Ways to Show Compassion as a Leader During This Crisis
Everyone has been badly affected by this pandemic. Businesses around the world have drastically reduce their profits due to the lack of economic activities. Some businesses even decided to permanently close since they can no longer keep up with the challenges. If you’re one of the lucky people to run a company that is still operating, you have to value your employees. They’re essential to your success. You should also learn to show compassion. If you think that the business is severely suffering because of the pandemic, your employees also feel the same. These are some tips to help show compassion to them.
Reach out to your employees
The first thing you should do is reach out. If the company is operating virtually, you need to call your employees and make sure they’re okay. Some of them might be alone and have no one to talk to. A simple call will make them feel special. You also don’t want to lose your employees because of a mental health problem. Since you’re the leader, your call will even be more meaningful. You don’t have to give advice or extend help. Being there to listen is already enough.
Allow them not to work for a while
The good thing about working from home is that the schedule is more flexible. The employees don’t have to get up early to beat traffic going to work. They can work whenever they want as long as they can get things done. Therefore, it makes sense if you allow them to not work for a while if they’re physically or mentally having a hard time. Again, the beauty of working from home is that the schedule is more flexible. You can ask your employees to commit on a deadline, and not working for a few days would be fine.
Offer a guaranteed paid leave
It’s sad to know that not all companies offer a guaranteed paid leave. The primary excuse and that it might encourage absenteeism. The truth is that everyone needs to rest. Not getting enough rest could lead to illnesses. Human workers aren’t robots. They also break down and get sick. If they do, you want them to rest and recover. Without a guaranteed paid leave, they might hesitate to be absent. It’s even one of the reasons why there were outbreaks in offices. Employees who already tested positive for the virus and have symptoms still decided to show up for work. They worry about not being able to provide for the needs of their family members. Showing compassion is not letting them choose between their health and financial needs.
Reduce workload
Businesses try to scale down because of this pandemic. There’s no major operation anymore since there aren’t too many customers anyway. It means that employee should also have the opportunity to have a reduced workload. It would be terrible to retrench some employees so that others will have to do more. Being compassionate is also about understanding that everyone is going through a hard time because of the pandemic.
Leaders have to be compassionate even during normal circumstances. It’s even more important now that there’s a pandemic.
Photo Attribution:
1st and featured image from https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/sites/thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/files/compassion.jpg
2nd image from https://www.zinghr.com/hr-infographic/how-do-you-reach-out-to-all-your-employees-in-one-go-everyday/
