Whoever you see now out there in the market are essential workers. Though they aren’t in the front line of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, they are essential to their companies. For a business to stay afloat right now, it has to take the necessary sacrifices of opening shops even with a health threat. They have to continue delivering food, manufacturing products, answering calls, and providing services. Are they not essential workers? Isn’t their work essential to the survival of the economy?
Think about it. What kind of work do you do? Are you working in a childcare facility? Sure, you’re not in hospitals fighting the virus, but aren’t you taking care of health care workers’ children? Isn’t that quiet boy sitting by himself a son of a doctor now in the emergency room? You are doing your share in surviving this crisis. Businesses, too, must do their part in supporting their workers.
Higher Hourly Pay
For businesses that can, they must offer higher hourly pay for their workers. They’re helping your business get through the crisis by going to work. They come on time and do more than what they should be doing. If your business can shoulder the extra expenses, offer higher hourly pay. You can also provide extra compensation. Perhaps, a bonus of $100 per payday is enough to show your appreciation for their work.
Transportation
Health experts believe that a person can get infected by the virus for simply breathing the same air as someone who has it. That’s why public transportation is at the core of contact tracing measures. You can protect your employees by simply providing transportation for them. You can hire a minivan or bus that will take them to and from their places of work. They can be batched together in order of the areas where they live.
Start calling some rental services and drivers. See how this can be possible for your business. It’ll take a chunk out of your profit, but it would be such a huge help for your workers.
Accommodation
Do you have extra space in your building that isn’t being used? You can renovate this and offer the space to workers who live far from your office. At the very least, they will be comforted with the knowledge that they can have somewhere to stay in if it gets too risky to travel outside. This way, they can do the work they are supposed to do for you without having to risk going out the doors.
Child Care
If they have children that they need taken care of while they’re at home, you can offer childcare services. You can partner up with a childcare facility near you. They can leave their kids there during the day and get back to them as soon as they finish in the office. The proximity of their kids will allow them to work better. They are more comfortable knowing their kids are within walking distance from them.
Shortened Hours
Since there’s isn’t much consumerism going around and some places still have curfews, you can shorten their working hours. Some companies have already done this. They shorted an eight-hour workday to five hours. This works well for both since businesses can save on the cost of salaries and operational expenses while workers can get to their families faster. By spending less time outside, they also have minimal risks of contracting the virus.
Leaves
How about letting your workers avail of their remaining vacation and sick leaves? This is part of your business’ budget, anyway. Schedule their leaves so that a group remains to do their jobs while another will use the leaves allowed to them. This is already part of your budget even before the pandemic hits. With a little adjustment in schedule and pay, you should be able to save on operational expenses, too.
Work from Home
Finally, the best thing you can provide your workers is a work-from-home setup. If their jobs allow them to work from their computers, let that be a norm rather than an exception. You can also provide special assistance to your workers. You’ll be saving money from rent and electricity bills, so you can provide them with allowances they can use to set up their workstation at home. Help them with their internet plan or provide a company laptop for them, so they don’t have to use their own at home.
By showing your employees that you care about their well-being, you are gaining their loyalty. This is rare these days. Your employees will return this loyalty by being productive and efficient in their jobs. They would want your business to succeed because it ensures the stability of their jobs. These are the kinds of things you need if your business will survive this pandemic.
