3 Cs of Sick Time Planning: Creative, Considerate and Cost-Effective

3 Cs of Sick Time Planning During COVID-19: Creative, Considerate and Cost-Effective

Public and private employers have always had distinct differences in how they navigate workplace policies, compensations and supports around sick leave. These days, COVID-19 is adding yet another element to consider. If you are a full time federal, provincial or municipal employee at any level or you work for a large organization with comprehensive benefits, you already know you are entitled to a certain amount of paid sick leave each year. And, depending on what those circumstances are, you also may be eligible for further supports should your illness extend beyond your sick leave entitlements. In general, if you work for a public employer, you can rest assured if get sick you have a cushion and are “safe”

While the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted sick leave and compensation in all organizations, this blog focuses on smaller private businesses and employers who are now faced with the challenge of planning for and funding sick leaves amidst declining revenues and increasing staffing costs as they begin to reopen. With strict zero tolerance in the workplace for showing up with any symptoms of illness (WorkSafeBC), it is critical for employers to expect and plan for increases in sick leave before the predicted second wave of COVID-19 hits. In particular, this means contingency planning for the following areas:

1.     Funding for both sick leave and any extra coverage required to maintain services and outputs.

2.     Staffing substitutions (a.k.a. short-term, temporary succession planning) to ensure coverage at all levels and minimize disruption to core functions and services.

To ensure that your business or organization has what it needs to support staff who are sick and those still at work, let the 3 Cs of sick time planning inform your next steps. Because each workplace is unique, this is not meant to be prescriptive, but rather a guide to keep in mind when establishing what will work best for you.

GET CREATIVE

If you are a small business, you are well versed in the art of creative responses to problems, so don’t be afraid to get creative with your sick leave planning in the face of the pandemic. If money is already tight and you don’t have a policy of paid sick leave, push yourself to think outside the box.

For example, maybe you request an all-staff meeting to generate ideas on how you can all support each other when someone gets sick and is unable to come to work and together you come up with a list of staff who are willing to cover and be compensated in lieu time so that the staff member who is ill can continue to be paid. Many staff have fewer extracurriculars scheduled and may be more flexible than usual, so asking for volunteers who can swap shifts on short notice with others who fall ill is a good place to start.

BE CONSIDERATE

Next, ensure that all your planning is underpinned by careful consideration of the needs to have a safe, supported workplace for your staff and the needs of your organization to stay in business and resolve to get creative when it seems the two cannot be met simultaneously. Because they can. And they have to – public safety protocols demand it. Being considerate also means communicating to all staff that you have their backs if they think they are ill, no matter what it turns out to be in the end, and that you support and trust their decision to stay home always.

STAY COST EFFECTIVE

 The final C of getting really cost effective in your planning will also help to keep doors open and employees safe. Where can you cut spending in order to have extra sick leave funding available? Which staff members are willing and able to train in other areas now so that they can jump into different functions at times of need in the future? Do staff have other skills sets and experience already that enable them to pivot as/when needed, with no extra training required?

Something we have appreciated about our federal leadership during this time is how quickly it rushed to get financial aid to Canadians who needed it, stating that now was not the time to worry about that tiny minority of people who might abuse it. We believe all employers and managers need to take this same attitude toward sick time and leave in the workplace. We know people are going to need it, they will have to take it, and we must do everything we can to enable and support it. To best position yourself and your teams to weather whatever comes next, don’t wait – start planning now.

Leading From Home: What Managers Need to Think About

By now most leaders are getting into the swing of things working from home. We have all made it through the initial phases of an unexpected remote work arrangement and kept our teams safe in the process. Some of us may have even figured out (maybe only by trial and error, but it still counts) how to keep our teams engaged and motivated working remotely.    

But it’s one thing to lead a remote team on a temporary basis. What’s now becoming clear is that this “new normal” is likely here for longer than we’d hoped. Though in many places we are beginning to see a loosening of restrictions, we also know that leaders in every industry are being called to re-evaluate what work looks like. In many cases, continuing to work at home just makes more sense than asking staff to come back to the office. 

If that’s your business, and you’re considering making remote work a longer-term arrangement, there are a few crucial elements to consider in more depth. 

