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Gotcha Covered HR…on hiring, conflict resolution, and record keeping
Patricial Pannell, Michelle Butler, and Shannon Coleman Cryer, Gotcha Covered HR, LLC
Hiring Strategies During the Pandemic
By: Patricia Pannell, J.D., CEO and Founder, Gotcha Covered HR LLC
How have hiring practices changed during social distancing?
Employers have had to get creative with both the interview and talent acquisition processes. When hiring or returning employees to work, businesses are rethinking what skills are critical to their organization; how to make do with a smaller staff, or how to keep everyone on the payroll by having them split shifts or job share.
Many companies are recognizing the need to cross-train employees so that they can perform multiple duties. Employees are generally responding positively to being given the opportunity to learn more skill sets, and the added benefit is they are better able to help one another when there may be a skeletal staff. This also can create a stronger sense of teamwork.
The interview process is mostly being done virtually. They may start with a preliminary phone or email interview with a set of job-related questions, thoughtfully created in advance by the leadership team.
Once the pool of candidates has been narrowed, some businesses are hosting virtual lunches/coffees where they drop off or have lunch delivered to an applicant’s home before the interview. We are also seeing drive-by document processing once a candidate is selected, where HR can collect signatures, check identification, and deliver items such as laptops.
What policies and procedures have had to change for businesses?
Over the past six months, there have been a dizzying number of new COVID-related Federal, State, and Parish guidelines, mandates, and laws directed at customer and employee protections and protocols, such as family and sick leaves of absence and workplace safety and health. Best practice is for businesses to keep current on how these laws and guidelines apply to their industry and incorporate them as written standard operating procedures.
Changes or updates of workplace policies have included reconfiguring of the workplace itself to ensure the workspace accommodates distancing and signage (such as requiring hand washing and masks). Managers must make decisions on which employees need to be physically present at the job site and which may work remotely. These decisions are based on the requirements of the job and/or personal circumstances, such as need for family leave/sick leave, PTO, and vacation time requests, and workplace accommodation requests.
Businesses have been challenged to be very circumspect about how they are making rehiring and hiring decisions so as not to violate any current or new employment law, as the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) and other Federal agencies are scrutinizing these workplace decisions and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Is remote work here to stay?
In a word…YES! Although there may be some reluctance about employees not being physically in the office, many companies are finding that working from home allows flexibility for their employees, who are faced with having to work unconventional hours due to childcare or care for elderly parents. Companies are finding this is a compassionate alternative while still trying to navigate its novelty.
Adhering to a strict policy requiring everyone must be in the office may cause a business to lose a long-term valuable employee. This is not to say that making the decision to allow one employee to work from home, but not another, may cause some conflict or resistance by employees.
We recommend that a business consult with a Human Resources expert when making these or other difficult employment decisions. If a business is consistent in making decisions consistently, in good faith and based on the employee’s job and personal circumstances, they should be ok.
How does a company help remote employees avoid burnout and stay connected to the company/fellow employees?
Employee burnout is of particular concern to HR professionals, especially during the pandemic when one day seems to blur into the next. The Mayo Clinic defines burnout as “a state of physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion, combined with doubts about your competence and the value of your work.” Employers need to find creative ways to help employees navigate these very valid feelings.
Offering flexibility during the workday, permitting generous use of PTO, and making adjustments in scheduling work hours are some ways to help employees take needed brakes for selfcare. Employers need to think outside the box when it comes to expectations of “normal” work hours if it will help employees deal with childcare and self-care needs.
Employers can encourage balance and grounding activities (exercise, meditation, etc.) by offering virtual mental health counseling or webinars addressing coping mechanisms.
Addressing the ergonomics of work-from-home arrangements can also be beneficial. Some companies are investing in home office furniture and ergonomic workstations so employees can be more physically comfortable (which also reduces the chances of repetitive stress injuries, etc. that could increase worker’s compensation and health insurance claims).
Staying connected to the company and fellow employees while working remotely is also a challenge. Employees can feel disenfranchised if they are working at home and not otherwise connected to their co-workers. There are many ways to engage virtually and to do so periodically is the best route, so that employees working remotely feel a part of the organization and invested. Weekly zoom meetings are strongly recommended so that employees can not only share work related progress, but to talk about how to personally reconnect with each other.
