STAT OF THE DAY In a recent Gallup poll, employee engagement has taken a precipitous drop following record highs after the COVID-19 crisis. The drop is most significant among those in managerial and leadership positions. COVID-19 UDPATE At the time of reporting, The New York Times showed 3,379,906 cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and 135,402 deaths. Bing’s COVID-19 Tracker reported 3,428,462 cases of COVID-19 and 137,613 fatalities. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered businesses to close again, including indoor service in restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, zoos and cardrooms. Bars were ordered to close all operations. Several big school districts around the country are already planning for virtual classes in the fall, including Los Angeles, San Diego, Nashville, Atlanta, Miami and more. Experts on the economy say to ignore the record swings, but instead focus on comparing current figures to the pre-COVID economy.
What can be learned from the U.K.’s COVID-19 messaging? Here are some takeaways from different messages that resonated—or fell flat—with insights on the modern audience and what the public needs to hear during the global pandemic.
Workers less likely to acknowledge racism in their own workplace. Here’s how employees say they want to address discrimination and how their organizations to speak out on issues like Black Lives Matter. When budgets shrink, turn to project-based work with your agency. You still have important messaging goals, so if you can’t continue to have someone on retainer, think about how you can package your long-term goals into small bites. Just how necessary is the modern office? Here’s how many are rethinking the American workplace, and why we should take this opportunity to reject parts of the old system that weren’t working that well for us anyway. HR pros say it’s a stressful but “amazing” time to do their work. The crises of the moment have also brought an elevated status to the role as many organizations have been forced to make fast decisions with limited information. Huawei responds to U.K. ban on the company’s 5G equipment. The company’s close ties to the Chinese government have been cause for concern for some countries, leading to a ban from the U.K. for Huawei’s use in creating 5G in the country. Huawei says the move risks hurting British telecom infrastructure. The New York Times wrote: “It threatens to move Britain into the digital slow lane,” said Ed Brewster, a spokesman for Huawei U.K. “Regrettably our future in the U.K. has become politicized; this is about U.S. trade policy and not security.” Companies turn to green initiatives to bolster reputations. Even with COVID-19 and other crises, some organizations are finding headlines by pointing to efforts to reduce waste and greenhouse gases. Burger King is pushing burgers from cows on a low-methane diet and Johnny Walker is touting new paper bottles . The COVID-19 pandemic is hitting older workers hard. Employment for workers over 65 has dropped by 16% compared to 11% for Americans 16 and older. Make sure you are thinking about all the different age groups in your workforce as you chart a return to work.
(Image via Quartz) Hybrid remote work and traditional office work offers downsides. For companies considering mixing WFH with traditional models, there’s a real chance that innovation won’t occur and employees will be stuck with problems that come with both systems. Here’s why a hybrid approach isn’t a good idea. Wells Fargo employees advised to delete TikTok. The message comes after Amazon sent a similar message to employees—then retracted it. A spokesperson for the bank explained the decision this way: “A small number of employees with corporate-owned devices who had installed the TikTok application,” The spokesperson said. “Due to concerns about TikTok’s privacy and security controls and practices, and because corporate-owned devices should be used for company business only, we have directed those employees to remove the app from their devices.” RTW Retailwinds files for bankruptcy. The retailer, which owns New York & Co., says that the move was necessary in the face of the COVID-19 crisis and the changing retail landscape. CNN Business wrote: "The combined effects of a challenging retail environment coupled with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic have caused significant financial distress on our business, and we expect it to continue to do so in the future," RTW CEO Sheamus Toal said in a statement. He added that bankruptcy was the "best path forward to unlock value." 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. | 