Discussion Post: COVID-19: Preparing for Effects to Your Business

03/13/2020 1:10 PM | ACRAsphere Blog Team

Are you worried about how COVID-19 may impact your CRM firm and its operation? You aren't alone - firms across the nation are facing new challenges as they plan for this continued public health issue.

Please use the comments section at the bottom of this post to connect with others in the CRM industry on how they are preparing for COVID-19. You can share your firm's plan for preparing, ask questions about challenges you are facing, and hear about innovative ways other firms are handling operations.

We have also included general guidance and resources on preparing your CRM firm for the COVID-19 response below.

ACRA encourages its members to prepare for the possibility of a COVID-19 outbreak in your communities and across the nation and around world where you work.  There are many agencies providing guidance on the best measures to reduce the spread of the virus (see links below).  In addition to concern about personal health, ACRA is aware the COVID-19 outbreak may have a significant effect on businesses in our industry. 

Things to consider and plan for to keep your business running:

  • Recognize projects may be cancelled or delayed or travel to project sites may not be allowed. 
  • Communicate frequently with clients and teaming partners about project status to determine if client is potentially shutting down or postponing work.
  • Communicate with staff frequently and clearly about project status changes and updates to plans. 
  • Communicate frequently about company leave and telecommuting policies.
  • Actively encourage frequent hand-washing and disinfecting.  Cover noses and mouths with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (or use an elbow or shoulder if no tissue is available)
  • Develop disinfection routines and use them frequently (e.g., frequently clean doorknobs, countertops, desks, and any common area/use surfaces).
  • Encourage staff to be aware of any early signs of illness before starting work or travel. Actively encourage sick employees to stay home- now is not the time for toughing it out at work.
  • Ensure you check the CDC’s traveler’s health notices (see link below).  If outside the country and sickened or have issues traveling home, encourage staff to reach out to a U.S. consular officer (e.g., US embassies and consulates) to help locate healthcare services.
  • Identify supply chain partners for ordering Personal Protective Equipment.
  • Design an emergency response/continuity of operations plan:
    • Determine essential business functions, jobs, and roles.
    • Do you have the resources to have people work from home, to the extent possible?
    • As appropriate, consider having staff work in shifts to lessen interpersonal contact.
    • To the degree possible, identify and mitigate stressors.
    • Develop a phone/email tree for continued communication throughout any crisis.
    • Plan for increased employee absences. If possible, identify backup staff for those who may fall ill.
    • Cross-train staff to the degree feasible.

Useful Links

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Fact Sheet: What you need to know about coronavirus disease 2019
Fact Sheet: What to do if you are sick with coronavirus disease 2019
Resources for Business and Employers 
Preventing COVID-19 Spread in Communities
Preparing Communities for Potential Spread of COVID-19
Communication Resources
Travelers' Health 
Interim US Guidance for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Persons with Potential Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Exposures
Small Business International Travel Resource Travel Planner
Pandemic Preparedness Resources
OSHA
Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19

Comments

  • 03/14/2020 1:51 PM | Cinder Miller
    Gray & Pape is in the process of revising our travel policies and fit for duty policies. I have heard that a number of firms are providing extended sick leave and much more flexible work hours. What are some things other firms are doing to help keep business moving while keeping employees and the general public safe?
    Link  •  Reply
    • 03/16/2020 8:56 AM | Jeanne Ward
      We are in the process of coordinating as many work-from-home tasks as possible. Probably not as efficient but we want to keep our staff employed and as healthy as possible.
      Link  •  Reply
    • 03/16/2020 9:30 AM | Nathan Boyless
      Interesting, re "fit for duty policies". Thanks for helping us think of that Cinder!
      Link  •  Reply
    • 03/16/2020 3:03 PM | Jennifer Barbee
      Applied EarthWorks has offered additional paid time off:

      To compensate employees who are unable to work due to illness, we are providing up to 24 hours of extra, paid sick time in addition to your current sick hours accrued.

      No doctor’s note is necessary – we trust EEs to use this offer responsibly.

      Extra paid sick time will be manually applied for those who go negative on sick accrual in the pay periods through April 30. (Offer may be extended if the outbreak continues.)
      Link  •  Reply
  • 03/16/2020 9:29 AM | Nathan Boyless
    The situation escalated quickly in Colorado. I first sent a memo to our team on Thursday, March 6 just hours before Gov. Polis announced the first two presumptive cases in the State. In that memo, I stressed two things - sharing the facts and openly discussing the situation with others; and encouraged folks to work from home. Thankfully, most team members already work flexible schedules between home and the office so they happily obliged!

    Since then, we have been in constant communication with the rest of the team. We issued a step-by-step plan to supervisors for closing offices, distributing work and sending folks home (currently we have not officially closed any offices). All team members have a guide with instructions on things like accessing the VPN, company server, VoIP system, etc. In addition to strongly encouraging work-from-home, we restricted non-essential work travel and stressed that folks freely share their comfort level about travel for projects. We are prepared to halt all work travel, however, if directed to do so or if employees decide that they do not feel comfortable about leaving home.

    Finally, we've conducted an in-depth review of the risk exposure to our book of business and we have several automated reports to help PMs monitor projects. We will very likely take a hit to our business for oil and gas clients in the latter half of the year, and that may unfortunately result in a miss to our projections for 2020. All of this has been transparently shared with our team so they know how their company is doing. So far, this year has been a heck of start to Metcalf's 40th Anniversary...
    Link  •  Reply
  • 03/16/2020 12:31 PM | Kerri Barile
    Hey folks.
    Like you said, the issues primarily revolve around keeping people safe and doing the right thing...while also keeping a business afloat. We have implemented the following as of this morning:
    - All archaeological fieldwork and archival research are on hold
    - Architectural fieldwork is being done on a case by case basis (a lot can be done from a public right of way via a personal vehicle)
    - All staff are receiving 40 hours of paid "emergency leave" to augment their billable desk work or, for hourly folks especially, their paycheck since fieldwork is cancelled. We want folks to be able to pay their rent! Hourly employees can also use any accrued sick time during the crisis to augment paychecks.
    - We are setting up static IP and other remote work solutions so almost all staff can work remotely.
    - We've enacted a liberal leave policy so folks can use leave as needed without getting prior permission.

    If this goes more than 2-3 weeks, we will have to reevaluate. The challenge is to not only keep our staff but have a company for them to come back to! ;)
    Looking forward to hearing other replies....
    Kerri Barile
    Dovetail Cultural Resource Group
    Fredericksburg, VA and Wilmington, DE
    Link  •  Reply
  • 03/17/2020 3:31 PM | Sarah Herr
    Desert Archaeology is using the municipal health website for primary guidance, in order to parse the local situation from the larger situation. We are doing much of the communications you are and trying to encourage work from home, although we don't have enough VPN capacity for the whole company to do that simultaneously (we will also use the cloud and are buying more flash drives). How are people understanding the bill in the legislature about increasing leave? And, how are you managing your employees anxiety levels?
    Link  •  Reply
  • 03/22/2020 7:02 PM | Sarah Herr
    Can I ask one more question/comment? How are folks handling morale and anxiety? (I was thinking of employees, but actually it occurs to me that it may apply to us, as well?)
    Link  •  Reply

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