Christmas is a time to catch up with friends and family – especially this year when many people have been separated from loved ones due to COVID-19. But we’re not out of the woods yet and a false move by staff could accidentally cripple your business. So what do you do?
Here are 4 scenarios your staff may be exposed to and how you can educate them on ways to stay safe. For additional information visit the NSW Government webpage called What you can and can’t do under the rules.
- Social Distancing At Home
While we are now allowed to have up to 50 people visit a residence, NSW Health strongly recommends having less than 30 at a time if there is no outdoor area. While you cannot dictate what your staff do outside of working hours, educating them on what to look for when at social gatherings is a great way to keep them and your business safe.
Part of that education is to advise you if they have accidentally found themselves at a large, private event. That way, you can determine the risks to your business (if any) and make an informed decision on whether they should be working from home for a period of time immediately after the event.
- Visiting Family In A COVID Hotspot
If staff find themselves in a COVID hotspot over the holiday break, ask them to advise you so you can assess the risks to your business. You may decide there are none but as the business owner, you need to ensure lines of communication are open so you can make informed operational decisions.
- Managing Hypochondriacs
For most of 2020, we have all been living with health fears and some people are more fearful than others. There may be good reasons for employees to be anxious about being back at the workplace – especially if they work closely with others. There will also be people who will use fear of COVID as an excuse to delay their return to work.
In either case, it’s important to manage the situation carefully and delve into the root cause of the problem.
- Managing Symptoms
The opposite of the workplace hypochondriac is the complacent worker. They’re the ones who are experiencing symptoms or have been at risk of exposure but don’t quite get around to being tested. You need to be firm with these people as complacency is COVID’s best friend. In order to be firm, you need clearly documented guidelines so you can implement them if required.
Clear Expectations And Open Communication
Clearly communicating and documenting expectations is fundamental to establishing the culture of your organisation. In addition, when people know what to do, they are more likely to do it. This will alleviate many staff management problems for you.
For guidance on how to keep your staff and business safe under the new COVID freedoms, contact the team from End2End Business Solutions. They are experts on helping business owners get the best from their staff. It begins with a chat so call 02 8977 4002.
Merry Christmas
From our team to yours, we hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a relaxing summer break.
Best wishes,
Annette and the End2End team