Stay-at-home orders prompted by COVID-19 are creating a challenge for all businesses, especially small businesses. Today, roughly 40% of all workers are working from their homes and it does not look like that will change anytime soon. Many are, for the first time, trying to sort out remote working or work from home arrangements with their teams.
If this is the first time that your business has been down this road, the Small Business Association of Michigan is here to help with our Remote Worker Toolkit. We know that managing a remote workforce, even one that is partially remote, can be just one more hat that you have to wear. It can be a bit daunting to navigate and ensure employees are productive, engaged and thriving. The transition to remote working means everything just got a bit harder including communicating and general personal interaction.
With help from our friends at the American Society of Employers and NuWave Technology Partners, the SBAM Remote Worker Toolkit contains several HR forms and policies, along with some information that will help you with thoughts on Information Technology (IT) outsourcing and cyber security, plus some useful hints to you along the way. These include:
- Remote work policy
- Remote work communication guide
- Cyber security and IT outsourcing
- Remote work tips for employers
- Investing in your employees’ education
- Employee Assistance Programs
Our goal is simple – to help small businesses survive and thrive during a very difficult time in our nation’s history. We hope this toolkit, helpful hints and reminders of products and services available to SBAM members, will help you along the way.
And check out our COVID-19 Response & Preparedness Plan, which is consistent with recommendations in Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19, developed by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.