If the conditions are wrong [in the workplace], we are forced to expend our own time and energy to protect ourselves from each other—and that inherently weakens the organization. When we feel safe inside the organization, we will naturally combine our talents and our strengths and work tirelessly to face the dangers outside and seize opportunities.
“I feel safe coming to work.”
How would you guess your non-remote employees would rate their agreement with this survey statement on a scale from one to ten, particularly at this point in 2020?
COVID-19 has created a stark contrast between employees who must work with the public and those who can work from home. Any industry requiring contact or proximity between employees and customers—ranging from hospitality to health—must reckon with workers’ perceptions, as well as the reality, of safety. These perceptions are particularly important given that employee experience shapes the customer experience to a large degree.
Staff in a workplace environment continually gauge protocol conformity among their team members. Consequently, leadership needs to consult with employees at every level in order to enforce workplace safety and encourage an accurate perception of workplace risk. At the same time, leaders must also engage in ongoing communication with employees regarding the exact measures being taken to prevent COVID-19 transmission.
As business leaders, we are not only fighting COVID-19 but also against the tendency to politicize the issues surrounding the pandemic, a very human reaction to fear that often leads to gross misinformation. Election season anxiety and unfamiliarity with the virus are bringing that impulse to a head this fall. Organizations that intentionally endeavor to reduce fear and uncertainty will help prevent the negative workplace impacts of wild speculation and mistrust.
Physical and social safety are uniquely entwined in this moment, particularly when some view donning a mask as a political statement. Leaders can combat this confusion with the right tools, training, processes, and philosophy, as well as reassurances of neutrality in the workplace. Always have direct reasons for every action taken to ensure physical and social safety, and communicate them clearly. Protect your workers by following expert medical guidelines. Everyone at your organization should know exactly what to do and why—as importantly, they should be confident that everyone else knows, too.
Our understanding of the novel coronavirus has changed rapidly as we’ve learned more about its symptoms, prognoses, and transmission over time. Many questions remain unanswered. This uncertainty may require you to course-correct as information evolves. To avoid the appearance of contradiction, keep your employees in the loop regarding the specific reasons for any changes. Make a clear plan for redirecting your workers in a way that avoids confusion or frustration.
If you run a business with multiple branches, consider using pulse surveys at all of your locations in order to get an accurate assessment of safety perceptions among workers. I recently completed such a survey with a client and discovered that employees at some locations report high comfort levels, while others do not. This disparity may indicate a break in the chain of communication, missed opportunities by branch managers to instill a climate of safety, or even a problem pertaining to the entire geographical area surrounding the location. Without consulting the workers, opportunities for improvement remain unnoticed and unpursued, causing excessive turnover and a poorer customer experience.
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