QUOTE OF THE DAY You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do. –Eleanor Roosevelt COVID-19 UPDATE At the time of reporting Monday morning, The New York Times reported at least 555,000 cases of novel coronavirus in the U.S. and at least 22,000 deaths. Bing’s COVID-19 tracker reported 562,506 cases and 22,151 fatalities. Many health experts are skeptical that President Trump’s May 1 timeline to reopen the economy is realistic. The government is eyeing a “rolling” strategy where pieces of the economy may open before others. And the government’s plan still lacks specifics. Federal officials are sending mixed signals on the economy. Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari says the road to recovery will be “long” and “hard.” The Fed’s Vice Chairman Richard Clarida says there is “nothing fundamentally wrong with the U.S. economy.” Stocks were down Monday morning as WHO officials warned that it remains unclear whether previously infected patients become immune to COVID-19.
Aflac’s senior VP shares how to comfort employees. Catherine Hernandez-Blades shares how she is communicating with newly remote teams and alleviating anxiety during this crisis.
Your smartphone can also double as a webcam. For remote workers now using video chat as a primary comms channel, your smartphone could be an important piece of hardware. Here are some tips to improve you picture quality. Data from Fleishman Hillard puts a “return to normal” at five months away. The average adult is 17 weeks away from returning to their normal routines, and 89% expect employers to be generous and creative in mitigating the impact on employees.
What tools are you using to connect internally during COVID-19? Here are some options that can help you engage remote teams and stay on task for your topline goals. Don’t try to pass the blame on layoffs and pay cuts. Maven, which owns Sports Illustrated, argues it dismissed writer Grant Wahl for his aggressive maneuvering during the crisis and its economic fallout. Wahl has used Twitter to hit back. The story is a reminder not to escalate an already delicate situation. GeekWire reported: “To complain about a personal pay reduction when 31 others had just lost their jobs is incomprehensible in light of the sacrifices others made to help limit layoffs and maintain livable salaries for our staff,” [Maven CEO James Heckman] wrote. “Such a me-first attitude is not part of the tradition and culture Maven is committed to maintaining.” Stay productive while WFH with these tips. Top suggestions include structure, deadlines and breaks to help you moving down your to-do list. WWE downplays risk after employee tests positive for COVID-19. The wrestling group has continued to stage matches in empty stadiums as other sports leagues have shutdown. The Source shared an excerpt of the internal memo addressing the case: … We believe this matter is low-risk to you per the following chronology … Those of you who were potentially exposed would be cleared for travel by the evening of Thursday, April 9 at the latest, since the last possible exposure to any WWE talent personnel should have been at least 14 days prior.” Can you pitch a non-coronavirus story? Some researchers crunched the data and share how they see opportunities for companies that want to talk about something other than COVID-19. Condé Nast points to long-term impact, announces deeper cuts. In trying to prepare for projected shortfalls, make sure that employees feel valued and respected—but don’t sugarcoat the truth. CEO Roger J. Lynch says layoffs were a “last option”—but expected. When an employee has COVID-19, you must protect their identity. Notify employees who came into contact with that individual of their exposure, but protect the name of your ill employee. Fisher Phillips writes: When sending the employees home, do not identify by name the infected employee or you could risk a violation of confidentiality laws. If you work in a shared office building or area, you should inform building management so they can take whatever precautions they deem necessary. The CDC provides that the employees who worked closely to the infected worker “should then self-monitor for symptoms (i.e., fever, cough, or shortness of breath).” Virtual Conference Alert Join us for Ragan’s Internal Communications and Culture Virtual Conference April 21-22 to learn how you can connect dispersed workers and unite your organization in the face of unprecedented disruption. Join our Crisis Leadership Board Ragan’s Crisis Leadership Board is the resource you need before, during and post-crisis. As a Board member, you have access to all back issues of this newsletter, we well as research, data, case studies, checklists, tip sheets, articles and other resources, plus a peer to peer discussion board and an all-access pass to the annual Crisis Management Conference. Sponsorship/Advertising Opportunities Contact Hannah Lavelle at [email protected] with sponsorship and advertising inquiries. Pitch Us Have a great story to share about crisis communication or your own take on current best practices? Contact Editor Ted Kitterman at [email protected]. Sign Up Subscribe to Ragan’s Crisis Daily newsletter today! | 