It’s been nearly a month since coronavirus began to rapidly spread in Ontario and working from home became the new norm for those of us who are lucky enough to do so. Things like team meetings, grabbing drinks after work, and even commuting on the TTC now seem like luxuries from a distant past.

The inability to connect with others IRL and experience the outside world is starting to take a toll on people’s psyche, and it’s more important than ever to prioritize your employee’s mental health. Here are five things you can do to keep employee morale high during tough times.

1. Have Consistent Communication

Consistently communicating with your employees and keeping the team spirit alive is one of the most significant things you can do for employee morale. It’s essential to stay connected during this time of uncertainty and give your team a much-needed sense of normalcy. Having frequent video calls with your team and keeping in touch throughout the day via messaging apps are both great ways to keep employee spirits high.  

2. Celebrate the Small Wins

During difficult times, it’s important to celebrate your employee’s accomplishments, no matter how small they may be. Acknowledging the work your employees are doing helps them feel like a valued part of the team and motivates them to continue to do a good job. Whether this means congratulating them on meeting deadlines or acknowledging successful teamwork, these small celebrations can end up making a big difference when it comes to employee morale.

3. Be Transparent

As tempting as it may be to withhold information from your employees in an effort to “protect” them, doing so can actually end up being more harmful than helpful. Given how quickly the nature of work is changing in the wake of the coronavirus, it’s essential that you explain to your employees why certain decisions are being made. The more you update your employees on the current situation, the more engaged they will be.

4. Ask for Feedback

To gauge how your team is feeling and keep employee morale high, you need to ask your employees how they think you’re doing directly. Questions that could come in handy include:

·           What can I do to help you during this time?

·           How are company changes affecting you personally?

·           Do you think I am effectively handling these changes?

5. Remember That Your Employees Are People Too

At the end of the day, your employees are people trying to cope with an unprecedented situation just like you are. Try to be mindful of this and flexible within reason. If your employee needs a day off to regroup and get back on track, you should do your best to accommodate their needs.

By putting these tips into practice, your team will come out of this situation stronger than ever. And if you’re looking for more resources to get your business through this bizarre predicament, Project Spaces is here for you!

We’ve begun compiling useful resources to help businesses power through the COVID-19 pandemic. Be sure to check out the “How-To Guides” section of our new member platform and join the #covid-19 channel discussion on Slack.

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