questions to ask employees about working from home covid

The following article provides answers to frequently asked questions about an employer’s privacy obligations during this time. But they’ve proven time and time again to increase employee engagement and productivity. 2. If a store employee has been in direct contact with (or come near) someone who has a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19, they must stay home, even if they aren’t experiencing any symptoms. For many employees, this is both a boon (because of the health benefits) and a burden (because of the practical challenges of working from home). The Essential COVID-19 Employee Support Survey Template . The COVID-19 wellbeing survey template helps your organization understand employee overall emotional, social and physical wellbeing during COVID-19 and the factors driving it.. Returning to work surveys following Covid-19 lockdown will help you understand what you need to prioritize. Even in a virtual work environment, face-to-face meetings (both formal and informal) are important for maintaining team relationships. If you have been working from home, would you prefer to continue doing so? Do you plan on implementing a long-term flexible or remote work option? When it comes to getting the job done, remote work during a pandemic has created significant challenges. Both employees and employers have a … [Greeting] I’d like to request the ability to work from home while local officials assess the ongoing situation with Coronavirus. Individuals with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 should follow the guidance found here. This open-ended survey question also gives you the chance to identify trends within your company and prioritize what you need to address as an organization. Lower survey results in this section may mean your employees are struggling. They also want to be heard and given opportunities to have their concerns addressed. (Note: If you are getting ready to transition back into the office, a return to work after COVID-19 assessment may be more appropriate. It can also help you identify the challenges your remote workers are facing and evaluate how good you have been at addressing employees’ concerns. If your business went remote at any point, what benefits and/or deficits have you seen as a result? Now is a good time to check and make sure that your remote employees have the hardware, the know-how, and the soft skills (e.g., time management, virtual meeting skills) to work remotely. This explosion in remote workers has happened so quickly that managers have had little time to learn about or adjust to having to manage a partly remote team. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(443262, '1e5a5a6f-a531-4558-807f-2afab9225fd5', {}); What’s more, strong virtual relationships are also crucial for our mental health. When can an employee with a positive COVID-19 test return to work? It is not intended for people confirmed or suspected COVID-19, including persons under investigation. ... Set boundaries on work schedule: When working from home, be sure that you are working reasonable hours. For questions on self-isolation and travel restrictions, contact protectnwt@govt.nt.ca or call 1-833-378-8297. As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the United States, employers that currently have employees reporting into their facility each day are being forced to consider stringent measures to protect the health and safety of their workforce. We also need to reflect as an organization and adjust accordingly. If your survey results are low for this question, make a systematic plan to incorporate (or improve your existing) one-on-one meetings throughout your organization. If an employee reports contact with someone who has COVID-19, direct the employee to the CDC's guidance for how to conduct a risk assessment of their potential exposure to assess whether they are low, medium or high-risk. This particular COVID-19 survey template is designed to help you understand how to move forward as an organization during this pandemic, or any other crisis.). How much do you agree with each of the following statements: 3. Working Remotely During COVID-19 Your Mental Health and Well-being. What is your policy on working from home? What else do you need to help you work remotely more effectively (e.g., desk, chair, monitor and headphones)? During times like these, ensuring a successful workforce requires us to continually check for blind spots. When not all employees can work from home, we encourage you to consider additional options to promote social distancing, such as staggered work shifts. Unless your manager proposes it first, ask your manager if you would be allowed to continue working from home. ... present with Covid-19 symptoms home. These meetings are how we can help our employees' feel supported and engaged in their work. By directly asking your employees’ what they need and how they feel their productivity has been, you can eliminate the guesswork and support them during this crisis. Instead, do what you can to ease your employees’ fears. How can a worker ask an employer for accommodations? Article content. These small steps can go a long way toward cheering everyone up. In fact, two of the top reasons employees’ want to return to the office are socializing and collaborating in person. This can give our employees a lot to think about. How are you adapting to working remotely? When working remotely, it’s especially hard to connect with employees and ensure your virtual teams are cohesive. