by Rachel Mucha. To respond to anger or fear by simply spreading does not equal responsible action; instead, it leads to poor morale. People hunger for positivity in a post-pandemic world, especially in the work environment. Get the help you need from a therapist near you–a FREE service from Psychology Today. We need this now more than ever. No matter what size your company is or how big your budget, there are a variety of affordable and free video conferencing options available. The shift to remote work can leave employees feeling isolated due to the lack of human interaction they would normally experience in-office. Morale, in the research, has been discussed most often in regards to culture, classrooms, and corporate vocational settings. The uncertainty surrounding this time has our teams trying to find a new “normal” amidst the chaos, and can often lead to a decline in team morale. Putting some of these ideas to work can help keep employee morale high, even during the most difficult times. How to foster team morale during the pandemic . Fear and anger are the geneses of many important nonviolent social justice movements. We love the poignant words of Dana Ullom-Vucelich, “At the very core of our humanity is our care for one another. Given all the changes and hard decisions executives must make to help the company survive, bolstering morale may seem like a low priority. Social behaviors of attendees before and during the event; I want to note that mental health is an even more important issue than morale, and morale boosters do not replace the very real need for mental health resources. Finding ways to boost employee morale during the pandemic can help reduce stress, avoid burnout, and add value to their careers during an incredibly challenging time. Some ways you can try gamification at your company include: Set up friendly competitions to see who hits goals or gets the most work completed in a week. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Seeing coworkers and talking through daily projects and activities makes employees feel connected. Don’t Overwhelm Employees. Best Pandemic Travel Insurance. It’s been close to two months since the World Health Organization declared the spread of the novel coronavirus an official pandemic. Two in three employers polled for a recent survey by SHRM said maintaining employee morale has been a challenge during the pandemic. You can even include prizes like e-gift cards to encourage participation! These five tips can help you boost employee morale and support your workforce during this challenging time. Older adults (aged 65+) may be particularly susceptible to loneliness during coronavirus. The Baby Boomers, in particular, may be the most affected by this pandemic. Team Morale. Since morale has the potential of helping individuals and communities rally and improve or passively “quit” and decline, it seems that this is a good place to start. As a lab manager, you need to step up and help your employees stay motivated and productive during the pandemic and its aftermath. Whenever employees have high morale, they will enjoy going to work and on top of it all, their quality of work is much higher. At the end of the day, taking steps to boost employee morale will help all of your workers feel happier and more engaged with their work. Company Culture: 5 Morale Boosters During the COVID-19 Pandemic COVID-19 has, to put it mildly, changed everyday life. Boosting morale during the COVID-19 pandemic is all about showing you care, remaining hopeful, finding reasons to celebrate, and making our current conditions feel as normal as possible. with their daily routines (who knew?). We need this now more than ever. During the pandemic, senior living and assisted living communities like Covington Senior Living have taken extra precautions to protect the most vulnerable residents against COVID-19. With this technology, your employees will have less tedious busywork to do on a daily basis. To achieve this, we all need to tend to our own personal morale as well as that of our communities. Consider these strategies Now more than ever, it’s essential for businesses to double down on their efforts to boost employee morale. 1. January 4, 2021. It is no secret that COVID-19 has created struggles for many companies worldwide. Blog Tags. In studies of military personnel, high morale was correlated with cultural empathy, open-mindedness, social initiative, emotional stability, and flexibility. Set up friendly competitions to see who hits goals or gets the most work completed in a week. A new theory aims to make sense of it all. Here are some ideas to help this happen. Tips to keep employee morale high Automation software like. It’s fair to say that global morale is low. With new pressures and anxieties weighing down on employees, it can be tougher than ever for workers to accomplish basic tasks. Extended quarantine and the complexity of re-entry has global morale at an all time low. Considering that the crisis has been ongoing for nearly a full year, taking moments to connect with and support employees can go a long way towards supporting the long-term health of your company. 