STAT OF THE DAY Only 4% of workers who started working from home because of COVID-19 have returned to the office full time. Working at home is better or “somewhat better” for 50% of respondents to a Harris Poll/Yahoo Finance report. COVID-19 UPDATE At the time of reporting, The New York Times showed 2,653,280 cases in the U.S. and 127,461 deaths. Bing’s COVID-19 Tracker reported 2,688,592 cases in the U.S. and 128,823 fatalities. New York City has halted plans to allow indoor dining to return as COVID-19 cases have surged across the country. Florida’s Gov. Rob DeSantis says the state will not roll back reopening plans despite an uptick in cases. Private payrolls increased by 2.37 million, according to data from ADP.
During the pandemic, the ‘hub, hygiene, hero’ model still stands. Here’s how to think about tailoring your approach for sharing messages on social media channels despite disruption from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
Your annual wellness challenge can still happen virtually. Here’s how one organization used its usual community-building campaign to create connection during the COVID-19 crisis. You should have a plan for employees juggling homeschooling this fall. Reports show many parents are concerned about sending kids back to the classroom, and with surging cases of COVID-19, businesses should have a contingency plan for working parents handling homeschool responsibilities later this year. Here’s how you can think about offering support. Adidas’ global head of HR steps aside after employee revolt. The executive had a record of downplaying the issue of race within the company—a history that many employees saw as a problem as the company tried to address the cultural moment in the wake of George Floyd’s death. CNN reported: "It has become clear to me that to unify the organization it would be better for me to retire and pave the way for change," Parkin said in a written statement. Parkin came under fire last year after she told employees at a meeting that she thought the topic of racism was "noise" that is only discussed in the United States, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. She also told employees she didn't think Adidas had an issue with racism, the report stated. Mandatory on-site work has implications beyond COVID-19 for working parents. Here’s why one communicator and mother argues that flexible work should be made the industry standard long after the pandemic is behind us. Fox News fires veteran host Ed Henry over sexual misconduct allegations. Policing harassment and protecting employees should still be a top priority during the pandemic. Fox News has faced several crises around rampant harassment and abuse. The New York Daily News reported: “Ed was suspended the same day and removed from his on-air responsibilities pending investigation,” reads the memo, which was obtained Wednesday by the Daily News. “Based on investigative findings, Ed has been terminated.” Gen Z wants to go back to the office, according to new data. Remote work has been particularly difficult for new and young employees who don’t yet feel a sense of belonging with your organization. Here are some ways to help create that important sense of community. How are you building your network during COVID-19? Here’s how you can develop new connections and continue to build your career, even without industry events and meetups. Amazon refuses to offer transparency on COVID-19 transmission data. The retail giant has been carefully tracking the disease’s spread, as made clear by a recently linked internal memo. However, the company refuses to make that data public, instead promising that appropriate safety measures are in place. CNN reported: "Nothing is more important than the safety of our teams. We have redeployed a large number of our data scientists, technologists, and operations employees to focus on Covid-19 and ensure the safety of our workforce, including thousands of individuals on our health and safety teams," Amazon spokesperson Kelly Cheeseman said in a statement to CNN Business. Cheeseman added that "an in-depth analysis of sites is one of many tools that help us evaluate the full picture in our buildings related to Covid-19." Is your dress code discriminatory or racist? One expert says that guidelines are fair in the workplace, but parts of these regulations might be influenced by racist biases. Here’s how you should reevaluate your messages on workplace decorum. Google won’t return to the office until September. Spiking cases of COVID-19 have pushed back the planned reopening of Google offices in the U.S. CNBC reported: “For all of you that are working from home, please continue to do so unless you are told otherwise by your manager,” Chris Rackow, Google’s vice president of global security, said in the memo. “We don’t expect this guidance to change until Monday, Sept. 7 (Labor Day) at the earliest,” Rackow wrote, adding that the recent rise in coronavirus cases in the United States demonstrates that “Covid-19 is still very much alive.” Virtual Conference Alert Join us for Ragan’s Remote Employee Engagement &Culture Virtual Conference on Tuesday, July 21 to learn internal comms strategies and best practices to meet the challenges of the new reality. Join our Crisis Leadership Board Ragan’s Crisis Leadership Board is the resource you need before, during and after the crisis. As a Board member, you have access to all back issues of this newsletter—as well as research, data, case studies, checklists, tip sheets, articles and other resources—plus a peer-to-peer discussion board and an all-access pass to the annual Crisis Management Conference. Sponsorship/Advertising Opportunities Contact Hannah Lavelle at HannahL@ragan.com with sponsorship and advertising inquiries. Pitch Us Have a great story to share about crisis communication or your own take on current best practices? Contact Editor Ted Kitterman at TedK@ragan.com. Sign Up Subscribe to Ragan’s Crisis Daily newsletter today. | 