How You Can Better Support Your Employees This Winter

How You Can Better Support Your Employees This Winter

We all know that the last eighteen months have been incredibly difficult for people from all walks of life from all over the globe.

Many people have lost their jobs and needed to resort to different ways of making money.

Some are using platforms like Survey Junkie, while others have gone towards some uncommon ways, like selling feet pics.

Business owners have had the added responsibility of making sure that their employees have stayed healthy and happy.

As we head into the winter, here are a few ways you can continue to improve their employee support.

Create A Clear Leadership Chain

Avoid confusion by ensuring that everyone understands the leadership chain.

Save time on decision-making signoffs by implementing a clear structure. Delegate responsibility to empower your employees. 

Develop Your Staff

Offer incentives for your employees to learn new skills and apply for new roles internally.

Discuss what areas of the business they would like to learn about. Be clear on what the employee needs to do to qualify for a new position.

Encourage your staff to learn about the boom in AI technology and how they can use it.

Look at online learning courses for areas your business may need in the coming months, such as digital marketing, web design, cybersecurity, and social media.

Understand Your Visa Responsibilities

Support your immigrant workers by making sure that you apply for the correct work visa.

Remember that different industries require different work visas, that seasonal work visas have different requirements than permanent ones, and that the requirements may have changed since you last applied.

Research the new H2A regulations and immigration laws if you are hiring for seasonal agricultural work.

Make Mental Health A Priority

Ask your employees how you can better support their mental health needs in 2022.

Look at the reports relating to mental health issues and burnout during the pandemic to learn more about how you can make things easier.

Consider bringing a mental health professional on board for your staff to talk to or offering support as part of your existing employee health plan. 

Prioritize Communication

Remember that communication is crucial especially if your business is working remotely.

Supply your staff with the equipment and software they need to do their jobs seamlessly.

Use project management software to keep track of the status of every task. Schedule regular meetings and invite staff to raise any issues.

Ensure that every team has a leader.

Use Tech For Productivity And Resource Allocation  

If you haven’t done it yet, invest in innovative tech solutions. Your employees should know how to utilize tech to become more productive and contribute to the company’s betterment. After all, modern workplaces utilize advanced tools to automate manual processes. Advanced tools help save effort, time, and resources, allocating them to more important matters.  

Project management software, for instance, can help improve employee productivity. As mentioned earlier, this kind of tool can help track assignment status and team communication. Aside from that, it can boost productivity and resource allocation. Roster management is also a big part of improving employee happiness, as they have consistent schedules and know ahead of time what’s expected of them and when. This is especially important for supporting employees with mental or physical disabilities, something that technology is making huge strides in improving. For example, in Australia, NDIS rostering software can be implemented by employers to streamline scheduling and provide better care.

Managers can set automated alerts for pending or incomplete tasks. While employees can work remotely and enjoy flexible hours, they need a mechanism that can remind them about meeting business metrics and deadlines. And that’s precisely what project management software can do. 

Resource allocation is also possible with project management software. Resource allocation involves selecting the best job resources, appointing the right employees to a project, and constantly overseeing their work during the project’s duration. 

This tool can help strike a balance between overallocation and underutilization of employees and pick the best project resources, so your business can become more profitable. Plus, it helps improve employee morale because staff members don’t feel overworked or undervalued.  

Don’t Rush The Return To The Office

Think carefully about whether your employees need to be in the office. Remember that many workers have resisted coming back to work.

Ask what you can do to support them if remote working is the future for your business.

Look at the latest government guidelines and COVID-19 trends to avoid making hasty decisions.