Employees working from home due to COVID-19 are still struggling with things like stress, feelings of helplessness and low morale.

According to a recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management, 73% of employers say that maintaining employee morale has been a problem.

So what can HR teams for companies in cities like Vancouver, Toronto or Los Angeles do to help their staff feel more motivated and boost morale during these uncertain times?

Here are 5 ways you can boost employee morale with your team:

1) Communication

Clear & precise communication with your team is essential during this pandemic.

As an HR Manager or Director, if you’re having feelings of dread or frustration yourself, it’s more than likely your team will pick up on this and begin to model the same behaviors.

Managing emotions and staying calm is essential at this time.

Plan to communicate frequently and honestly with your team every week.

Keeping employees in the dark will only allow their fears to grow.

Discuss any plans due to COVID-19 with your team, such as transitioning back to working at the office.

Consider a weekly or monthly virtual meeting with your staff where you can openly communicate with everyone.

As well, give your team the option to ask questions so they can speak up and say what’s on their minds.

They need to know that your door is always open.

2) Revisit your Options for Healthcare

The pandemic isn’t over yet and cases of COVID-19 continue to grow.

Some of your employees might be watching young children at home or taking care of an elderly parent, which adds more stress.

Others could be dealing with their own personal health complications, which may have gotten worse with everything going on.

As a HR leader at your company, now might be the time to revisit healthcare options available to your employees, such as online counseling services or virtual appointments with healthcare providers.

Encourage your teams to take advantage of these healthcare options so they can stay well.

If one of your team members does become ill with COVID-19 or another complication, be sure they have access to adequate healthcare resources.

3) Improve access to the Right Tools

Now that most of your employees are working from home, check in with everyone from time to time to be sure they have the tools they need.

Examples might include a proper headset for phone calls and online meetings, a different laptop or computer monitor set up or a proper internet connection that is fast enough for them to complete their work in a timely manner.

If someone is scared to leave their house, say even to get groceries, help them to look at options like grocery home delivery services or fresh farm boxes that get delivered to their home.

Ask your team members what they need and provide the resources to help them acquire it and set it up.

4) Celebrate Accomplishments

When the COVID-19 pandemic exploded back in mid-March, it was “fight or flight” for a lot of companies as they shifted the focus to the intense transition of working from home, coupled with the fear of actually contracting the virus.

Nearly four months later, most of us have settled into somewhat of a routine and we feel like we can breathe again.

Create a sense of normalcy for your team by celebrating and acknowledging accomplishments, such as a new sale from the team, new clients, an award the company has won, or even someone’s birthday or spousal anniversary.

Providing this personal touch will help your team to feel like the HR department truly cares about them as people, and will help to boost employee morale.

5) Offer your staff a Virtual Workplace Wellness Program

During COVID-19, there are plenty of free resources you can provide to your team, such as a link about how to manage their stress, or information about how to improve work/life balance.

Perhaps you want to host a seminar once a month to really show your team some things they can do to stay healthy & well.

Consider also setting up a weekly yoga or fitness class virtually for your team in Seattle, Toronto, Los Angeles, Vancouver or wherever your office is located.

Studies show that physical exercise is one of the best ways to lower stress and boost energy and productivity levels.

Not only does a great Corporate Yoga program help your staff to increase flexibility and strength, but the mindfulness component of yoga will help your employees to be mentally resilient and calm during this difficult time.

Not every employer is providing a virtual workplace wellness program during this pandemic.

Doing so will help your company to really stand out and improve employee morale.

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Keeping employee morale high during this pandemic isn’t impossible.

With these few simple shifts, you can help your employees to thrive rather than just survive, and to keep spirits high despite everything going on.

When the crisis is over, your HR team will be in a strong position to retain talent and your company will be seen as an optimal place to work, supporting your organization’s long term success.