5 Ways Companies Can Serve Customers and Employees and Save the Economy During the Coronavirus Pandemic
I’m a collector of (what I consider to be) best practices, because I think they represent what is right in the world. They represent hope in the fundamental goodness of humanity. And yes, I believe in that, too.
During this era of COVID-19 aka Coronavirus, I’ve been seeking out stories of organizations doing the right thing to support their employees and customers. Many workers may be facing reduced hours and lost opportunities when they are already financially vulnerable and possibly living paycheck to paycheck.
The Problems
Many large employers have asked their salaried employees to work remotely. Theater, sports, concerts, conferences, and other events have been cancelled or postponed. Cities and towns are closing schools. One downstream effect of all of this is that hourly shift workers, vendors, and subcontractors will see their hours (and therefore wages) cut. Significantly fewer people are visiting restaurants, stores, hotels, and traveling, and that is potentially catastrophic for any economy.
The United States Federal Government has not yet passed a law to provide economic relief.
The Solutions
If your organization has the resources, here are some best practices to be a great corporate citizen, build brand loyalty, retain employees / maximize employee satisfaction, and potentially save the economy:
Keep paying hourly employees their full wages, even if you modify their job duties. Despite cutting hours, Microsoft, Facebook, Google, and other large tech companies have committed to paying regular wages for the hourly workers who work in their cafes, drive shuttle buses, and more. Costco stopped food sampling, but shifted those workers to other jobs so they can still earn income. Major layoffs would be devastating to the economy, so keep these workers paid.
Provide paid sick leave for hourly workers and contractors. For many hourly workers, if they don’t work, they don’t get paid. This means if they get sick or have to care for a loved one, they would lose income. Starbucks will now offer its baristas 14 days of “catastrophe pay” if they have coronavirus, or have been exposed. If they are showing symptoms but have not been diagnosed, they will start with 3 days of catastrophe pay. Apple employees, including those in retail, will receive unlimited paid leave if they show symptoms of the virus. Google has set up a fund for their 120,000 contractors and temp workers if they get the virus but may not have paid sick leave. Don’t take away these policies when the coronavirus simmers down.
Consider how your products can serve others during this time. What does your company do or sell that you can provide for free to help those in need during this outbreak? For example, the restaurant delivery app Grubhub is waiving commission fees from restaurants to offset the restaurants’ decline in revenue. CVS is delivering prescription medicine for free. Comcast is offering its “Internet Essentials" package for free to low-income customers for 60 days. Numerous educational companies are providing their lessons and products free for kids who are stuck at home due to school closures. My son’s school is closed, and you can bet I’ll have him exploring some of these resources.
Give in other ways. Show your employees that your organization is compassionate and generous by donating money and products to help medical workers and others directly affected by COVID-19. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is tracking corporate commitments of dollars and products.
Empower remote employees. With outstanding technology to make communication and collaboration seamless, this is a great opportunity to demonstrate your flexibility and empower your team. If you don’t already have it, Google, Zoom, and Microsoft are all making their meeting software free. LinkedIn has made its 16 LinkedIn Learning courses on successfully working from home completely free. Shopify is giving its employees $1,000 to buy supplies and ease the transition to remote work.
We will get through this by seeing every challenge as an opportunity to better serve others.
It starts with accepting that the world is bigger than what’s right in front of us.