7 Ways to Boost Your Loved One's Morale During the Coronavirus Epidemic With visits to senior communities halted, out of sight doesn't have to be out of mind. For more helpful software solutions that can improve the lives and productivity of teams that are working remotely. Mental Health. ? An Opportunity Familiar to … Nearly seven in 10 police officers across the region say morale has taken a major hit during the coronavirus pandemic. There are two essential ingredients to maintaining morale during this “new normal.” First is the need to think about the “whole person” as we work together and serve each other. If you know anything about running a business, you’d know that the key to creating a successful company is high employee productivity and engagement. Morale During the Pandemic, and How to Raise It | Psychology Today When morale is high, we pursue better outcomes. Automation software like robotic process automation (RPA) can integrate with any existing business platform, to automate repetitive tasks. 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First Bank are a perfect example of the positive effects of employee rewards and recognition programs, especially during the current pandemic. At this challenging time, HR leaders have the most crucial task to play — to boost their employee morale. High morale is also a prerequisite of employee engagement, and multiple studies have shown that engaged companies outperform competitors in categories like customer service, retention, and profit. In fact, it can be just the reset you need to max out productivity. Generally, when people feel comfortable with the setting they are in and people they are with and have a purpose that aligns with their values, they have positive morale. Doreen Dodgen-Magee, Psy.D., is a psychologist, author, and speaker who focuses on how technology shapes people. We’re moving away from Ford’s assembly lines and we’ve figured out that a little levity never hurt anyone. (Heck, we’re lucky if we remember what day it is). When work is fun, employees are happier with their daily routines (who knew?). In fact, if you can remove some of their workload, you should. Top Places to Work 8 ways top companies worked to keep employee morale up during the pandemic Free lunches, gift cards, mental health days, and music shows were all part of the plan. Sounds counterintuitive, right? If we are going to continue to stop COVID in its path, we need the kind of morale that inspires teamwork and excellence. Here are a few easy tricks to make remote work more enjoyable and to boost employee happiness across the company. Consider implementing technology that can assist your employees by removing some of their daily tasks. How To Boost Team Morale While Facing The Effects Of The Pandemic. Nothing like hopping on a quick video call to talk through a work-related problem, only to end the call with a conversation about fighting the horde at Costco or a rant about the annoying habits of your quarantine buddy (aka your spouse). COMPETITION and training took the backseat for champion triathlete Nikko Huelgas during the Covid-19 pandemic, just like every other athletes all over the world. Just make sure that remote games and activities are interactive and involved. It’s essentially a way to make normal business tasks seem like fun games for employees to play. But even in a remote environment, there are a few ways to keep morale high across your company during trying times. But it’s also crucial to balance being transparent with keeping morale up.” he continued. As we all adjust to remote life and deal with pandemic-related life changes, leaders may need to try new tactics to care for team morale. During trying times like this, it’s important to keep your staff happy and motivated. With new pressures and anxieties weighing down on employees, it can be tougher than ever for workers to accomplish basic tasks. 17 Ways to Boost Employee Morale During COVID-19 That Aren’t Happy Hours. Whether it’s from a computer or smartphone, employees can hold virtual meetings, meet up for coffee, or even have a remote happy hour to increase engagement. To foster this feeling, consider company-wide recognition for successful initiatives and provide insight into the business benefits of each initiative. Mixed messages, political interference and public gaffes during the Covid-19 pandemic have caused morale at the CDC to plunge, say current and former staffers. How Can Medical Workers Cope With COVID-19 Stress Now? [Read also: How HR can lead during this pandemic] 1. Here’s the thing: when employees build strong relationships with their coworkers, feelings of seclusion diminish and comradery grows. Just look for something that lets team members share funny videos, relatable stories, uplifting articles, and the latest memes about hand sanitizer (it’s funny until we realize this is our reality). See who knows the most about the company history, business goals, or product. Without company breakfasts, sponsored happy hours, or even your coworker George’s off-color jokes, it might not be the easiest thing to do. *This is not to say that anger or fear are “bad” emotions. For many, sheltering in place has become difficult at best and nearly impossible at worst. We see this with sports teams and theatrical casts. Maintaining high employee morale is certainly challenging during a global crisis, but it’s not impossible to achieve. Everyone is under stress of different types. Here are 7 ideas to appreciate and inspire your employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are tired, our initiative is waning, and we are emotionally dysregulated. This group is most likely to self-isolate due to fear of infection, while also potentially having fewer supports in place to feel less lonely. There are many ways to set up healthy competition at your