precautions. Frequent communication reduces fear and uncertainty and ensures that employees have heard the message. We thank you for your understanding and patience. They’re living with uncertainty. Spring Semester – Revised Start Dates. ], [If client visits and employee travel is part of your business, insert your stance on it here. If an employee tests positive for COVID-19, be sure to inform all employees that they have potentially been exposed to the virus. 7 Tips for Crafting Persuasive Messages in Crisis Situations In times of stress and uncertainty, people will look to their leaders and messengers to gauge how confident or concerned. COVID-19 Preparedness & Response Plan Examples of Engineering Controls High-efficiency Air Filters Increased Ventilation Rates Physical Barriers – Clear plastic barriers, sneeze guard, plexiglass Installing a drive-thru window 10. You may unsubscribe at any time. COVID-19, the new coronavirus, is currently sweeping across the globe. Employers need to be agile and responsive. Over the course of the last few weeks, the spread of COVID-19 has raised questions among employees about how to keep themselves, their colleagues, and the broader community safe, healthy, and well. You just have to make sure you are communicating the news legally. For example, during the COVID-19 crisis, Best Buy has defined a dual goal to protect employees while serving customers who rely on the company for increasingly vital technology. These facts relate to a world pre-COVID-19; early indications suggest that the pandemic (and measures taken by government to control it such as lockdown and social distancing) will have a significant impact upon the mental health of employees. From: Strategic Communications and External Relations. The This means proactively sending updates and information and ensuring you can reach the entire workforce, whether at a desk or on a factory floor. Provide clear instructions about what to do if employees suspect they have been exposed to COVID-19 • Demystify the fear and outline the steps the organization is taking on behalf of It is very possible that these mental health implications will be felt for many months or even years. Easy Tools for Employee Communications . If you are not feeling well, you MUST work from home. Because this is an extended, infrequent event, it may be helpful to remember that organizational strategies must change. Purchasing staff has made sure that current inventories are adequately stocked. To find out more, please visit our Privacy Policy. All Rights Reserved, And take a look at all of our top resources and readings on COVID-19. The company has made clear that employees should only work when healthy, and that those who feel sick should stay at home, with pay. h�bbd```b``z"��I�z,�� �L�@ď�H�3 �e��&/�����`�u9i)�d���36���P�"�?�m������20�v ��������� -�e While leaders may experience fatigue from repeating core … If one of your employees tests positive for COVID-19, your other employees deserve to hear the news from you, not from a Facebook post, a tweet, a local news reporter or otherwise. That employees can report symptoms and hazards without fear of reprisal. [We suggest you create the guidelines as a separate document and attach it to your communications.]. In the guidelines below, you’ll find our latest thinking on how [Company Name] will adapt its practices to ensure that we continue to deliver against our clients’ expectations, while also making decisions in a thoughtful manner that prioritizes the safety of our team. With COVID-19 officially listed as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), and with so much yet to understand, we wanted to take a moment to let you know the extraordinary and proactive steps we are taking to ensure our team’s safety. �}�[����7�ᆻ���L!>@(��n,S�@� .h First, COVID-19 is not airborne. Managers have an important role in establishing order, predictability, and direction in large scale disasters. © 2021 Copyright MaRS Discovery District. In times of crisis, your employees look to you for guidance. As the COVID-19 pandemic escalates, the human resources department has a critical role to play in managing the move to remote work, allaying employees' fears and other issues. Communication Templates/Samples. We ask that you also make responsible decisions in your personal life, avoiding concerts, sporting events, non-essential travel and other large public gatherings. Print copies of the posters and FAQs and use them as handouts. For employees in many organizations, this is a time of great uncertainty. Don’t wait for employees to come to you. [If you have specific communication practices you would like your team to follow, insert them here.]. Use these key messages to customize the template letter and send or email it to your employees to introduce your COVID-19 vaccine educational activities. COVID-19 Employee Communications Toolkit. %PDF-1.6 %���� Airtel CEO writes a heartfelt letter to all customers & employees – Gearing up to battle COVID-19 and keeping the country connected . 7 Science-Based Rules for Communicating in High-Stress Environments Science tell us our brains behave differently under stress, making it harder to hear, understand and recall information. • Sample COVID-19 Crisis Team Roles & Responsibilities ... • Develop communications that inform the employees of their return to work status. We encourage you to follow usual health precautions, such as: [If you regularly have office visitors (e.g., friends and family, delivery people, third-party vendors, clients, etc. US stores have instituted “contactless” curbside service or free doorstep delivery. In my study of crisis communication after 9/11, many employees described how important it was to hear the voice of the leader, whether live or through email, phone messages, or social media. Encourage the use of the organizational Employee Assistance Program (EAP) when available, as well as other outside support trainings or resources. https://learn.marsdd.com/.../template-covid-19-communication-to-employees The information provided below is based on crowd-sourced plans drawn from a cross-section of Toronto-based companies as of March 12, 2020. 