In these uncertain times, Business As Usual is certainly not an option. Organizations need to ensure that their employees stay safe. But they also need to try and get some basic work done, for the sake of their customers and their employees. Businesses around the world need to be taking coronavirus precautions.
Here’re a few steps that businesses should take to make sure that their employees stay safe and their customers stay satisfied.
Work from home
Social distancing is of the utmost importance now. The best way to do that is to allow your employees to work from home as far as possible. It’s not just about the people with whom they would interact in the office itself. You need to consider the fact that they would be in contact with a lot of people during their commute as well.
Even if one of them contracts the virus, your entire workforce is at risk. It’s not worth it.
Access to tools
Provide the employees with access to the tools and software that they need in order to be productive while working from home. Let them contribute to the company without having to travel to the workplace. In case of new tools, make sure that their doubts are cleared. If they’re accessing your systems from their own, personal devices, make sure that these devices are secured and protected to avoid any compromise on your data security.
Define times of contact
Working from home could reduce productivity. It’s possible. But you can restrict that. Define times at which your employees need to be in touch with their supervisors. Make your teams interact with each other over video calls. This would help reduce the feeling of isolation and could make them feel a bit more productive. It would also be beneficial for managers and supervisors to informally check in on the employees working from home every once in a while. A simple text or phone call could make the employees feel better and be more productive.
Ensure accountability
Make sure that your employees working from home keep their supervisors updated on their activities for the day. Ask them to send updates on the activities completed at the end of each day. This could also ensure that they stay productive while working from home.
Explore automation
Some of your employees may not be available to work during these days. Few might fall sick and need to rest; some may be taking care of their family members. You need to be prepared for this. Automation would be a good option to consider so as to ensure that at least your daily processes keep going. For example, you could deploy chatbots to ensure that your customers are served while your employees rest. Integrate these bots with the Live Chat feature and you could have your agents address complicated queries for your customers from their own homes.
Coronavirus precautions at the workplace
In case some of your employees do need to come to the workplace, ensure that they have access to sanitizers and masks. Make sure that staff, contractors and customers have access to places where they can wash their hands with soap and water. Ensure that all surfaces are cleaned with disinfectants regularly. You should even instruct your employees to greet each other without physical contact. A simple wave could replace a handshake.
Coronavirus precautions for supply chain stability
Even your supply chain needs some coronavirus precautions.
Try to make sure that your supply chain is stable in this situation. Map your supply chain. Try to figure out what you could do if you face any disruption in the supply chain. This could help you figure out exactly where the issues are arising and what steps you need to take to combat these issues. Create contingency plans. Figure out what you would do if you end up facing issues in various parts of your supply chain.
Plan it in advance and be prepared. Figure out what you’d do if your Tier-1 suppliers are unable to meet your needs. Try to diversify the companies from which you receive your supplies. If you’re sourcing your supplies from only 1 company, only in 1 region, you may find yourself in a tough situation in the near future. Try to identify new suppliers to meet your needs in advance. Don’t wait for the very last moment.
Conclusion
It’s time to take precautions. It’s time to let your employees know that you care about them. Let them work from home. Support them as they adjust to this change. They’ll thank you when this passes. For now, stay safe with these coronavirus precautions.
It’s also time to consider using automation. It’s possible to keep your customers happy and satisfied while keeping your employees safe.
Ps. Check out our COVID BOT to stay updated, learn about precautions and bust myths related to the virus.
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