Some businesses will need to lay off employees thanks to covid. Even though it’s not your fault, you’ve got to be careful. It could affect the happiness of everyone at work, which will definitely hurt your future profits.
You’ve already struggled over the last few years, so making it worse is the last thing you need. The most important task is getting rid of the right employees. Let’s look at ways to boost the morale of everyone else.
Table of Contents
1. Give Everyone The Facts
Everyone knows some industries are more vulnerable than others. You might be okay if you run the best warehousing and storage services company in the country, but restaurant and sports venue employees must be really scared.
That’s why you can’t just say you’re letting people go due to covid. Give them specific numbers, dates, and deadlines. Even if everyone understands they’re still at risk, they’ll know you won’t suddenly send them packing.
2. Offer One-On-One Talks
It’s okay talking to large groups of people, but you need to add a personal touch too. For example, if you run a big food-grade warehouse in Mississauga, you can schedule appointments to speak with employees one-on-one.
Will you have to work extra hours to make sure you get everything done? Yes, but your workers will feel more optimistic about the future. Feel free to delegate the meetings to managers if you have hundreds of employees.
3. Ask People For Feedback
Everyone likes to feel like they’re needed, so start asking for their advice. Running the company with X fewer full-time workers is going to be tough. Will you be able to come up with solutions to everything on your own?
It’s going to be impossible, even if you’re a genius. Your employees work tirelessly in the trenches every day, so they’ll know what changes to make. Give them an easy way to share their ideas about the company with higher-ups.
4. Talk About Future Plans
I’m sure you’ll have a few ways you’re going to turn things around in the future. You should talk about your plans with employees. I know it’s not something you would normally do, but it’s good during covid times.
It will give them something to look forward to. If your workers buy into your ideas, they might even work harder to reach those goals. It’s surprising how hard people fight when they see a light at the end of the tunnel.
5. Pick Out Special Employees
You will always be the boss, so it’s hard for people to relate to you. That’s why you should pick a few special employees who are very empathetic and comforting. Ask them to speak to their co-workers regularly.
Employees might feel safer getting something off their chest when speaking to someone on their level. I’m sure you’ll find out about anything important. Just don’t press if an employee would rather things be kept confidential.
Get Everything Under Control
If you can’t boost morale your employees might start looking for new jobs, so you must get everything under control ASAP.
