Unfiltered LIVE: Ask the Experts | Employee Safety During COVID-19

Question: How would you address an employee who feels you are putting them at risk for asking them to work when the government is asking them to limit contact with people?

Gary Elekes; EGIA faculty member and iMarket Solutions Founder:

We’ve given all of our people the opportunity to back off. If a technician, or an install crew, or a plumber, does not feel comfortable working, we’ve given them the opportunity to say it’s okay. To Wally’s point, having your team’s back this is bigger than revenue and profitability.

The truth of the matter is, you don’t want to put people in a position where they feel compromised. That really is crossing a boundary. While we all want to survive and prosper, and we want to be able to create profitability and cash flow and support our families, by giving your employees the opportunity, you’re giving them a choice to step in or step out. So far, 100% of our employees, at all of our companies, have said, “No, we’re good!”

Obviously, we’re talking mostly about field personnel at this point because they’re the ones that are exposed. If you’re a customer service representative working from home that’s, not quite the same risk.

All I can tell you is that I think you need to give them the leverage and give them the opportunity and make it crystal clear that they have the choice. I think they also need to have the empowered choice that if they feel like a customer or somebody they’re working with looks like they could potentially be ill, the company needs to support that teammate.

Six months from now you’re probably going to be really happy that you took that stance and that type of a leadership position.

Drew Cameron; EGIA faculty member and HVAC Sellutions Founder:

I think clarity and communication is key, we’ve been saying it over and over again. Lead from a place of certainty.

I’ve talked to the owners of my clients and they make sure on a day-to-day basis, they’re out there either sending a video message or an email or a text or having a face-to-face meeting if they can, where they’re having a daily message. They’re seeing the impact it’s having with their coworkers.

This will be something that will carry on forever. This is not going to be something that we just did now because of this event. The messaging and the communication from the leadership now, on a day-to-day basis, has really put the employees in a good space.

Like Gary, I don’t have any clients who have employees that want to sit home. They feel comfortable and certain because leadership is comfortable and certain.

To access the full archive of Unfiltered Live: Ask the Expert recordings, CLICK HERE.