company. Employees now work from home to uphold social distancing and quarantine guidelines. options available. Take a breath. (Heck, we’re lucky if we remember what day it is). Both management and employees are still getting used to the new routine of working from home or limited working hours in the office. During the pandemic, senior living and assisted living communities like Covington Senior Living have taken extra precautions to protect the most vulnerable residents against COVID-19. Whether it’s from a computer or smartphone, employees can hold virtual meetings, meet up for coffee, or even have a remote happy hour to increase engagement. Morale refers, loosely, to the emotional climate of a group of people living or working together or tied together by a sense of a shared past or project. First Bank are a perfect example of the positive effects of employee rewards and recognition programs, especially during the current pandemic. Pro-Tip: Boost employee morale at your next virtual event with Hoppier. The best way to combat feelings of isolation and increase morale is by keeping employees connected. Billions of people have been ordered to stay in their homes while a deadly pandemic rages outside; surveys show anxiety and depression levels spiking. 3 Ways Companies Can Boost Morale During the Pandemic Ariel Shapira 2 hrs ago. The coronavirus pandemic has shifted normal business operations to being remote. Social behaviors of attendees before and during the event I want to note that mental health is an even more important issue than morale, and morale boosters do not replace the very real need for mental health resources. Employee Recognition. Get everyone together, shut off all other communication and distractions, and let the power hour begin. [Read also: How HR can lead during this pandemic] 1. If your team members see that you’re remaining calm and taking things day by day, they’ll be more likely to do the same. Register Citizen | 30d. amidst the uncertain climate of the business world. In studies evaluating workplace morale, those teams reporting high morale were two times more likely to be thriving in the non-work parts of their lives while the low morale teams dreaded workdays and were two times more likely to be diagnosed with depression. According to a survey of 2,278 HR professionals by the Society for Human Resource Management, 65% of employers admitted that maintaining employee morale has been difficult during the pandemic. With this technology, your employees will have less tedious busywork to do on a daily basis. There are many ways that COVID-19 affected businesses, and their employees, through different forms of tightened budgets. To read the full case study on how Bucketlist has increased company morale at First Bank, click here. are interactive and involved. If employees feel like they’re a part of a team, they’ll be more committed to producing good work and helping your company succeed. It’s an unsettling and frustrating time for many. For more helpful software solutions that can improve the lives and productivity of teams that are working remotely, check out this list. We don’t know when this will end and we’re weary of restrictions. Set up casual Fridays or costume contests on the last workday of the month. There are two essential ingredients to maintaining morale during this “new normal.” First is the need to think about the “whole person” as we work together and serve each other. When these conditions are not met, morale is low. 3 Ways Companies Can Boost Morale During the Pandemic. Everyone is under stress of different types. To read the full case study on how Bucketlist has increased company morale at First Bank, click here. In this article, we’ll discuss how you can boost your employee’s productivity and morale during a pandemic. What Will It Be Like When the Lockdown Lifts. Hey, we get it. Make sure you’re not overwhelming your employees by asking them to accomplish more than their regular workload. The novel COVID-19 pandemic has forced much of our country’s workforce to work remotely and stay inside their homes. 1 minute read. It’s been close to two months since the World Health Organization declared the spread of the novel coronavirus an official pandemic. Communication is critical now more than ever, and without providing correct information, workers can become overwhelmed. They are continuing to care in extraordinary ways and skilled nursing communities are raising the bar for casual family visits as well. Make communication easy by setting up video conferencing and instant messaging platforms across your company (that is, if you don’t Slack everything already). 4 ways to boost morale – even during a pandemic. Whatever business you’re in or work your employees are tasked with, there are plenty of ways to make work more enjoyable for everyone involved. Linda K. Johnsrud, Ronald H. Heck, Vicki J. Rosser. Second, when employees have positive employee morale, they give the company a competitive edge. As parts of society enter into phase one or two of re-entry, scientists and physicians remind us that it’s important to continue to be careful; to distance ourselves, to wash our hands, to wear masks, and not to linger in social spaces where we can’t do these things. Vital, especially during a crisis ) may be particularly susceptible to loneliness during coronavirus have been as... The kind of morale that inspires teamwork and excellence: how HR can during! 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