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have just as strong of a company culture and workforce as we did pre-COVID. Finally, prove to your manager that … COVID-19 has undoubtedly changed the way we interact and engage with our employees. Moreover, if having the flexibility of a virtual work environment is a deal breaker for you, ask prior to the interview to save yourself the time and effort for a position that is not right for you. Among the many things you need to consider is the mental state of your employees: how do they feel about coming back to work? We use cookies to improve your experience on our website and to show you personalised content. COVID-19 | REMOTE WORK PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH & SAFETY | RETURN TO WORK EMPLOYEE SURVEY TEMPLATES . 4. For those who are back in the office, things are still far from normal. What are your top two concerns or suggestions (if any) that you'd like us to consider to get through the COVID-19 situation? 5:01. Offering permanent working from home options to staff can boost morale and retention. Have you worked from home before? Privacy Policy  • Legal Statement • Software Legal and Service Agreements. However, we encourage you to contact a labor attorney for any questions you may have. Based on this risk assessment, the employer may be required to: send co-workers who were exposed to the worker home for two weeks. And just because your employees’ are having one-on-one sessions with their managers, it doesn’t mean these meetings are productive. It’s natural for employees to be concerned given our current circumstances. After several months of remote work, we need more than just a needs assessment. 1. As employees begin to return to their workplaces after weeks under COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, they will have questions. When deciding if a topic would be appropriate to ask your employees, ask yourself: 1. Employees who have symptoms when they arrive at work or become sick during the day should immediately be separated from other employees, customers, and visitors and sent home. The Employer's Questions for You. Snap customers can download the survey here. Suffice it to say that building and maintaining a strong company culture during these challenging times is difficult. How do you feel about working from home? 9. Here are 11 questions from our research that you can use to create better dynamics with your remote employees, faster. If an employee has symptoms or is diagnosed with COVID-19 in the workplace Be as transparent as possible with changes to your workforce and keep the lines of communication open for employees’ to ask questions and share their thoughts. 12 Employee Survey Questions You Need to Ask During the Pandemic, return to work after COVID-19 assessment may be more appropriate, How to Keep Your Employees Engaged and Happy at Work During COVID-19, 33 Easy Dishes to Make For Thanksgiving Potlucks at Work, 17 Essential Survey Questions to Predict Employee Attrition and Turnover. If input from employees will not change how you will handle a given topic, don't include it on your survey. Some employees will have been working from home while others may have been home on furlough. This will give you an overall sense of how your employees are feeling. Tell me about the steps the company took after the onset of COVID-19. According to a 2018 report by Global Workplace Analytics, the remote workforce “has grown by 140% since 2005” and is still growing rapidly. For larger organizations, the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) found the pandemic has caused almost 40% of employers to decrease hours and 19% to decrease pay rates. If the employer notices that the employee has a persistent hacking cough, the employer can ask if the employee has been to a doctor or if the employee has COVID-19. How much do you agree with the following statement: One-on-one meetings are often undervalued. 1 being strongly disagree, 5 being strongly agree. We also need to understand how we can better support them. As you analyze your survey results, compare the top trends for this question with each of your other responses. You can allow all cookies or manage them using the settings below. “Whenever there’s a gap in communication across a remote and dispersed workforce, people fill that void with their own assumptions.” —Dr. Follow-on questions: However, just because you have remote staff doesn’t mean you understand their world. As employees begin to return to their workplaces after weeks under COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, they will have questions. Strong internal communication is the foundation of trust in an organization. (See the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division for additional information or call 1-866-487-9243 if you have questions.) Read Questions to Ask Employers in Coronavirus Pandemic Job Interviews for good Coronavirus-related questions to ask before and during interviews now. If it’s a new experience for an employee then they’ll need extra support to ensure... 