This year has been a tough one for many. With the Covid-19 pandemic still raging on, the landscape of US employment has shifted dramatically. According to Gallup, 33% of employees are currently working remotely, and 62% have worked remotely at some point during the crisis. There is an abundance of advice on navigating the challenges of remote work for those employees working from home. But what about those employees who still have to report to a physical workplace each day?

Employers report that employee morale is extremely low right now. According to the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), 65% of employers say they are having difficulty maintaining morale during Covid-19. That pertains to employees in general, even those working remotely. There are many ways to keep employees engaged that would apply to both remote as well as in-person workers. What specifically can you do to help engage employees in the office?

• Provide a safe work environment
• Be flexible
• Be honest and transparent in your communication

Provide a Safe Work Environment

First and foremost, managers need to ensure their employees feel physically safe in the workplace. As the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidance for workplace safety has changed and evolved over the months, this can be a challenge. Following CDC guidelines, such as social distancing and wearing masks is a must; there are other things managers can do as well.

It’s important to listen to employee safety concerns and respond compassionately. Several months ago, I overheard a phone call of a concerned employee to her Human Resources Director; the workers were considered essential and had to report to the office. She stated that she was concerned about Covid-19 and didn’t think her co-workers and supervisor were taking it seriously enough. Even though wearing masks in the office was mandatory, she observed that most people were quite lax about it and, additionally, did not maintain a safe physical distance from each other. The HR director was quite sympathetic in his response and assured the employee that he would make it a priority to speak to management to ensure that safety guidelines were enforced. The HR director hung up the phone and never spoke to anyone; he just placated the employee and took no action. Several weeks later, the employee resigned due to concerns for her safety at work. Enforcing workplace safety should have been a top priority and would have gone a long way in boosting morale.

Flexibility

Employer flexibility is a key factor in maintaining employee morale. Even though you may not be able to allow an employee to work from home, there are other ways that you can provide flexibility that will help employees feel like they are really valued during this difficult time. Many employees may be juggling situations where they have kids at home who are too old to go to daycare, but a bit too young to be alone all day. Some may have older relatives who require extra care right now, such as delivering groceries when the relatives don’t feel comfortable going out. Or maybe an employee just needs a little time off for self care. Here are some tips you can apply immediately:

• Encourage employees to take time off
  If employees have paid time off saved up, now is a good time to allow them to use that. Even though you may typically have rules in place about how far in advance time off must be requested, or a minimum amount of hours that must be taken, consider waiving that. An employee may just need to leave an hour early or come in a bit late and not actually need a 4-hour block of time.
  
  
• Foster texting/communicating with family during the day
  There are many parents working at the office who have kids at home. While typically you wouldn’t want employees on their phones during the workday for personal reasons, now is a time to be more flexible. Children at home may be having trouble with their virtual learning or have other questions/issues they need help with. Yes, the employee may be slightly less productive at work if they are having to respond to these distractions, but knowing that you are supporting them during this time and allowing for this flexibility will go a long way with morale and their future loyalty and productivity.
  
  
• Allow flexible work schedules
  If there’s any room for flexibility in work schedules, now is the time to allow it. Under normal circumstances, it may not be ideal to have employees coming and going at different times; allowing some room for flexibility will go a long way in increasing morale.
  
  
• Allow more breaks at work
  Concentration and focus can be tough right now. Encourage short breaks for employees to regroup or ground themselves. For example, they may want to take a quick walk outside and get some fresh air, or they could do deep breathing exercise to reduce stress.
  
  
• Make time for team building
  Team building exercises can always be a fun way to increase communication amongst the team. You may need to get a little more creative in order to make sure you comply with social distancing, but there are plenty of exercises and activities (such as an outdoor scavenger hunt or “Two Truths and a Lie”) you can do with your team in the office to encourage teamwork, communication, and engagement.

Honest and Transparent Communication

As managers, we typically like to stay positive at all times; negativity in the workplace can be destructive to morale and productivity. But there’s a difference between being negative and acknowledging that a situation is less than ideal. We are all in this together; it’s not OK to minimize peoples’ anxieties or concerns and to pretend that everything is “normal”. It’s important to be authentic with your employees.

Your employees may be questioning why they have to work when others can stay home. Take the time to explain that you understand their concerns, and why it’s important to be physically present. If your organization has a mission, it may be helpful to use that in your explanation. Giving the employee a sense of purpose and an understanding of their importance to achieving a larger cause can help them feel better about having to be in the office. For example, someone who works as a cashier in a grocery store right now may think they are in a menial and inconsequential job; as a manager, you could help them realize how crucial their work is right now, and how many people depend on them and appreciate them.

In these uncertain times, many people are taking pay cuts and worried about being laid off. Even though they may currently be working in the office, they may feel a lot of anxiety and worry about job security. If there are any business successes to be shared, communicate these to employees as soon as possible. This can help bring up spirits and motivation and decrease some of the unease employees are experiencing. For example, if your company received a great customer review, you may want to share that with the team to help them feel that their work is worthwhile. Or, if your organization is going strong financially, you should communicate that to employees so they may feel more secure.

While it may feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel right now, remember that this too shall pass. We will get through this and return to normal, albeit a “new normal”. How you manage and lead your employees right now through this crisis can make the difference for their future engagement and loyalty.

What do you think? How have you been able to maintain your office morale during Covid-19? Has your organization offered flexibility and transparent communication?

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