As far as monitoring performance, which is admittedly a concern, it is best practice to outline those expectations clearly with employees and check in with them often. Make sure they know that they have a front-line supervisor or in-house manager with whom they can talk. Effective and frequent communication is integral to the employee’s success.
Patricia Pannell, J.D. is a Human Resources consultant, attorney, mediator, and the CEO/Founder of Gotcha Covered HR, a New Orleans based consulting firm with over 30 year of HR consulting experience. Patricia can be reached at Patti@GotchaCoveredHR.com.
By Michelle Butler, J.D. Consultant, Mediator, Investigator, Gotcha Covered HR The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges never before
seen in the workplace. Have you noticed that temperaments are strained at work of late? Do your employees seem testy? Are some employees troubled by social distancing and others for mandates you have put in place? Is there a difference of opinions within your leadership team about significant issues concerning COVIDrelated protocols?
These types of conflicts and differences of opinions can adversely affect employee morale, workplace climate, and productivity.
There will always be conflict if people have differences of opinion. Conflict requires, needs, and desires resolution. But what is the best way to resolve conflict, especially in today’s “new normal”?
The last thing your business needs is for your employees to be without some internal recourse or means of compromise to resolve these conflicts. In the absence of an internal process, you could find your business confronted by litigation over issues that could have been “nipped in the bud”.
Litigation is contentious and costly. Losing in litigation can feel like annihilation or utter defeat. Yet, winning may not really be “winning” when you consider the financial cost of litigation and the impact on your human resources.
Conflict resolution, on the other hand, facilitated by a trained objective mediator, is not only more cost effective than litigation, but allows for each of the parties to engage in meaningful dialogue, where each person gets to have their voice heard in a neutral uncontentious environment. It is the best and most effective way to address conflict and arrive at a facilitated mutual resolution.
Often conflict results from miscommunication or misconceptions about what another has said or done. This often happens in the workplace. Listening is an active art but when people’s feelings get involved, sometimes they are not really hearing or understanding what is being conveyed. Often information is not conveyed in the most transparent manner, either intentionally or inadvertently.
This is where a neutral third party can assist the parties to meet and converse with each other and help foster an expeditious congenial resolution.
If you have an experienced in-house HR person, utilize their talents at conflict resolution, or reach out to a third party for support. The amicable and expeditious resolution of any conflict, by mediation or conciliation, is the best method to resolve any conflict in dispute.
Michelle Butler, J.D. is an Advisor and Mediator for Gotcha Covered HR. Michelle can be reached at Michelle@ GotchaCoveredHR.com.
Record-Keeping and the Fair Labor Standards Act
By Shannon Coleman Cryer, Wage and Hour Compliance Advisor, Gotcha Covered HR Hi everyone, Shannon here, from Gotcha Covered HR, the onestop-shop for all your HR needs! Today, I’d like to discuss “All you need to know about record-keeping” as it relates to the requirements of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division — the governmental agency charged with enforcing the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Understanding the record-keeping requirements of FLSA and the enforcement procedures of the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) can be confusing, especially for the small business owner. As a starting point before we hope on to the logistics of record-keeping, let’s discuss whether the WHD may have jurisdiction over your particular business.
Any business that earns $500,000 or more per year and has two or more employees is considered a “covered employer” under the FLSA. However, even if your business does not meet the $500,000 threshold, if your employees are engaged in work that “regularly involves them in commerce between States” (i.e., interstate commerce), then your business is also covered.
Determining whether your employees are “engaged in interstate commerce” could be as simple as employing anyone who swipes credit cards – this would include, for example, a restaurant’s servers and cashiers. Because credit cards typically process across state lines or even in other countries, WHD considers this to be interstate commerce. Another example is an employee who travels out of state for business, or an office worker who uses a telephone, fax machine, the U.S. mail, or e-mail to communicate with people in another state. All these workers are considered to be engaged in interstate commerce.
Thus, even if your business does not make $500,000 per year, if your employees are engaged in interstate commerce then the WHD can claim jurisdiction over your business and proceed with an investigation to ensure compliance with recordkeeping as well as minimum wage and overtime requirements. That means that this article, dear “covered employer,” is meant for you! It is your responsibility to ensure proper record-keeping under the provisions of the FLSA, and Shannon is here to help you figure it out.
As a former WHD Investigator, a violation I have seen time and time again is employers failing to keep proper records of labor time sheets – in some cases, employers, actually discarded timesheets after the pay period ended. If you are one of those employers, please stop this practice immediately! WHD regulations (29 CFR 516.6) require that basic employment and earnings records must be kept for two years from the date of last entry.
