How United Way of Metro Chicago is Addressing COVID-19

**United Way of Metro Chicago on COVID-19**

**& What Other Organizations Can Learn From Them**

Have you thought about what you have been sharing with your employees lately and how you can help keep them and society safe?

In the hustle and bustle of all that is going on, we can all use a reminder. We spoke to Tamiya Aurel, VP of Human Resources, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at United Way of Metro Chicago to find out how they are handling the current situation.

The Daily Digest email is such a great idea that really helps different functions understand important organizational updates - how did that come about? You mentioned senior leadership contributes to it. Can you guide us through the process of who begins the draft and how you all add to it?

Marilyn Jackson, Chief Strategy & Engagement Officer who leads our marketing & communications team came up with the idea of the Daily Digest. Once we activated our remote work plan, staff communications from senior leaders and department managers with updates about the Chicago COVID19 Response Fund and other important information was overwhelming our email boxes. Marilyn suggested a once a day email blast that would include the latest information from all departments. Brilliant, right?!

To produce the Digest, the senior leadership team works with their departments to determine what information is shared and the digest is then sent once per day. It is a group effort and so far it has been working well and has definitely decreased the amount of email traffic for our staff. It has been great to have one place for staff to search for information during this crisis. We will evaluate over time to determine if we want to continue this approach.

You all seem to have a very open communication strategy with your employees on how you all are addressing coronavirus, which is amazing. How has the response been from employees?

Thank you! From the beginning senior leadership agreed that transparency was the best strategy. Especially since we are literally all in this together and are flying the plane as we are building it! Our President & CEO, Sean Garrett makes sure to communicate pertinent organization information whenever necessary. His direct messages to staff about how United Way is partnering with local foundations as well as city and state government officials on COVID-19 relief efforts and keeping staff updated about what happens next with United Way has proved to be essential in keeping our staff informed.

“As the head of Human Resources I am also making sure to keep the staff informed about all the recently passed laws and acts related to COVID-19. The anxiety this crisis has caused, coupled with the fast moving legal updates, is a lot to absorb.”

As the head of Human Resources I am also making sure to keep the staff informed about all the recently passed laws and acts related to COVID-19. The anxiety this crisis has caused, coupled with the fast moving legal updates, is a lot to absorb. To address this, I along with our Chief Partnerships and Initiatives Officer, Jose Rico are hosting Virtual Circles: COVID Chats. These meetings will be a similar to healing circles that Jose and I are both certified to lead. The purpose is to help staff process and discuss (as much as they are comfortable) how this crisis has affected them and their families. I will also be able to provide real time answers to the legislative updates for them. We are hopeful these virtual circles will be both educational and comforting to our staff.

There is a lot of positive and useful messaging in those emails - including ideas for creating community, the sheet from a licensed counselor, and utilizing resources like an EAP. What are some of the positive actions or ideas you've seen employees really take away from these messages or from the United Way culture in general?

Last week, we ended our third full week of 100% remote work and I believe overall that the team has transitioned well. Our team figured out very quickly how to use new technology in order to stay connected and in order to get things done in our “new-normal” environment. It will be interesting to see how we adjust after the initial COVID-19 fund related work levels off. What is definitely in our favor is now we know what we CAN do when pressed!

On Friday, our Engagement Team led by Veronica Lynch, Director President’s Office Initiatives kicked off a weekly series of mini town halls that we are calling: “Remotely UNITED.” The series was held on the Zoom conferencing platform and included all staff. Each week, an hour-long session will be moderated by members of the Engagement Team and will feature a different department who will deliver news and updates about their work and current projects. The staff will also be encouraged to ask questions via the chat feature that will be answered in real time. To encourage more community, a casual after-the-show-ends-like event will begin immediately following the series each week. Here is where the team can remain connected to the Zoom meeting for more virtual socializing. Some of the social activities could include dancing and trivia.

We are hoping all of our efforts around this unprecedented crisis will help to solidify our United Way community!

Based on our conversation with Tamiya, here are a few takeaways on how to use your ability and power as an employer to spread important information quickly:

Address exactly what your organization is doing about coronavirus and share up-to-date and factual information from the CDC as information becomes available
Loop your employees in on your organization's preparedness plan and any and all procedures, measures, or protocols that are in place from your company and office building
Let employees know how operations are changing due to the new circumstances and acknowledge the difficulty of the situation but show understanding and positivity as a united front
Send a "Daily Digest" out to your employees that covers updates from Senior Leadership in different functions (Marketing, HR, etc.) during this time
Encourage employees to take advantage of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) if needed, and provide a sheet of suggestions from a licensed counselor on how to get through this
Create a community with Zoom virtual happy hours, chair breaks, etc.

Remember, above all: act swiftly, be sure to share out information to all pertinent parties, and encourage your employees to take care of themselves and their families during this time.