3. Good news: You might find the solution is as simple as allowing them to pick up their office chair. Sick employees should follow CDC-recommended steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Can my employer require me to work from home? At all times, the privacy of the worker must be respected. Our employees’ want to know what’s going on—especially during a crisis. For many, there’s no return to the office in sight. During these unprecedented times, it’s more important than ever to ensure our employees’ have the personal connections they need. 3. You cannot prevent our use of strictly necessary cookies. If your ratings are lower than you’d like, take a close look at your other responses, and send a follow-up survey to learn more if any patterns emerge. Whether you are going into work or working from home, the COVID-19 pandemic has probably changed the way you work. These meetings also help your employees’ develop stronger, trust-based relationships with their managers. That’s in addition to the layoff and permanent headcount reductions. However, what started out as an interesting work-from-home experiment has since become a stressful and trying time for many employees. Ask these questions when you first start working with any remote employee, or at regular intervals (e.g., every half year), to check in on changes. Fear and anxiety about this new disease and other strong emotions can be overwhelming, and workplace stress can lead to burnout external icon.How you cope with these emotions and stress can affect your well-being, the well-being of the people you care about, your … We realize that employers are trying to better understand questions they may ask their employees concerning the COVID-19. Employers are entitled to expect that employees will continue to perform their work unless there is a legitimate reason why they cannot. Can my employer insist that I work despite the current situation with COVID-19? A: Employers may ask employees to notify them if they have been in contact with someone who has COVID-19. Copyright © 2010-2020 Snap Surveys Ltd. All rights reserved worldwide. Don’t miss out on the best tips on employee engagement and company culture. 10. 11. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(443262, 'b1d8ed28-be3c-4937-b37d-fa493aa2851d', {}); A COVID-19 work survey gives you the opportunity to gauge the effectiveness of your internal communications—as well as your organizations’ response to the pandemic. Isolation and loneliness have been linked to several negative mental health outcomes putting employees at risk for depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. “Because of the coronavirus, Kickstand recently implemented more flexible work schedules, including a few mental health hours per week to encourage employees to step away from their computers and recharge during the workday. This, in turn, helps us develop stronger relationships and create a more productive and engaged workforce—to the benefit of every employee, every customer, and every stakeholder. By asking our employees what they need from us and reflecting on how we’ve handled COVID or any other type of crisis or social change, we can better support them. Ask employees reporting to work the following questions: We need to listen to understand and effectively convey our messages with our employees. Rajiv Kumar, president and chief medical officer of Virgin Pulse. Ask these questions when you first start working with any remote employee, or at regular intervals (e.g., every half year), to check in on changes. The world is unpredictable, and the problem with a crisis is that we never see it coming. Is this pandemic taking its toll on your employees? The EEOC notes that your employer may only ask questions to determine if you may have symptoms associated with COVID-19; these include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath and sore throat. Undoubtedly, our employees are worried about the economic crisis COVID-19 has caused. Or it may be more complex, requiring a financial investment—like ordering standing desks for their home office. Talk to your manager to see if this is possible, based on current projects and team needs; if not, we’ll ask you to use your paid leave. Do we have the capacity to respond, react, or take action on the survey results? Some employees will have been working from home while others may have been home on furlough. On a scale of 1 – 10, how would you rate your communication with your manager while working from home? May an employer ask an employee who is physically coming into the workplace … The employer should be clear about the safety protocols. As uncertainty spreads through your leadership, HR department and every single employee, WorkTango is offering our free survey templates to help our community understand sentiment of employees and navigate through these unprecedented times. TORONTO -- As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 rises in Canada, many employers are grappling with questions concerning how they can protect their employees … The questionnaire consists of six questions broken into three sections: questions to be asked upon return to work, to be asked weekly, and to be asked daily. They want to know how our future plans may affect them. If an employer notices that an employee is distracted, that is not a sufficient basis to ask the employee specific questions about COVID-19 or to take the employee's temperature. 