Policies and Procedures During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The daily influx of information regarding COVID-19 can be overwhelming and hard to sort through.  Employees are navigating competing responsibilities of home and work.  With the change in the way kids will receive their education, at least in the short-term, parents are scrambling to find ways to balance their professional and personal lives. 

While we want to be sensitive to these issues, and always want to protect our employees, it is the business owners’ responsibility to be a good steward as well.  Without good stewardship during this time, employees will be in an even more difficult situation. 

Even during these uncertain times, it is important that companies follow their policies and procedures that are in place.  Employees are still accountable for following these policies and procedures as well.  You can use the same methods of performance reviews, continuous conversations, and disciplinary actions to ensure that your business continues to run as smoothly as possible.  COVID-19 does not excuse poor performance or insubordination.  It also does not allow employees to come and go as they please.  They should be reporting to work as scheduled or should be following your procedure for absences.  If they are not, it is completely within your rights as an employer to document these situations. 

If you need additional guidance regarding employee issues and how they are impacted by the COVID-19 situation, please contact the HR Department at Integrity HR Management.  We will be providing specific policy guidelines and updates by the end of the week.