5 Things We Learned From Asking 1,400 Employees How They’re Holding Up

The last several weeks have ushered in a “new normal” for workers worldwide. As many employees adjust to working from home amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, we decided to survey 1,000 US employees and 400 managers to understand the challenges and emotions they’re facing as a result.
Here is what we learned.
If any of this sounds familiar, know you’re not alone. But as we adjust to the changes the COVID-19 outbreak has brought about, it’s crucial that employees know their manager has their backs. Here are three ways to do so:
Mental and emotional well-being are sensitive topics in the best of times, so putting employees on the spot is not the way to go. Instead, give people a safe place to be candid about how things are going. If you’re unsure how to go about it, we recently launched a tool with pre-vetted questions that can help.
Now is not the time to hunker down in your inbox. Make sure you have a plan in place for daily and weekly communications with each employee and the collective team. If you aren’t sure where to start, here’s the template we’re using.
Virtual happy hours, pet photo exchanges, and friendly competitions do wonders for team morale. Taking time for light-hearted activities provides a welcome distraction from the negative news cycle and brings teams together.