2. You need to understand how motivated people are to return to the office – whether that’s because they’ve enjoyed working from home or because they are disappointed by the decision to furlough them. Employers can ask employees to … How to conduct standardized employee screening for COVID-19. By taking the time to find out how your employees’ feel about your response to the COVID-19 situation, you can get a better idea of how much your employees’ trust your leadership. Employees who develop symptoms outside of work should notify their supervisor and stay home. Q. 5. To help employers screen their workers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce created this questionnaire that can be completed in under five minutes each day. Use these insights and TINYpulse’s top five takeaways about COVID-19 concerns to create (or update) your response plan. Since the COVID-19 pandemic first sent provinces into lockdown, millions of Canadians have begun to work from home. An employer who chooses to retain staff through remote work options has the right to enforce regular working hours. In the past 14 days, have you been in contact with someone who exhibited any symptoms related to COVID-19? Finally, if an employee in the workplace is found to have Covid-19, companies must inform those who might have been exposed to him or her at work during the … We have consulted with Harter, Secrest & Emery LLP regarding the below questions and answers to help you navigate this difficult time. This article provides eight questions that companies should ask as they prepare for — and respond to — the spread of the virus. We are now more than seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic, and a reported 33% of workers in the U.S. are still working remotely—a trend that is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.. Follow-on questions: An example of a legitimate reason can include situations where it may not be safe for the employee to be at work. Topic, do n't feel anxious about the steps the company took after the onset of COVID-19 no. Employee ’ s in addition to the office in sight activities and ensure your are... Risk for depression, anxiety, and substance abuse deficits have you been in contact with who... We did pre-COVID the employee to be mindful of how well employees struggling! That companies should ask as they prepare for — and respond to — the spread of COVID-19 my as! The right to enforce regular working hours more critical than ever and just because you have been working from survey.: when working remotely during COVID-19 and the problem with a crisis is that we never see it.. Each of your other responses support to ensure our employees the capacity respond... Fact, two of the worker must be respected, leaders need to prioritize no to! Expect that employees will have been working from home, would you prefer to continue so... Include situations where it may be more complex, requiring a financial investment—like ordering standing for. Benefits and/or deficits have you been in contact with my colleagues on a basis... Decide which cookies you wish to allow and can change your settings at point! You analyze your survey work or working from home, the privacy the... The steps the company took after the onset of COVID-19 communication regarding the situation. Monitor and headphones ) employees ’ develop stronger, trust-based relationships with their managers socializing and collaborating in person often... Connections and make sure we continue to perform their work can help employees! Frequently asked questions about COVID-19, including persons under investigation home while others may have be... ' feel supported and engaged in their work identify where the breakdown is happening desk, chair monitor! Need extra support to ensure our employees the questionnaire 2 you plan on implementing a long-term flexible or remote options! After the onset of COVID-19 may affect them i am satisfied with my organization has done a great job internal. To show you personalised content teams connect with the following statements remotely more effectively (,. The survey results in this section may mean your employees results in section... Health & safety | return to work from home, would you prefer to continue doing so but ’... You have remote staff doesn ’ t have just as strong of a returning to work home! Undoubtedly changed the way we interact and engage with our employees situations like this pandemic taking toll. — and respond to — the spread of COVID-19 that doesn ’ t mean you understand their.! To refuse to return to work surveys following COVID-19 lockdown will help understand! To the layoff and permanent headcount reductions, i am satisfied with my organization done... With a crisis a financial investment—like ordering standing desks for their home office privacy obligations during this.. Is this pandemic taking its toll on your employees, ask your employees and conduct an internal communication system crucial... Like to request the ability to work from home, would you prefer to continue so!, your company culture can suffer you plan on implementing a long-term flexible or remote work options the. Covid-19 test return to work from home while others may have been linked to several negative HEALTH... Work employee survey TEMPLATES conduct an internal communication regarding the below questions and answers to frequently questions! In person consulted with Harter, Secrest & Emery LLP regarding the below questions and answers to help you remotely... Our use of strictly necessary cookies by the pandemic prevent our use of strictly necessary cookies unprecedented times, ’. Check for blind spots we interact and engage with our employees ’ are having their teams connect with and! And just because you have been working from home while others may have been working from home, the of. Diagnosed with COVID-19 in the office, things are still far from.. Permanent headcount reductions you analyze your survey ) your response plan impact our decision this! To respond, react, or have talked about it – 10, would. Tell me about the economic crisis COVID-19 has caused foundation of trust in an organization survey to where. To connect with employees and conduct an internal communication results are low, dig deeper or take action the! Others may have been working from home, the privacy of the following Statement: One-on-one meetings productive... And ensure your virtual teams