What we’re going through right now is going to have a big effect on how employees view us afterwards. With the employment relationship ending, people are going to be open to looking for other jobs when this is all over.

What I’ve found in talking with dozens of employees that we’ve had to temporarily pay off is that they’re very understanding. They realize we’re a small business that can’t afford to pay them or offer expanded sick leave and don’t blame us for it.

Be transparent - share what you know and what you don’t know with regards to re-opening date, health of the business, etc.

Help them with unemployment - lots of employees aren’t familiar with the process, they might assume they’re ineligible if they’re still working a few hours or if they’re going to be rehired later. Giving them links and telling them how to apply goes a long way.

Keep them informed about other available resources - from expanded unemployment to the upcoming stimulus as well as local organizations providing meals, grants/loans, etc. Lots of areas have suspended utility payments/evictions, but not everyone knows.

Health insurance - this is a tough one, but we made the decision to cover all health insurance payments through April and reassess then. Not every business can do this, but I think it really helps relieve some anxiety employees are facing, especially when they may end up in the hospital soon.

Even if you can’t afford to maintain health insurance, let them know about COBRA (including grace periods) and marketplace options.

Don’t force employees to come to work - If you’re an essential business that’s still open, understand that your employees are scared right now. Obviously don’t pay them, but give people the option if you can. There’s probably someone else wanting a paycheck anyways.

Similarly, give them soap and hand sanitizer and establish protocols to try to keep them safe.

Regular communication - it’s a big risk to have employees go out of touch for a month or even longer. I try to send weekly updates to everyone letting them know how things stand, any updates in government assistance, etc.