Shannon Coleman Cryer is a Wage and Hour Compliance Advisor for Gotcha Covered HR. Shannon can be reached at Shannon@ GotchaCoveredHR.com
7 ways to use your website as a PR tool
Kim Harrison, Cutting Edge PR
Your website is an essential business tool. In fact, it may be your greatest asset – your most important marketing and communication tool – because more people view your web pages than any other tool. Your website can convey a tremendous amount of information and create active engagement opportunities for users, incorporating and connecting with many tools such as SEO, social media, information, and marketing content, which will drive traffic, leads, and sales. It can be your ultimate PR tool – and yet communicators often overlook the value of a website. This article addresses 7 ways to use your website for PR advantages.
Your website is often the first source of information people find when they search online for your organization, or your products and services. In many cases, it could be your only chance to create a good impression. That’s why it needs to be thoughtfully designed, with a clear structure and helpful signposts to content areas, with reader-friendly, quality content.
Use your website as a PR tool
Often overlooked is the opportunity to use a website as a vital and versatile public relations (PR) tool. We need to keep in front of mind that “Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics,” according to the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the world’s largest PR professional body. Public relations are about influencing, engaging, and building relationships with key stakeholders across numerous platforms in order to shape and frame the public perception of an organization.
Communication is a central element in all our lives and is essential for organizations to function. Communication is the core purpose of PR and is also exactly what a website is about.
When you’re intentional and strategic about your website’s purpose, you can use it to reach so many audiences. Your website can be used as a central PR tool applicable to nearly all the
PR Consulting Some of the discipline areas and functions within public relations
Investor, shareholder relations
Organizational communication Marketing communication, sponsorship
Employee communication Media relations
Stakeholder relations management
Reputation development Social media engagement
Community relations
Government relations
Issue management
Crisis communication Event management
Speech writing and presentation preparation
Content creation
Source PRSA
disciplines and functions within PR for organizations of widely different type and size (see chart above):
Here are 7 ways you can effectively use your website as a PR tool:
1. Your website strategy: Carefully plan and regularly review
Innumerable changes are continually transforming the internet. Therefore, you need to plan and review the design, structure, and content of your website to keep up with these changes, which include changes in the business environment, and changes within your organization.
Research may be a valuable investment to find out more about how these changes are impacting on your customers and all other types of stakeholders – and therefore will influence the content you need on your website. Don’t forget to involve your employees in your quest to stay up to date with these changes. For example, you can arrange employee focus groups to discuss internal and external issues.
Here are core considerations you need to address for each section of your site representing your significant discipline areas and functions: • The key business objectives you intend to accomplish with this site. • Your primary audience/s for each PR discipline/function area represented in the site. This will determine your tone of voice, what you provide – your content, and platforms used to follow up. With marketing communication, your website needs to be attractive to your target demographics. • Prior understanding and knowledge your primary audiences have about the topics covered in the PR discipline and function areas. • The main education and reading levels of your key audiences. • Your key messages, supporting messages, and proof point/ validation for each of the PR discipline/function areas on the website. • What you want your key audiences to do in relation to each discipline/function area in the site. • What they are seeking from their discipline/function area of interest represented in the website. • Information and involvement site visitors will be seeking. • How you can fulfill their needs that align with your objectives.
Tools you can use to help attract and support the awareness, interest, engagement, and active responses of site visitors.
2. Design all pages to be attractive – both to visitors and search engines
Your website shows who your organization is, and what you offer – whether it is information, products, services, or more. People arriving at the site need to feel welcome, and to perceive the site as credible, trustworthy, and reliable. They need to feel confident the site provides what they are seeking.
Your website design and content will directly shape the public’s perceptions of your brand. Organize your website so that your content (including white papers and reports), images (including infographics), videos, audio, games, quizzes, contests, giveaways, etc., cater well to the interests of your visitors.
The homepage isn’t the only entry to your website. Your visitors can enter directly or through a link to any page – from blogs, your online newsroom links, and other pages. If the entry points don’t give a strong, positive impression, those visitors may never return. You can learn more here on how to use WordPress in web design and proficient optimization.
3. Capitalize on SEO opportunities
Your web pages need to appeal to search engines as well as your human readers, thus increasing your site’s visibility, which is essential in PR. Search engines reward a steady flow of new content, including specific sections on PR topics, press releases, blog posts, newsletters, podcasts, video, and updated conversations from social media sites. From this array of content, PR generates links – and search engines respond really well to high-quality links.