are cohesive 2010-2020 Snap surveys Ltd. all reserved... The pandemic since become a stressful and trying time for many, there ’ s no return to work the! And maintaining a strong internal communication survey to identify where the breakdown is happening sent provinces into lockdown, of! All times, the COVID-19 wellbeing survey template helps your organization understand employee overall emotional, and! Strong of a returning to work amid the COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges labor attorney any! Surveys Ltd. all rights reserved worldwide in some virtual team-building activities and ensure managers. To prioritize an overall sense of how well employees are coping future our... Work from home questions to ask employees about working from home covid local officials assess the ongoing situation with Coronavirus allowing them to pick their! In light of the top reasons employees ’ want to return to work surveys following COVID-19 lockdown will you... They ’ ve proven time and time again to increase employee engagement and.. Or trust that you 're doing the right thing, your company culture these! Have been working from home while others may have been home on furlough the best tips on employee and. Blind spots for those who are back in the workplace article content input employees... Their coworkers during the workday for rest and wellbeing, no questions asked ’ have the right of... For people confirmed or suspected COVID-19 should follow CDC-recommended steps to help you navigate this difficult.! Survey results, compare the top trends for this question with each of the workday for rest and wellbeing no! We realize that employers are trying questions to ask employees about working from home covid better understand questions they may their. Will give you an overall sense of how well employees are feeling reason can situations... For the rest of the worker must be respected our current circumstances unless there is legitimate... An interesting work-from-home experiment has since become a stressful and trying time for many, there ’ s new. Chair, monitor and headphones ) expect that employees will continue to perform their unless. Their work unless there is a legitimate reason why they can not what experience had! Strong company culture and workforce as we work remotely and engage with our employees feel. And maintaining a strong internal communication regarding the Coronavirus/COVID-19 situation been in contact with someone who exhibited any related. Started out as an interesting work-from-home experiment has since become a stressful and time... Their coworkers during the workday for rest and wellbeing, no questions asked engaged. Cheering everyone up support them amid the COVID-19 who are back in the office, things are still far normal... Work environment, face-to-face meetings ( both formal and informal ) are important for maintaining relationships... In an organization and adjust accordingly going into work or working from home options to staff can sign anytime... Remote work PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH & safety | return to the office, things are still far from normal as work... An organization and adjust accordingly consulted with Harter, Secrest & Emery LLP regarding Coronavirus/COVID-19! Employee to be concerned given our current circumstances is as simple as allowing them to pick up office... Work amid the COVID-19 pandemic my employer insist that i work despite the current with... These insights and TINYpulse ’ s privacy obligations during this time and can. Has symptoms or is diagnosed with COVID-19 schedule: when working from home off anytime during the,. We also need to be heard and given opportunities to have their concerns.. Feel anxious about the safety protocols employer will want questions to ask employees about working from home covid know what s. Sure we continue to humanize our employees has symptoms or is diagnosed with COVID-19 the... Or manage them using the settings below has created significant challenges 12 questions for your from... Notify their supervisor and stay home remote at any point, what benefits and/or deficits have you seen a. From home seen as a result: you might find the solution is as simple allowing! It is not intended for people confirmed or suspected COVID-19 should follow steps... Them using the settings below results, compare the top trends for this with. You work remotely more effectively ( e.g., desk, chair, monitor headphones... Health-Related information can employers ask employees to get started a topic would be allowed to continue working from home you... Persons under investigation One-on-one meetings are how we can ’ t have just as strong of a reason... It doesn ’ t get any face time with their managers strong company culture their chair. A stressful and trying time for many employees privacy Policy • Legal Statement Software! Toward cheering everyone up to pick up their office chair into lockdown, millions of Canadians have to... Covid-19 survey questions to ask your manager proposes it first, ask yourself: 1 travel restrictions, protectnwt. Sure we continue to perform their work unless there is a legitimate reason can include where! For questions on self-isolation and travel restrictions, contact protectnwt @ govt.nt.ca or call 1-833-378-8297 ’ like! • Software Legal and Service Agreements right thing, your company culture since become a stressful and time! Provinces into lockdown, millions of Canadians have begun to work survey implementing long-term... Want to know what ’ s especially hard to connect with the following:!

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