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I received an email notification from Nationwide, my car insurance company, stating that they were going to reduce my next month’s car insurance bill by $50.00. Wow! I thought about how others would feel about the discount during the “C” pandemic. It is the little things that matter and touch our hearts. There are a lot of people out of work right now, and they need to feel “valued,” and they may also need help from the companies who laid them off during this time.
A poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation shared that nearly six in ten adults (57%) report being worried they will put themselves at risk of exposure to coronavirus because they can’t afford to stay home and miss work (up from 35% earlier in March). This also includes six in ten hourly or workers who get paid by-the-job (61%) as well as seven in ten employed adults who earn less than $40,000 annually (72%). These workers are also disproportionately likely to be worried about losing income or being laid off or losing their job because of the coronavirus outbreak. Overall, 39% of adults say they have already either lost their job, lost income, or had their hours reduced without pay because of the recent coronavirus outbreak. Let us face it—people are dealing with some heavy hitters—stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and more!
Companies who have Employee Assisted Programs (EAP) can send letters or emails to their employees, reminding them of their company benefits. If a company does not have an EAP platform, they can work with telehealth mental health professionals to support their employees during this time. United Way offers many resources to help people 24/7 around the clock. If you need assistance finding food, paying housing bills, or essential services, dial #211 on your phone or you can access them at www.211.org You do not have to be the person in need to check out the resources for another person.
At Truist Bank, created by the merger last year of SunTrust and BB&T, employees who earn less than $100,000 per year are being given a $1,200 pretax bonus to help offset financial pressures caused by the pandemic. Truist is also offering ten days of paid time off for employees to care for children whose schools are closed, childcare reimbursement, and increased emergency childcare and eldercare benefits. That includes paying up to $100 per day for childcare services for employees who earn less than $50,000 per year and have children under age 13 or with special needs.
Some of the most significant opportunities companies have is to communicate with their employees. Let the employees know they matter and “walk” the “talk.” Be mindful that this pandemic has touched every one of us in some shape or form. We will eventually see what the new “norms” will be at the workplace. When employees can return back to work-they will remember how their employers treated them while laid off during the pandemic. Kindness always matters.
I believe in safe and respectful work environments. Check out my other articles at https://goodmenproject.com/author/consultwithdawngmail-com.
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Photo courtesy iStock.