Accordingly, keyword research and writing optimized for search engines are essential to an effective website, even though a good balance can be challenging. Organizations increase their traffic, conversion rates, and revenue significantly from simple SEO strategies.
We think of the external connections created by a website, and we also need to use internal links to content areas within the site. These are valuable for SEO, and they raise the visibility of sections
of your website. Your blogs or articles are especially valuable for creating internal linking opportunities.
It’s therefore important that you understand the significance of SEO and keyword requirements. Learn how to use SEO and keywords, so visitors can find you easily.
Monitoring the coverage of your organization is essential because you need to keep track of your reputation and news across the internet so you can respond, if necessary. For instance, monitor the web to find every website, blog, and news source where your brand is mentioned in a given period. Monitor any backlinks sending traffic to your domain from mentions of your brand name. Find where your brand name and those of competitors are mentioned on social media.
4. Embark on social media marketing
The size of the social media world is staggering. As of July 2021, 54% of the world’s population is estimated to use social media, with daily usage averaging 2.5 hours per person according to data analyzed by Smart Insights, who also observe that the COVID
pandemic has pushed a “monumental increase in online and digital activities.”
The Pew Research Center estimated as at February 2021 that 72% of the US population used some type of social media, summarizing as follows:
YouTube and Facebook are the most-widely used online platforms, and its user base is most broadly representative of the population as a whole. Smaller shares of Americans use sites such as Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Reddit, and TikTok.
You can take advantage of this to share influential content to audiences on immense social media platforms. Social media enable you to connect with target audiences directly and instantly – segmenting to the audiences you most wish to deal with. Then you can direct them to your website to reach the page/s that contain content in which they will be interested.
The key to social media success is to join a conversation, not try to dominate it. Social media platforms are a great fit for online public relations because they support the role of PR professionals in building internal and external relationships. Key points:
• You must have a strategy and key messages to get the most from social media platforms. • Social media platforms work well across many traditional
PR functional areas such as news media, marketing communication, issue management, and crisis communication, community relations. • Social channels provide instant feedback about issues, products, events, consumer complaints, and preferences.
• Popular social media channels, such as Twitter, Facebook,
LinkedIn, YouTube, and Flickr make excellent platforms for small business marketing as well as for larger accounts, and all levels of government and government agencies. Apparently
“about 70% of US adults rely on social media for government information at least once a week.” This is particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic. • Many companies now use social media for primary customer relationship management.
5. Establish a helpful online newsroom
An online newsroom based on your website is hugely versatile and essential, serving many important functions. Obviously, information for media is its prime function, but it can also be used to communicate information for the following functions: external organizational communication, stakeholder relations management, reputation development, issue management, crisis communication, investor and shareholder relations, marketing communication, and sponsorship, media relations (including publicizing speeches and presentations), community relations, event management, and social media engagement. Some employee-related content, which is also relevant externally, is usually included on a corporate website as well.
Positive publicity builds credibility – it can effectively create valuable “third party endorsement,” in which external commentators make positive observations about your organization and its products or services.
Include strong keywords in your press release content if you can, based on keyword research. Also include internal links relating to relevant pages in your website.
An online newsroom is vital for including much-needed information, and especially details for 24/7 contact for reporters, who may use your site after hours or are based in far-off time zones. Every journalist uses the web for researching and backgrounding for a story. Therefore, it is essential to post a helpful media kit in the newsroom, including, for example: • Press releases containing organizational news and commentary, latest and archived – and organized by category for easy reference • Fact sheets, including “boilerplate” information on your organization, as background for press releases • Downloadable press kit, including logo in several formats • Copies of recent media coverage • Copies of executive and industry speeches • Corporate reports and presentations • Insights on economic, sector and global trends affecting the company • Corporate background information suitable for media and relevant others • Image gallery containing high resolution images and bios of the leadership team and production/manufacturing areas and products, if applicable Contact details for your media spokesperson/s – one who actually answers the phone! • Copy of latest annual report should be made available, if applicable, e.g., by public companies and government departments, etc. • Newsletter subscription form
6. Publish articles and blogs on your website
The difference between blog posts and articles: A blog post is usually written from a personal perspective based on opinion, and
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can include facts or information, but it is based on experience and includes more personality. An article is typically written to convey facts, information, news, and unbiased perspective. My website, cuttingedgepr.com contains articles – like this one!
