Corona: Fight or Fright

The COVID-19 pandemic brings numerous concerns for humanity. With a few exceptions, all businesses are suffering from this virus that has crippled almost everything. However, the question for which I couldn’t find any satisfactory answer is: how will companies survive this killer virus, and how can they confront its unavoidable threats?

To answer this tough question and fight that disease, I conducted some research and found many ideas and formulas. So, I decided to share with you my take based on my personal experience. To do so, I used the virus itself. Now, do not get me wrong: I did not find a cure for “CORONA”, even though I wish I did. What I did was use the name of that virus, COVID, as an acronym for the set of responses to this threat. So, without further due, here are my five personal advices for businesses in the time of COVID-19:

• C: Control employee conditions and hygiene levels. Conduct regular checks, know who was traveling, sick or self-quarantined. Provide necessary washing facilities, facial masks and hand sanitizers in the workplace.
• O: Organize employee work: group employees in shifts or small teams, limit employees’ number per department and clarify who should come to the office and who should work from home.
• V: Virtual and online communication platforms should be ready. IT support should be active and timely to safeguard what is left of the business, and to help expedite the rapidly growing online load.
• I: Inform your employees continuously and update them about all reliable COVID-19 news. The information must be issued by reliable authorities like official governmental entities, local concerned authorities or the world health organization because these days rumors are spreading faster than the virus itself leading to unnecessary panic.
• D: Diligently abide by governmental decisions and recommendations concerning the health and safety of your personnel. If needed, review your organization’s internal policies, and be prepared to take actions that would mitigate the threats caused by this emerging virus. Moreover, employers must constantly monitor and evaluate the danger, stay well-informed and try to diminish the hazards. And, to repeat myself for emphasis, this should be done diligently.

To conclude on a positive note, there are more than nineteen thousand reasons why individuals and organizations should remain safe and even close temporarily to survive this pandemic. And, if organizations follow my five advice, then maybe (and I am insisting on the word “maybe”) they can survive these hard moments. So, try my COVID to survive the COVID-19 and hopefully 2020 will not end as bleak as it started.