The OMICRON variant of COVID is hitting different parts of the country in waves. New York City, for example, has suffered quite a bit as the level of contagion has been higher and more aggressive than previous waves of the virus.
To illustrate, at the end of December a third of the New York City Fire Department was out on leave because of the volume of people who had contracted the virus.
What have you done and what are you doing to prepare for the consequences of this?
Do you have enough bench strength to cover staff shortages if your company is hit hard?
Leaders need to be prepared for what to do if they are caught in even a relatively “light” shortfall of staff. Think freelancers, permalancers, temp workers – you get the idea – who can fill in when necessary.
Companies who are working remotely are in somewhat better shape since some people who have been hit may have mild symptoms and can continue to work.
When you need to be “live” on site, though, the situation is different. Don’t wait until this happens to you; build a list of people you can call to fill in for a couple of weeks while the affected employees are self-quarantining.
Be prepared that they probably aren’t going to be the caliber of your permanent staff, but do they need to be? Having someone who can fill in during a pinch can be the difference between serving or failing your clients.
Be nimble. Take action. Don’t whine. We’ll get through this.
Header image by Ono Kosuki/Pexels.