Content can be conveyed in several ways, not just in words. You can use visual and video images, podcasts, and other tools to carry the points of interest you wish to make.
Publishing a regular article or blog on your website is an effective tool to establish your presence in the competitive marketplace. Use it to gracefully highlight your expertise and build trust and a dependable reputation.
However, you must consistently write high-quality content in your blogs or articles to build a positive PR effect. Great content is a powerful way to attract visitors. The content will rate well on search engine results pages (SERP) if you have done your keyword research.
7. Your website is a great vehicle for newsletters
Email newsletters contain important news and updates to keep your readers up to date about your brand or products and other significant information. Even though they have been around for 30 years, newsletters are still an outstanding tool to attract subscribers from within your target audience to your website. For instance, in marketing communication you can write a concise promo for a product or service in your newsletter, and then use your “Call to Action” button to take readers to your website where they can read more about the offer and make payment if they wish.
Incidentally, experts recommend not using the word “SUBMIT” on CTA buttons. “Submit” is a terrible word, with negative connotations, so write alternative terms like “Download Whitepaper,” “Get Your Free eBook,” or “Join Our Newsletter” or “Subscribe to Our Newsletter.”
Opt-in and opt-out requirements also help businesses ensure that their subscribers are likely to be more interested in what they offer, as opposed to merely casual readers.
Finally, the role of a functional, accessible, responsive, and usable business website can’t be overemphasized. After the COVID-19 pandemic struck, websites were, for a while, the main link between an organization and its audience. But websites needed to be user-friendly. Therefore, having a website that performs well is a valuable marketing and PR tool. Adding digital tools to your traditional PR strategies may not be an easy feat. However, when you can take advantage of the benefits your website can provide, you will appreciate the improvements.
Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic
cdc.gov/info
Whether you are going into work or working from home, the COVID-19 pandemic has probably changed the way you work. Fear and anxiety about this new disease and other strong emotions can be overwhelming, and workplace stress can lead to burnout. How you cope with these emotions and stress can affect your wellbeing, the well-being of the people you care about, your workplace, and your community. During this pandemic, it is critical that you recognize what stress looks like, take steps to build your resilience and manage job stress, and know where to go if you need help.
Recognize the symptoms of stress you may be experiencing. • Feeling irritation, anger, or in denial • Feeling uncertain, nervous, or anxious • Lacking motivation • Feeling tired, overwhelmed, or burned out • Feeling sad or depressed • Having trouble sleeping • Having trouble concentrating
Know the common work-related factors that can add to stress during a pandemic: • Concern about the risk of being exposed to the virus at work • Taking care of personal and family needs while working • Managing a different workload • Lack of access to the tools and equipment needed to perform your job • Feelings that you are not contributing enough to work or guilt about not being on the frontline • Uncertainty about the future of your workplace and/or employment • Learning new communication tools and dealing with technical difficulties • Adapting to a different workspace and/or work schedule
Follow these tips to build resilience and manage job stress.
• Communicate with your coworkers, supervisors, and employees about job stress while maintaining social distancing (at least 6 feet). - Identify things that cause stress and work together to identify solutions. - Talk openly with employers, employees, and unions about how the pandemic is affecting work. Expectations should be communicated clearly by everyone. - Ask about how to access mental health resources in your workplace. • Identify those things which you do not have control over and do the best you can with the resources available to you.
• Increase your sense of control by developing a consistent daily routine when possible — ideally one that is similar to your schedule before the pandemic. - Keep a regular sleep scheduleexternal icon. - Take breaks from work to stretch, exercise, or check in with your supportive colleagues, coworkers, family, and friends. - Spend time outdoors, either being physically active or relaxing. - If you work from home, set a regular time to end your work for the day, if possible. - Practice mindfulness techniquesexternal icon. - Do things you enjoy during non-work hours. • Know the facts about COVID-19. Be informed about how to protect yourself and others.
