The Senate has passed a $484 billion coronavirus relief package that includes money for the Paycheck Protection Program, including an allotment for lending by community banks and small lenders, as well as money for testing, hospitals, and disaster loans and grants. The House is expected to pass the measure Thursday. Full Story: The Hill (4/21),BNN Bloomberg (Canada) (4/21)
Recruiting & Retention
HR leader: Focus on the employee experience during crisis Communicate often with employees during the pandemic, be sensitive to their needs and give them flexibility, says K Manjula, chief of HR and management services at SBI Life Insurance. "While businesses might be strained temporarily, the organizations which stand strongly by their employees and customers in this hour of need will emerge as winners in the long run," she says. Full Story: People Matters (India) (English-language content) (4/20)
How to be a Kind, Clear Leader During a Crisis Clear, kind feedback and an agile mindset are vital to get through any crisis intact. Kim Scott, author and co-founder of Radical Candor, and Kelly Leonard, executive director of The Second City, share actionable ways to lead, collaborate, and stay connected during rapidly changing times. Click here to learn how.
Ways to foster employees' mental health in a crisis Employers that tackle mental health in the coronavirus pandemic will emerge "with a resilient workforce," psychologist Renee Schneider writes. Half of Americans report mental health struggles due to the outbreak, and Schneider urges companies to support them with education, time off, stress management and connection through technology. Full Story: Fast Company online (4/21)
Path to Workforce
New job platform lends out employees during coronavirus Four female industry leaders put together People + Work Connect, a business-to-business job platform to help people find jobs during the economic disruptions of the coronavirus. The goal is to keep people working, even if only temporarily, so businesses can lend furloughed employees to other companies who need workers. Full Story: Bloomberg (tiered subscription model) (4/16)
Laurie Madden, senior adviser of digital projects, corporate communications, at Phillips 66, faces the shared challenge of engaging with her team while they're working from home during the coronavirus pandemic. In this interview, she shares some creative strategies, such as surveying to determine communication preferences, holding remote town halls, and sending reminders and important information via the company's employee app. Full Story: PR Daily (4/21)
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