74 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<27CAC2ACE2A59747A28CC917FB802EA8><034E5E5A52E6A24F84BFBBBC61E0412D>]/Index[49 42]/Info 48 0 R/Length 119/Prev 157919/Root 50 0 R/Size 91/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream This means establishing both order and reassurance early on. Read our checklist of crowd-sourced tips. Coronavirus or not, the key to working from home is clear communication with your boss – and knowing exactly what’s expected of you. h�b```����LB ��ea�X�н���a&D��h��F��Ǝ��b��,�����82V22W0�0'3�0w3�35O Provide Communication Tools Employers need to set standards in advance for how employees are to communicate and collaborate, Bobilin pointed out. We want to highlight the importance of communication if/when you’re feeling threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic. endstream endobj 50 0 obj <. [Company] considers the health and safety of our employees and their families our priority. 2019 Novel Coronavirus Work Expectations Template – March 25, 2020; Essential Employee Sample Letter – March 31, 2020; Employee Communication for an Agency with a Positive COVID-19 Test – April 7, 2020; Sample: Poster Notifying of Closure to Public – March 20, 2020 These messages will motivate and encourage positive behaviours and will start the path back to regular productivity and performance. MIOSHA Sample COVID- 19 Preparedness & Response Plan for Low-Med Risk Employees 9. Recent researchfound that employer communications are the most trusted source of information about the coronavirus. It has now been more than a year since the first cases of COVID-19 emerged in the United States. This latest communication contains important guidance about how to protect the community while respecting … Please adjust the wording based on your unique business needs. If not, organize an in-person presentation following COVID-19 … Use one consistent channel of communication with employees when providing updates to avoid confusion. As part of its COVID-19 Vaccination Communication Toolkit, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is offering printable posters and stickers, slide presentations, social media sample messages (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and a video about COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. Your employees are looking to you - so show them you are answering their questions, concerns, and needs. COVID-19 is changing the way people work, with travel bans, skeleton crews, remote work, and social distancing becoming the new norms. Subject: Coronavirus. Rotate employees between high and low stress work or job tasks if possible. Crank up the communication. Of course, we will monitor incoming COVID-19 updates from Health Canada, and amend and adjust these guidelines at regular intervals as the situation develops. 90 0 obj <>stream It’s passed by droplets. As COVID-19 (coronavirus) spreads exponentially across the globe and throughout the United States, employees are yearning for information. December 30, 2020 . Taking care of your people in the face of uncertainty, We want to build increasing readiness and adoption of. ), insert your stance on them here. The importance of frequent communication between supervisors and employees is at an unprecedented level. What to Say to Employees • State the facts: Connect employees to timely, accurate information from CDC, WHO and your State and County Health Departments. We have implemented a number of guidelines that will help us reduce exposure to and transmission of a range of illnesses, including novel coronavirus. Coronavirus and COVID-19 The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we work and manage employees. In addition, we expect you to stay home for a minimum of two weeks after all symptoms have dissipated. Many in the workforce today are feeling uncertain about their health and financial well-being. Coronavirus (COVID-19) communications support and templates: Mental health and wellbeing communications. If you are able, organize a virtual presentation. endstream endobj startxref The communication plans should not only inform of the business expectations, it must state terms of employment and compensation for each employee. In many organizations, these new ways of working are raising questions and concerns. Wit… At [Company Name], we are committed to putting our people first. ], [If your business is able to provide remote work, insert existing, revised or new guidelines.]. … The COVID-19 pandemic is requiring flexibility and rapid response to change. Our goal is to ensure that we have effective two-way communication with our employees, in a form they can readily understand, and that it includes the following information: Who employees should report COVID-19 symptoms and possible hazards to, and how [Describe how this will be accomplished in your workplace]. Note that the sender will need to fill in some specifics based on how their venture wants to handle a range of elements, including office visitors, travel, flexible scheduling, remote work, etc. %%EOF [If you have specific safety precautions you would like your team to follow, insert them here.]. The country that has been hardest hit is of course China, where the virus is believed to have originated. 0 Sample Notifications to Employees . These steps are in addition to responding quickly to clean up notices and biohazards plus the regular cleaning process. This document reviewed as of March 4, 2020 and is subject to change at any time. On August 4, 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a communication plan titled “COVID-19 Communication Plan for Select Non-healthcare Critical Infrastructure Employers.” The purpose of the plan is to outline actions certain critical infrastructure employers may consider to disseminate COVID-19 messages with employees more effectively. How to Build Crisis Resilience, for Yourself and Your … As the national and organizational response unfolds, your own sense of calm, focus, and self-assurance will play a significant role in easing the stress of those you work with. Below are a communication template and guidelines that startup companies can send to their employees regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. ADP has the tools you need to help them. Sample #1 Employee Tests Positive – Contact within 6 feet of unmasked infected employee for more than 15 minutes is known. See [Company Name] Guidelines below. Please remain in close contact with your manager. 49 0 obj <> endobj The Rensselaer community has stepped up in numerous ways during this ongoing health crisis. As we work to provide communications and … Look below for the latest news and updates, as well as critical member-only resources. ], [If your business is able to allow for flexible schedules and cannot accommodate remote work, insert your stance on it. Organize a COVID-19 vaccine presentation for your employees and promote it via digital and employee communication channels. 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