Understanding the risk and sharing accurate information with people you care about can reduce stress and help you make a connection with others. • Remind yourself that each of us has a crucial role in fighting this pandemic. • Remind yourself that everyone is in an unusual situation with limited resources. • Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting and mentally exhausting • Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns, how you are feeling, or how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting you. - Connect with others through phone calls, email, text messages, mailing letters or cards, video chat, and social media. - Check on others. Helping others improves your sense of control, belonging, and selfesteem. Look for safe ways to offer social support to others, especially if they are showing signs of stress, such as depression and anxiety. • If you feel you may be misusing alcohol or other drugs (including prescription drugs) as a means of coping, reach out for help. • If you are being treated for a mental health condition, continue with your treatment and be aware of any new or worsening symptoms. Know where to go if you need help or more information. If you feel you or someone you know may harm themselves or someone else:
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - Toll-free number 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) - The Online Lifeline Crisis Chatexternal icon is free and confidential. You’ll be connected to a skilled, trained counselor in your area. • National Domestic Violence Hotline - Call 1-800-799-7233 and TTY 1-800-787-3224
If you are feeling overwhelmed with emotions like sadness, depression, or anxiety: • Disaster Distress Helplineexternal icon - Call or text 1-800-985-5990 • Check with your employer for information about possible employee assistance program resources.
If you need to find treatment or mental health providers in your area: • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA) Find Treatment
Mental Health Resources
• CDC Coronavirus (COVID-19) Stress and Coping • Working Adults: Care for Yourself • American Psychological Association • National Alliance on Mental Illness
COVID-19 Resources
• NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic • CDC COVID-19 • CDCINFO: 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) |
TTY: 1-888-232-6348 | Website: cdc.gov/info
Leading Through a New Brand of Burnout
Mark Athitakis, Associations Now
The pandemic has expanded the range of things that stress out leaders and their staffs. Some tweaks to your approach to breaks and communication may be in order.
Welcome back from your Labor Day break! You’ve made it through the summer, maybe had a chance to use some vacation time, and now you’re ready to tackle a busy fall feeling calm and refreshed, right? Right?
There’s a good chance you aren’t as relaxed these days as you might like. Nor is your staff. A May 2020 report by the project management technology firm Asana found that 89 percent of U.S. workers experienced burnout at least once in the past year. And that was before the COVID19 era hit full swing. Now, with a new array of stressors—remote-work arrangements that challenge work-life balance, zoom fatigue, anxiety over the virus itself—the idea of what it means to look after your staff’s well-being requires a
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rethink. The usual rhythm of vacations and holidays may not do the trick.
The evidence of that is in reports on the “Great Resignation,” referring to the sizable proportion of Americans who are quitting their jobs—4 million in April 2021 alone. More break time alone won’t crack the problem of retaining burned-out workers looking for other opportunities, wrote workplace expert Liz Fosslien recently in the MIT Sloan Management Review. The struggle is more existential: “Lacking a sense of meaning and not receiving the emotional support you need to thrive are also strongly related to feeling stretched too thin,” she writes.
To address that, Fosslien recommends a number of things that leaders can do to help their teams feel a bit more emotionally balanced. Most involve opening lines of communication, if workers want to talk directly about particular issues. But a good leader also knows when to lay off a little bit: Empowering people to do their work without micromanaging them goes a long way toward their feeling less pressure. As Fosslien writes, “a lack of autonomy puts people on a fast track to burnout.”
This is also an especially good time to emphasize professional development. If “lacking a sense of meaning” is a substantial problem, opportunities to upgrade skills can be a boon for both the worker and the organization alike. That can involve the typical kinds of training that gets discussed at performance-review time. But the training can also be more ad hoc; Fosslien suggests that employees take part in 30-minute “skill swaps” in which employees train each other up briefly on particular skills they’re interested in.
Beneficial as those things might be, it’s best to tread carefully— the solution to staff feeling more overwhelmed isn’t necessarily putting for things to do in their inbox, even if they’re beneficial in the long run. But if a hallmark of the pandemic-era workplace is that everybody is now working everywhere, all the time, leaders can ease the anxiety by instituting some firm boundaries on when work gets done.
Speaking with the Society for Human Resource Management, leadership expert Michael Levitt recommends that workers get in the habit of setting alarms for when their workday is done, and then shutting off notifications for the day. I’d go a step further and suggest that leaders make a point to establish it as a policy; after all, your most-stressed workers are the ones least likely to ask for permission for that kind of peace of mind. And what if there’s an emergency? Maybe, in the midst of a viral pandemic, it’s best to save that word for when it’s warranted. “Priorities and urgent matters are fine, but only hospitals deal in emergencies,” he says.
How has your association faced and addressed burnout issues at your office? Share your experiences in the comments.
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