The first is continuing to stay flexible, while recognizing that new schedules need to be sustainable longer term now. This means collaborating with staff to balance the needs of the business with the demands of their home life. Work with your team members so that work hours are sustainable for them and fit their lives. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to co-create realistic schedules that meet the needs of the business while accommodating the lives of your team members. For example, team members might need to schedule meetings around nap times, and build in extra breaks throughout the day. As long as the work gets done, it’s time to loosen up restrictions about when the work gets done. 

 Mention the words “occupational health and safety” (especially right now) and most leaders are less than excited. But, a second crucial work from home consideration is workplace safety. Even though employees might not be in the office anymore, their safety and wellbeing while working remotely is still something you need to think about as an employer. Their home is an extension of the workplace, which means making sure there are policies and supports in place to address accident reporting, ergonomics, and working alone concerns. The good news is that WorkSafe BC has work from home guides, resources and checklists for leaders, so there’s no need to start from scratch.

A third consideration is accountability. When people are physically present in the same space, measuring contribution and outputs is relatively easy. But remote accountability goes beyond setting and following through on project plans and timelines that have always been part of a leader’s job description. Building a culture of accountability while working at home is a bigger “ask” that involves a leap of faith on the part of managers. Leaders of remote teams must truly learn to trust their employees will deliver, while still providing enough support to them in the form of check-points, resources, and nudges. This means formalizing and improving on systems for accountability, while increasing touch points so that everyone on the team is in the loop on expectations and knows what they’re responsible for (leaders included). 

To accomplish this, coaching is an invaluable tool in fostering accountability. Get any issues out into the open pre-emptively by asking questions like “What challenges are you facing right now?” or “Are there any obstacles you can anticipate with this?” or “What can I do to support you on this project?” 

Not sure what a coaching approach looks like or where to start? Reach out to discuss, as we’re happy to share some ideas with you.  

She Leads: Interview with Lora McKay – Acting Director of Creative Sector Policy and Governance

Lora was with me at a dinner when we talked about what it means to be a leader – the debate was fun, heated and left me pondering a few things about women in leadership. Given the various points of view at the table, I realized I want to pursue discussions that would give more insights into the challenges women face at work. She Leads is the result: a series of focused conversations featuring women who are leaders in their fields. It is a safe space where women can speak frankly about their experiences, the work-life juggling act these positions demand, the obstacles and rewards, and all the ways they navigate leadership roles as women.  She Leads is a place to share stories about women who lead in their own unique ways and an opportunity for them to pass on their invaluable wisdom to others. Following are edited excerpts of the She Leads dialogues:

Define inspiring leadership?

I define inspiring leadership as being heart-centered. We cannot achieve anything meaningful in isolation. To move forward any project or idea, it requires collaboration, creativity, and trust. Whether you are leading your team or bringing new partners into the fold, they need to know that you are coming from an authentic, heart-centered place in order to join you.

What is one leadership lesson you’ve learned so far?

Trust yourself and your intuition. Speak up if something does not feel right and stay in your integrity. No job or promotion is worth losing your grounding and sense of self.

As a female leader what are the opportunities and challenges you face?

Trying to juggle being a good parent and a good employee is a real challenge. I do not want to miss the pivotal moments in my daughter’s life. It is important for me to be there for her field trips and school concerts. I also want to be a really good colleague and to meaningfully contribute at my workplace.  I have recently been witnessing a shift in workplace culture; it seems to be increasingly moving towards providing the kind of flexibility required to make this possible. I hope this continues, as I consider it to be a real opportunity – especially for women.

What’s the most important business or other discovery you’ve made in the past year?

I have been really impressed with the impact of free collaboration platforms, such as Slack.  Slack allows for the sending of direct messages. It has the ability to organize conversations into different channels (e.g. specific projects, technical support, general chat, etc.). It supports video-calling. You can also drag, drop, share and store files with your colleagues directly within the app and access services such as Google Drive and Dropbox.

What is your daily leadership practice? (A leadership practice for me is defined as a leadership discipline that I do daily)

Self-care. Whether it is exercising, meditating or making healthy food choices, it is so important to care for yourself – mind, body and soul -  or you are of no use to anyone else.

What is one piece of advice that you would give to readers?

Do the work that brings you the most joy.     

Biography

Lora McKay is Acting Director of Creative Sector Policy and Governance with the Province of British Columbia. She has worked in the not-for-profit arts sector and public service for over twenty-years. Lora is committed to fostering a healthy and vibrant creative economy in B.C. through strategic policy and program development. In her personal life, Lora is mother to a nine-year old daughter and she writes a lifestyle blog: breath-by-breath.com