Several companies (that can) have chosen to allow their employees to work from home, closing their offices to outside visitors or suspending all in-person contact until the public health risk reduces. We have put together a list of resources to help you and your employees during this time.
Resources
- Ensuring a Successful Return to Work in a COVID-19 World
- Employees Who Continue to Work from Home – Practical Considerations for Employers
- Delivering Online Meetings and Events – Microsoft 365
- Remote Work Toolkit – GoToMeeting
- Coronavirus: How to Work From Home The Right Way – BBC
- A Blueprint for Remote Working Lessons From China – McKinsey
Work from Home Technology
Communications Platforms
- Microsoft Products (Teams and Skype)
- Slack (Instant Messaging Platform)
- Zoom Videoconferencing
- GoToMeeting Videoconferencing
- Looms (for video recording tutorials)
Project Management Platforms
Cloud Platforms
- Zoho (free small business plan during the COVID-19 pandemic)
- G-suite
Helpful Videos on Remote Work Technology
Get to know the virtual tools that will help you connect with colleagues while working from home:
OCC Pandemic Preparedness Toolkit
The OCC and Hick Morley have put together a Pandemic Preparedness Toolkit with guidelines and resources to help businesses plan for and adapt to the disruption of COVID-19 and any future influenza pandemics.
A few recommendations to help reduce feelings of distance and loneliness:
- Switch your meetings from audio-only to video calls. Seeing your colleagues’ faces (and their pets) should make them feel closer.
- Instead of hashing out something on Teams or via email, pick up the phone. Then, take the time for some small talk (or big talk!) rather than diving right into work.
- Reach out to a co-worker who isn’t on your team, or who you don’t normally work closely with, and send a word of encouragement.
- Make time each day to go outdoors, ideally for a walk.