By Teresa Tanner
If there’s one thing I’ve noticed over the past several weeks, it’s the abundance of negative news floating around. Unemployment rates, the unknown future of the education system, the havoc COVID-19 is wreaking, oh and don’t forget impending murder hornets. It’s mentally exhausting.
I’m of the mindset that we can’t be consumed with the bad news—otherwise, we’ll never march towards anything positive.
Take for instance my decision to leave corporate America. Some gasped and probably wondered if I was committing career suicide. But I wasn’t concerned—I wanted to chase something uplifting and make an impact in a different way. My passion for gender equality and women in the workforce outweighed any fear.
While I’m not worried about leaving my executive role, I am starting to get anxious about the impact COVID-19 is having on women and the various roles they play. The virus is a catalyst and has the eerie potential to send us into a 1950s time warp where women raised children and juggled all.the.things. surrounding home life. With the imminent possibility of a hybrid approach to education, mothers may feel pressure to leave their jobs and instead become full-time teachers and childcare providers. For those that make the choice to leave the workforce intentionally and willingly, I applaud and admire you. For those that feel forced into that decision because your support infrastructure has vanished overnight, I mourn for you.
As HR professionals and people leaders, we’ve got to prevent this possibility and instead be prepared. We’ve come too far to slide backward—we can’t be a part of the looming negativity. Here’s how we can get creative together and ensure the diversity in our workplaces doesn’t go down the drain:
- Flexibility, flexibility, flexibility. We’re living in a new world and that calls for new rules—or fewer rules for that matter. Extending work-from-home opportunities is a must and don’t even consider asking any non-essential roles (male or female) to return to the office until daycare and schools are fully functioning. Consider allowing full-time roles to transition temporarily to part-time or job-sharing roles.
- Think outside the box about work/life balance benefits. With all of the risks surrounding COVID-19, daycares and schools will be more stringent on accepting children with even low-grade fevers. That means your employees will need more PTO, sick time or opportunities to work from home while caring for their children. #thejuggleisreal
- Skip performance reviews. That’s right. I said it. Skip them—or at least shorten your review period to quarterly instead of annual goals. (Take a page out of Facebook’s book.) If you feel you need to keep performance review processes in place–and I get that–at least make sure goals are adjusted to realistic performance expectations and take the time to evaluate year over year performance trends to see if any particular group seems to be struggling more than another.
- Redefine traditional work rhythms and structures. Your employees are used to having a schedule for their day—but now they have to manage their schedule plus that of their children’s. Not only are they logging on for your zoom calls, but they are assisting their son or daughter with theirs, too. Poll your team and determine the best time to have your meetings—and put guardrails up so nobody is double-booked, choosing between work and kid. Also, consider a compressed work week or flex scheduling. Maybe start times begin at 10am instead of 8am so mom can make breakfast for the littles.
- Keep employees connected, engaged and thriving. Right now, content is flying at us from all angles. We can barely keep up. Don’t lose the human connection you have with your team. They need to feel supported—by you and by each other. Whether it’s a weekly happy hour or sending a mood-boosting basket their way, you’ve got to do something.
Unfortunately, even with these various options, the harsh reality is we’re still at risk of taking a huge step in the opposite direction with diversity. It simply isn’t a manageable or sustainable time for working parents. Our infrastructure is weakening to the point of collapse. #solongsummercamp #goodbyenormalschoolweek
But you can do something to stop this from happening—and I’m here to help. We’re in this together and we need each more now than ever, after all. If you’re ready to take the next step and ensure your employees feel valued and cared for, let’s talk. I have a team of experienced coaches who can turn the tide in your direction and keep your female employees on the books. It may be exactly what your company needs during this stressful time.