Use this time to develop stronger employees

Roughly a month after Idaho Governor Brad Little’s initial statewide stay-at-home order as part of the emergency response to COVID-19, it may be a great time to consider the ways we can capitalize on this disruptive period as a chance to improve our workplaces. As an added benefit, it may be an opportunity to keep employees engaged if you are one of the small businesses that applied for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan to keep paying employees for an eight-week period and are looking to take advantage of the debt forgiveness provisions.

The list below should be a resource to help identify meaningful tasks whether you are simply looking to keep employees on the payroll and paid at least 75 percent of their regular wages for PPP purposes or wish to incorporate more opportunities to improve their skill sets and efficiency. Keep in mind, however, that certain actions causing changes to some employees’ duties may jeopardize exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Of course, every business is different and every workforce diverse, so not all tips will work for each employer.

Rainy day tasks

This first category may be the easiest way to identify tasks, but it can also be an opportunity to engage employees at all levels. Don’t just look at your list of items you have put off assigning during busier times, but ask all levels of your workforce to come up with lists they have been meaning to attend to when time allowed.

Cross-training