Crisis Playbook

Workplace

Working remotely for the first time can be overwhelming for some employees. It’s important that all employees have all the right equipment and processes to be setup for success. In this section, you will find best practices on how to educate and equip your employees with the right tips and tricks for staying productive while working remotely.

Virtual Workforce Guide Facility Guide

Utilize

Video Conferencing

Utilize a simple, unified video conferencing solution to empower your teams to be more connected, productive and engaged.

Video meetings help teams maintain human connections, irrespective of physical location, which speeds up decision-making and improves your ability to collaborate.

There are several platforms employees can use for video conferencing. Click each logo below for a “how to” guide on each platform:

Best Practices:

  1. Set up your space
    It’s important you have a quiet place to conduct the meeting, if not it’s recommended to use a headset. Make sure you are not too far or too close to the camera and that the area is well lit.
  2. Dress like you would for an in-person meeting
    Follow work dress code and try to avoid patterns and stripes (they can be distracting on camera)
  3. Start the call on time
    Make sure you test your camera and audio before you start the call
  4. Mute
    It’s important to stay muted when you are not speaking to ensure no background noise distracts from the call.

Help Employees Feel Like

They are still a team

If employees aren’t used to working remotely, they can sometimes feel isolated. Here are some best practices to help employees feel connected:

  • Use a chat app- Slack or Microsoft teams are great options. Chat apps are great ways employees can stay up-to-date quickly on company news. As well, allows for employees to have the social conversations remotely that would normally happen in-person.
  • Make sure everyone feels included- some employees who are not sure about working remotely may hang back and not participate in the conversation. It’s a good idea to hold video watch parties and other social events to make those employees feel included.

Increase Productivity From

Your Virtual Workforce

Establish structured daily check-ins

  • This could take the form of one-on-one calls if your employees work more independently, or a team call if their work is highly collaborative.
  • Make sure calls are regular and predictable, and that they are a forum in which employees know that they can consult with you, and that their concerns and questions will be heard.

Establish “rules of engagement”

  • Set expectations for the frequency, means, and ideal timing of communication
  • For example, “We use videoconferencing for daily check-in meetings, but we use IM when something is urgent.”
  • Let your employees know the best way and time to reach you during the workday
  • Keep an eye on communication among team members (to the extent appropriate), to ensure that they are sharing information as needed.
Virtual Workforce Guide

Quick Tips:

WORKING REMOTELY

  1. Establish a daily routine
  2. Have a separate work space
  3. Dress the part
  4. Know your body – Make time to get up and walk around

Working Virtually

Checklist

  • Make sure you have all the tools you need: the right laptops, network access, passcodes and instructions for remote login.

  • Minimize distractions and noises from others in your household. Separate your workspace from your personal space as much as possible. Use a pair of noise-canceling headphones to block out sounds. On conference calls, mute your microphone when you aren’t speaking. When videoconferencing, be mindful of what the camera is picking up behind you.

  • Use digital collaboration tools to communicate with colleagues. Schedule group meetings by videoconference and set up group chats via programs like Slack or Microsoft Teams. If email is leading to a misunderstanding, pick up the phone and have a conversation.

  • Talk with your manager about child-care challenges. If you’re asked to work from home and your children’s school or day-care shuts down, that might affect your ability to do remote work during normal business hours. In some cases, children may be old enough to fend for themselves, but younger children will need more attention. One possibility might be to set up shifts at home, where one parent works remotely and the other parent cares for the child, and then they switch.

  • Take steps to improve your internet speed. You may encounter slowdowns during periods of heavy use, like when you’re trying to work from home while your children are watching videos or playing games. Switch to Ethernet if you can. If not, move as close as possible to your Wi-Fi router.

  • Fight the feeling of isolation. While you want to minimize distraction from your family members or roommates, you also want to avoid feeling like you are completely alone all day. Maintaining social connection is tricky while trying to create social distance, but there are ways to maintain your mental health. For example, call people on the phone or videochat and break up the day with some exercise. Some employers have also begun offering online resilience training to address the challenges of working from home during the outbreak.

Virtual Workforce Guide

Facility Management

Keeping your facility clean will reduce the risk of transmission of Coronavirus, while providing peace of mind for your employees and customers. This guide contains best practices for how to ensure your facility is a clean and secure environment for employees and customers.

Facility Management Guide

Manage, Clean & Remediate

YOUR FACILITY

  • Create a plan to increase the frequency and intensity of your cleaning schedule and cleaning all areas of the business, especially high traffic areas. Increase your cleaning schedule, especially surfaces that are non-porous, because the virus can live on those surfaces up to 9 days
  • Provide easy access to sanitizer and other related sanitary products for employees and customers.
  • Establish clearly defined processes with daily checklists for what is cleaned, how and when.
  •  Make preparations to increase cleaning services and have back up cleaning companies who are ready to fill the gap if your existing partner loses the capacity to serve you.
  • Upgrade quantity and quality of cleaning supplies to satisfy the increase in demand.
  • Refill soap often and have plenty of alcohol-based hand sanitizer (60% alcohol) in all restrooms and common areas.
  • Place UV humidifiers in high traffic areas where customers gather, to kill airborne particles that can live for hours.

