As priorities are instantly put into place amidst a natural disaster such as the case here in the northeast, the checklist is simple:
Family. Check.
Roof over our heads. Check.
Heat, hot water, electricity, food. Check, check, check. And yes, check.
Well, as time marches on and situations resume to somewhat normal routines after the storm has come and gone (assuming and hoping there was minimal devastation and power outages), it’s time to get back to work, right?
Whether it’s hurricane Sandy or a huge storm, mudslide or some other horrific natural disaster, chances are we’ve all been there. It’s time to get back to work but your head is simply not in the game.
Well, according to a piece in today’s New York Post, from a management perspective there’s a fine line to showing employees it’s time to get back to business without seeming callous.
In the piece, Gregory Giangrande, chief HR officer at Time, Inc., writes, “Balancing employee needs and business needs requires leadership, flexibility and understanding during these critical days.”
He points out there is “no need to go it alone.” Many companies probably have strong internal networks across the board from HR to crisis management and inner workings of teams themselves.
From an employee perspective, if your company has a work-life balance hotline or help desk, by all means reach out. It seems to be normal to feel that you’re not completely immersed in the game after an intense storm, as well as unusual routine of working from home alongside your family for days on end.
However, by relying on resources and tools such as working on tasks, shutting off e-mails, setting an alarm, and allowing yourself frequent breaks you’ll hopefully get bursts of solid productive time even though in the beginning they may seem rather succinct.