Choosing People Over Profits

How you treat your workforce during a crisis will be remembered long after the crisis is over. With that in mind, choose people over profits.

Besides this being the right thing to do, you'll also create employee loyalty that others can only dream about.

If you're there for your people when they need you most, they'll be there for you, through thick and thin.

Consider what you can do to ease people's worries during times of crisis.

• Send an Amazon gift card, along with a note telling your workers you are thinking of them during these trying times.
• Issue partial year-end bonuses today, based on the achievement of goals through the first quarter of the year.
• Or follow the lead of today's Crisis Super Hero, Jim Fish.

Let me introduce you to the first, of what I hope will be many, Crisis Super Heroes.

Crisis Super Hero, Jim Fish, CEO of Waste Management

Jim Fish, CEO of Waste Management says his company will continue to pay employees for a 40-hour workweek, regardless of whether or not their hours or cut or curtailed during this crisis. The policy will continue indefinitely.

“I sure hope this thing doesn’t go on for two years. But honestly if it did, I’d tell you that 40-hour guarantee becomes increasingly valuable the farther out you go. ”Replacing people is expensive, running up to $20,000 when a Waste Management employee quits. “So purely from an economic standpoint, I’d still tell you it’s the right thing to do,” he said.

We need more super heroes. Who would you nominate as the next Crisis Super Hero and why?

Need support leading your team through this crisis? I'm here to help.

90-Day Coaching: I'll share best practices and help you with both professional and personal issues with a weekly call and unrestricted email. This unique offering is intended to help you navigate through these choppy waters and chart a course for smooth sailing ahead. I'm limiting the number of slots to 10 so that I can provide as much support as needed to you while continuing to care for my loyal clients. Write to me at Roberta@matusonconsulting.com to sign up: $2,500.