Clean & Disinfect

Your Facility

How to clean & disinfect surfaces

  • Clean & disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
  • Dirty surfaces can be cleaned with soap and water prior to disinfection.
  • To disinfect, use products that meet EPA’s criteria

How to clean & disinfect electronics

  • Clean items such as tablets, touch screens, keyboards, remote controls, and consider putting a wipeable cover on electronics.
  • Follow manufacturer’s instruction for cleaning and disinfecting. If no guidance is available, use alcohol-based wipes or sprays containing at least 70% alcohol.
  • Dry surfaces thoroughly.

How to clean & disinfect soft surfaces

  • Clean soft surfaces such as carpeted floor, rugs, and drapes by using soap and water or with appropriate cleansers.
  • Launder items (if possible) according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Use the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely or disinfect using products that meet EPA’s criteria

What to use for disinfection

  • Most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective.
  • A list of products that are EPA-approved for use against the virus that causes COVID-19 is available here.
  • Follow manufacturer’s instructions for application, ensuring a contact time of at least 1 minute, and allowing proper ventilation during and after application.
  • Unexpired household bleach will be effective against Coronavirus when properly diluted. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser.

How to

PREPARE A BLEACH SOLUTION

Mix:
5 tbsp. (1/3 cup) bleach per gallon of water
OR
4 tsp. bleach per quart of water

Facility Management

TURN WORKFORCE INTO A CLEANING FORCE

Invite your workforce to become a cleaning force, cleaning everything they touch, everywhere they go, to protect themselves and others who come behind them.

Below are a list of do’s and don’ts to convert your workforce into a cleaning force:

The DOs

  • DO provide employees personal protection gear, like gloves, tissues, no-touch disposal receptacles, hand sanitizer and cleaning spray to keep their area clean for their customers.

  • DO encourage employees to convert downtime into cleaning time, by wiping down door handles and surfaces in high-traffic areas.

  • DO encourage employees to clean everything they touch, to protect themselves while cleaning and protecting the environment for others who come behind them.

The DON’Ts

  • DON’T use other employees’ phones, desks, offices, or other work tools and equipment, when possible. If necessary, clean and disinfect them before and after use.

  • DON’T use your dominant hand to open doors, because people unconsciously touch their face with their dominant hand over 300x a day, which is one of the most common ways to get the virus.

  • DON’T shake hands. Encourage social distancing. Little things make a big difference!

Action Plan

Actions

ActionWhoWhen
Define & Communicate a strategy for working from home
Ensure all staff has the necessary equipment for working remotely (Internet, devices, video conferencing)
Establish structure daily check-ins between manager and employee with established “rules of engagement”
Create proper workflows to help employees stay on task
Set up Video conferencing to stay connected with your staff
Set up online chat to help employees stay connected & communicate company-wide messaging
Create a plan around cleaning and sanitizing the dealership
Define process & daily checklists for what is cleaned, how and when
Upgrade your cleaning supplies to keep with demand
Refill soap often & have alcohol-based (60%) sanitizer in all restrooms
Provide employees with necessary tools to keep their workspaces clean
Encourage social distancing
Discourage employees from sharing phones, headsets, and other equipment
Encourage everyone to do their part to disinfect

  • Define & Communicate a strategy for working from home

  • Ensure all staff has the necessary equipment for working remotely (Internet, devices, video conferencing)

  • Establish structure daily check-ins between manager and employee with established “rules of engagement”

  • Create proper workflows to help employees stay on task

  • Set up Video conferencing to stay connected with your staff

  • Set up online chat to help employees stay connected & communicate company-wide messaging

  • Create a plan around cleaning and sanitizing the dealership

  • Define process & daily checklists for what is cleaned, how and when

  • Upgrade your cleaning supplies to keep with demand

  • Refill soap often & have alcohol-based (60%) sanitizer in all restrooms

  • Provide employees with necessary tools to keep their workspaces clean

  • Encourage social distancing

  • Discourage employees from sharing phones, headsets, and other equipment

  • Encourage everyone to do their part to disinfect

Resources

VIRTUAL WORKFORCE

A Guide to Managing Your (Newly) Remote Workers
Five Advantages and Benefits of Video Conferencing
Four Ways To Make Remote Work More Effective
4 Tips for Successfully Managing a Virtual Workforce
Creating a ‘Third Culture’ Is Essential for Successful Remote Working
Guide to Enterprise Telework, Remote Access and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Security
Coronavirus: How to work from home, the right way
SUCCEEDING FROM HOME: Here’s exactly how to thrive as a remote worker in the days of coronavirus
Working Remotely: A Complete Guide to Turn You Into a Pro
The Verge Guide to Working from Home
USA Today: Top 13 tips to work at home amid coronavirus concerns

FACILITY MANAGEMENT

Corona Care Guide for Businesses
Disinfection Cleaning Products Approved by EPA
Cleaning & Disinfecting Your Facility
Google Coronavirus info site
Informational YouTube Video on Coronavirus

Virtual Workforce Guide Facility Guide Playbook
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