Work at Home, School at Home?

How to Position Your Business and Your Employees for Success During the COVID-19 School Year

Today’s pandemic uncertainties are creating a unique set of difficulties for working parents, and the businesses that employ them. School districts are finalizing and announcing new plans at the very last minute. The usual school rhythm that working parents have embraced for years is changing from moment to moment, leaving parents frustrated, confused and unable to make the necessary plans they need to ensure their children’s successful learning without a negative impact on their own work responsibilities. 

Simply put, the constant changes being made by school districts this year are leaving little time for parents to plan—and even less time for employers to plan how they can support the working parents among their staff. Whether a company can allow employees to work from home, or whether it’s an essential business requiring employees to show up for in-person shifts, this ever-changing school year can create challenges that businesses should be prepared to address. 

Here are some ways to do so.

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Remember, all the information in this blog post is published in good faith and for general information purpose only.  I am not an attorney, nor do I provide legal advice. The information provided is my personal opinion and not that of any organization, business, company, agency or other individuals.  The author is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions or failure to act related to the content of this article. If you need specific legal advice, consult with an attorney who specializes in your subject matter.  Any action you take upon the information you find on this website (www.hrraw.com), is strictly at your own risk.

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August 25, 2020 | Penny Horton

Practical Ways Employers Can Help Employees with Children During COVID-19

1. Be empathetic. A little kindness goes a long way toward helping employees perform at their best. Remember, this situation is hard on everyone, and many employees would give anything to just get back to the normal routine, instead of having to constantly adjust due to the pandemic. 
   
   Tip: Employers that show patience, flexibility and compassion right now will retain enthusiastic, productive employees in the long-term.

2. Understand your employees’ perspective. Right now, employees are being faced with many different situations. Parents who can’t work from home are struggling to figure out who will watch their children during the school day. The situation gets even tougher for parents with special needs children or young children or those who need extra help and motivation. Not all children, despite their age or maturity level, are good at self-motivation, computer-based learning or staying disciplined with little supervision. 
   
   Tip: Listening to employees right now can reveal what their needs are, and what challenges they’re facing—which can allow you to develop creative solutions so you can work with them to achieve a win-win.

3. Provide flexibility. With COVID counts rising and falling and rising again, schools may need to cancel in-person classes or request students be quarantined at a moment’s notice. So, employees with children may find their schedules unpredictable. When possible, consider allowing parents to work flex hours to accommodate this.
   
   Tip: If possible, permit employees to make up hours on weekends and during evenings, allow full-time employees to switch to part-time, or offer to switch employees to a different shift to create a win-win situation.  Be mindful of the impact on payroll compliance if flexing hours creates overtime eligibility.
   

4. Bring in temporary part-time staff. Some parents may need to cut back work hours so they can properly school their children at home. To bridge this gap, many employers are bringing in contractors and freelancers to fill in during those hours. 
   
   Tip: Temp agencies, LinkedIn searches, and local networking groups can all help connect your business with contractors who’d be a fit for your needs. Be mindful of co-employment issues, and make sure you know the guidelines for properly classifying your workforce in accordance with DOL guidelines.
   

5. Provide resources for employees with school–age children. Employers can help employees succeed by alerting them to available resources and solutions that other parents are finding useful right now. Some ideas include finding or forming a neighborhood cooperative group where parents share home-schooling duties once a week, using online calendars, setting reminders for children to start various school activities, using whiteboards, etc. 
   
   Tip: Consider donating old laptops to students who need them, or partnering with a local nonprofit to provide school-related assistance to those in need, both on your staff and in the community at large.
   

6. Establish a standard approach and apply it consistently. Pandemic concerns aside, employers are still expected to provide an equitable playing field for all employees. Establish a clear policy that spells out how you will handle requests for time-off and other accommodations for employees with children, communicate it to everyone, and apply it consistently. 
   
   Tip: Getting advice from Who’s Your HR? can help you avoid pitfalls as you create any new policies related to COVID-19.

7. Don’t forget your obligations under the FFCRA, if they apply to your business. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act generally requires small businesses to provide expanded family and medical leave to eligible employees, which includes paid sick leave due to a school closure for COVID-19 reasons. This paid time off can be of great assistance to struggling families.
   
   Tip: FFCRA guidelines are confusing to understand and complex to administer. Get expert HR, legal and financial advice to help you navigate this requirement.

Get Help Adapting Your Business to COVID-19

It’s not easy to shift quickly and effectively to the ever-changing needs of the pandemic, but your business doesn’t have to go it alone. Let the team at Who’s Your HR? assist you in creating new policies, writing communications and guidelines for employees who are schooling children at home this year, and establishing quarantine and health policies to address what happens if employees have a possible COVID-19 exposure through children attending school in person.

Contact us today to get started.